The new HFP chat thread – Thursday 4th June

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

• Nathan says:

  4 Jun4 June 13:12

  Looks like Virgin flying club is down again. Cant login and get the endless loop and error ERROR_MSG_21. Was working yesterday.

  • JLNF says:

    4 Jun4 June 14:23

    Seems to be working for me just now (and I, possibly optimistically, booked a miles seat this am too with no issues).

  • Julie says:

    4 Jun4 June 14:26

    I can get in ok

• M Baldrick says:

  4 Jun4 June 14:06

  Hi, i have looked on the site for a comparison of BA business class versus American Airlines Business class. I couldn’t find anything. Could one of you kind people point me in the direction of a comparison? I note today AA has announced they are increasing flights both domestically and internationally albeit the increase for domestic flight are more substantial. Also, AA are reopening 11 of their Admirals Club lounges in select cities and terminals. I had booked with BA to Charleston on July 23rd but that direct flight is cancelled. I am only being offered Heathrow to Charleston via Miami or Dallas Texas. Some of the lights being offered are BA flights from T5 and others are BA via T3 which i know BA aren’t flying from so I am assuming the flights via T3 are AA flights. Hence my original request for comparison of BA and AA Business class.
  Thanks for your help,

  • Anna says:

    4 Jun4 June 14:24

    If you google “compare BA and AA business class”, several articles come up on different travel blogs. I’m assuming you’re eligible to enter the US next month – are you the chap who was trying to get over to see his son?

    • M Baldrick says:

      4 Jun4 June 16:55

      Thank you – no my elderly parents live in Charleston so i go at least once a year.

  • ChrisC says:

    4 Jun4 June 15:21

    google search for ‘which BA flights leave from T3’ would get you this thread from this very blog

    https://headforpoints.com/2019/09/09/where-can-you-fly-on-ba-from-t3-to-visit-the-new-qantas-and-cathay-pacific-lounges/

    At present AA operated flights are depating from T2

    • ChrisBCN says:

      4 Jun4 June 15:50

      The second link you get is for BA. Shows why Rob & co write the headlines as they do, to get them top of the search rankings (I know it’s more complex than that, but you get my point).

    • M Baldrick says:

      4 Jun4 June 16:57

      Hi, i thought BA had moved all their flights to T5 at least for the time being. I am being given alternative flights to pick from and the AA flights indicate they leave from T3 Now I am all confused 🙁
      Thanks for your help 🙂

      • Lyn says:

        4 Jun4 June 18:02

        I think you are right, that BA’s Heathrow flights are all consolidated into T5 for the moment.

        If you look up the alternative flights you are being offered using BA’s normal timetable search it will show if they are operated by BA or AA.

        https://www.britishairways.com/travel/schedules/public/en_gb

        and then click the airplane symbol for the particular flight to see both operating carrier and Heathrow terminal.

        • Lyn says:

          4 Jun4 June 18:24

          You may have seen this already, but in addition to the current US entry restrictions, this UK government web-site gives the restricted list of 13 “arrival” airports for international flights to the US.

          https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements

  • Nick_C says:

    4 Jun4 June 18:40

    If I buy a J class ticket to the US, I fly with AA. If it’s a redemption, I fly BA with a voucher.

    The AA J cabin on the 77W is far superior to Club World. Privacy, and social distancing. And T2/T3 lounges are better than BA lounges at T5.

• Spaghetti Town says:

  4 Jun4 June 14:08

  Has it been mentioned? Virgin to restart flights on 20 July. New York, Orlando, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

  • Anna says:

    4 Jun4 June 14:26

    But who will be allowed to enter the US by then? No-one is going to want to book without that certainty (though I wouldn’t be planning any trips over the pond at all in 2020).

    • Lee says:

      4 Jun4 June 14:44

      Same as Shanghai/HongKong, no one will be allowed in

    • Craig W says:

      4 Jun4 June 17:32

      isn’t the point that people already with flights booked to these locations will now get screwed because they won’t want to go but virgin are running the flights and so they can’t get a refund from Virgin? i suspect this might be the reason they are starting them again, less so for new bookings as you say

      • Don says:

        4 Jun4 June 18:13

        Show me a fare rule that says a visa rejection is not a grounds for a full refund.

