The new HFP chat thread – Friday 5th June

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• Mark Peterborough says:

  5 Jun5 June 05:50

  I’ve just had my Spire status extended to December 2021. This has been without reaching the 55k target. Has anyone recorded how long it will take for my 25,000 bonus points / gift of plat for a friend offer to appear please?

  • Andrew says:

    5 Jun5 June 06:44

    No one seems to have been given the free choice benefit yet despite being extended to Dec 2021 over a month ago. IHG are now backtracking on what they said and are insisting that to get the choice benefit you need to hit 55k. I think Rob is getting some official clarification.

    • Secret Squirrel says:

      5 Jun5 June 08:03

      I hit 55k a while ago and got the usual Spire bonuses, I selected the bonus 25k points. I think most of us already received 1 x 25k bonus but we are awaiting a 2nd 25k bonus promised I believe for hitting Spire target this year.

      • Andrew says:

        5 Jun5 June 08:21

        I think it’s round the other way – if you hit 55k you got the bonus already, but the bonus for everyone regardless of activity has yet to be applied for anyone and that’s what IHG are now saying doesn’t exist despite their website saying it does.

        • BJ says:

          5 Jun5 June 08:39

          Exactly.

      • luckyjim says:

        5 Jun5 June 08:41

        That makes more sense now. Spire status is extended for all but with no bonus gift. If you do hit the 55k renewal target you get the bonus.

        • Andrew says:

          5 Jun5 June 09:19

          But that’s not what IHG said a month ago and that wasn’t Rob’s interpretation in his articles. I think we need some clarification from IHG.

        • Andrew says:

          5 Jun5 June 09:19

          But that’s not what IHG said a month ago and that wasn’t Rob’s interpretation. I think we need some clarification from IHG.

        • Grant says:

          5 Jun5 June 09:55

          We do need clarification because the website is still quite clear in my opinion – you get your status extended to end of December 2021 and if you are Spire that includes your Choice Benefit.

          I am holding back from earning 55,000 points in the hope that we get what the website says we will. I know it shouldn’t make a difference, but I figure I’ve more chance of getting the Choice Benefit as part of the extended status offer if I haven’t already earned it myself in the usual manner.

  • Mark Peterborough says:

    5 Jun5 June 10:42

    Thank you to everyone who has replied. I will keep an eye on this a bit more closely now and will see what develops .

• Kate says:

  5 Jun5 June 05:52

  Hoping the HFP community can kindly suggest most effficient/effective way to recover my holiday accommodation deposit as I need to shore up our liquid funds = tough times etc.

  In short, I booked accomodation through Adair Bungalows in Guernsey for one week in August, paying a deposit of £762 by debit card. Aurigny have already cancelled our flights and will refund us. I emailed Adair Bungalows to tell them about our situation; Adair responded that we will lose our £762 deposit as per their booking policy (and indeed can insist on the balance being paid), advising us to claim back the deposit on our travel insurance.

  My travel insurance company is only processing claims if ‘planned’ travel is within the next 28 days, so is a debit card chargeback the solution here to get my deposit back in full the quickest way possible? Or is there another way?

  Thanks for all your suggestions in advance. Very kind.

  • Rob says:

    5 Jun5 June 09:23

    You can’t, that’s the bottom line. Your holiday accommodation is open (I presume) and will happily let you stay if you can get there. They have kept their side of the bargain and you need to keep your side.

    If you can’t keep your side of the deal, you need to look to your travel insurance.

    You can’t do a chargeback because the holiday company has done everything it promised. If you take a ferry or hire a private jet then they will happily have you. (If they complex is closed, of course, it’s a different matter and obviously you are entitled to a refund).

    • Kate says:

      5 Jun5 June 10:19

      Thank you Rob. Your website continues to be an inspiration.

  • TimM says:

    5 Jun5 June 10:04

    1) Put Adair and your travel insurance company on the list of businesses never to deal with again. Some are behaving far better than others.

    2) Having looked at Adair’s booking conditions, the deposit of 30% is strictly non-returnable and they may chase you for the balance if they unable to re-let the accommodation even if you have cancelled with over 6 weeks notice. These are terrible terms but probably legal.

    3) I see that Aurigny are still operating their weekday service from Southampton.

    The options appear to be limited and unattractive (not mutually exclusive):

    a) In lieu of a refund of the deposit, request permission from Adair to change the names of the occupiers and attempt to sell the accommodation on – probably at a loss, if at all. Adair have no interest in this as they are already entitled to at least the deposit and can try to sell it on themselves to maximise revenue.

    b) Put in an insurance claim, assuming the policy pre-exists the WHO Pandemic Declaration. I would put it in now if at all possible even though it may not be processed for a while. If successful, a payout is likely to take months, subject to the excess and may increase future travel insurance premiums.

    c) Ask politely for a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill.

    d) Write it off and hope that Adair won’t chase you for the balance.

    • Lady London says:

      5 Jun5 June 10:50

      I agree @Tim M the insurance compamy refusing to process a claim and delaying stinks. Historically insurance companies had as an industry a reputation for delaying and quibbling.
      But I had the impression there were many good companies in the industry now that do process claims efficiently and don’t drag things out delaying payouts.

      Can you mention which insurance company and if it’s easy to see on the policy, which underwriter? so we can avoid policies with them if possible. If your policy covers your reason for cancelling, then this insurance is leaving you in the lurch at a time when you need them.

      Personally if I could still spare the cash to pay the rest of the booking cost I would look to go by boat. Or – better – I would invoke my right for Aurigny to rebook me free of charge to a day when they are travelling out and back.

      Under EU261/2004 you would also be able to have Aurigny pay any extra nights needed at both ends and meals for those days plus transport to and from the extra nights’ accommodation. This is called ‘duty of care ‘. The airline can’t refuse and you could take it to moneyclaim getting all costs back for those things. As soon as you accept a refund (which may take ages to arrive, or not arrive) then you lose those rights.

      If Aurigny refused to provide you an alternative flight on same day or close timing, EC261 also means they are liable for any other airline to get you there by the most reasonable route that happens to be available. I know for Guernsey there’s not much but IIRC there would be a routing via France? again you could