        • Lady London says:

          4 Jun4 June 21:23

          unfortunately the airline is not responsible for your personal immigration status or any country’s immigration rules changing, so people could get hung out to dry.

• Mick Crook says:

  4 Jun4 June 14:17

  I’ve just recently found this site,I’m looking for help/clarification regarding a recently cancelled BA flight to Barbados. The flight was partly paid for with cash and Avios points, also seat reservations were paid later with Avios. Our AirBnb accommodation was cancelled a few days before departure as they advised us to not travel (full refund received). We received an email from BA on 16th March regarding our flight on 20th March offering a voucher, we applied for the voucher on 19th March, which we have received. I have noticed that the BA flight did actually travel to Barbados and was not cancelled by them. The question is how do I find out the actual monetary value of the BA voucher and will this include the Avios points taken from Executive club accounts?

  • Rob says:

    4 Jun4 June 15:26

    Hi Mick. The giveaway is that your voucher number is the same as your ticket number. It contains everything – the Avios and cash (plus any Amex vouchers you may have used). Not sure if your seat fee is turned back into cash in the voucher or if you are due 2 free seat reservations. You simply need to call BA next time you want to book.

• Anna says:

  4 Jun4 June 14:28

  Has anyone stayed at the Doubletree in Harrogate? We are looking at moving our Aston Martin trip to August and have loads of points in Hilton and IHG with all the cancellations we’ve had. Properties in N Yorks are few and far between though! The Doubletree is only 27,000 points for a standard redemption!

  • Anna says:

    4 Jun4 June 14:30

    I am HH gold, OH should be IHG Spire by then.

  • Josh says:

    4 Jun4 June 14:32

    Check TripAdvisor….the place was a complete utter shambles when I was there. You need the patience of Job and some more if you are willing to stay the night.

    The breakfast was exceptional though.

    • Anna says:

      4 Jun4 June 14:58

      TripAdvisor reviews are quite mixed! It’s only for one night so if the breakfast is good we might go for it.

      • Anna says:

        4 Jun4 June 15:07

        I’ve just found TripRep’s review from last year, it was obviously a let down!

        • Josh says:

          4 Jun4 June 16:57

          In fairness the hotel might be a lot better now. The building itself is lovely, but it was really badly staffed. If you’re prepared to put up with some staffing issues though the hotel is very reasonable.

          There were huge queues (30-40 mins plus) to check in at 3pm with many rooms not ready. Staff were rather abrupt. You may need to remind them about the cookie. They might forget to put bottled water in the rooms. Not all rooms had a fridge. Digital key didn’t work for me. If you need to ring reception up about anything don’t expect things to be followed up.

          Breakfast room was lovely with a great selection of items.

  • Craig says:

    4 Jun4 June 17:41

    Where are you heading, NC500?

    • Anna says:

      4 Jun4 June 18:01

      No, I’d organised a weekend away for my OH’s 50th, including hiring an Aston Martin for the weekend, in the Yorkshire Dales, so now trying to re-schedule. We both turn 50 this summer (and I retired!), so the amount of stuff I’ve had to cancel/re-arrange is mind-boggling!

• Harry H says:

  4 Jun4 June 14:50

  I have a voucher covering an Avios booking tied to a GUF2. I am looking to use it in June 2021 on the same route. I understand the voucher is limited to there being Avios availability on the flight.

  Has anyone had experience of using the voucher to book one way and adding the return when those seats open up a couple of weeks later?

  • Charlieface says:

    4 Jun4 June 19:10

    Travel agent can use it on any cash flight if they know what they are doing.

    • Lady London says:

      4 Jun4 June 21:25

      Propeller or Trailfinders?

    • Harry H says:

      5 Jun5 June 15:02

      Hi Charlieface
      You wouldn’t happen to know a travel agent who knows what they are doing would you?
      Thanks
      Harry

• BJ says:

  4 Jun4 June 15:06

  Redundancies at five high end IHG hotels in Edinburgh and Glasgow:
  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-52923731

  • Don says:

    4 Jun4 June 18:15

    Seems like IHG are being burned with their overpriced hotels in Scotland like Ramsay with his failed Restaurant in Glasgow- his birth city. It just doesn’t work.

• Secret Squirrel says:

  4 Jun4 June 16:05

  Thats a good offer, double the usual sign up bonus.

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.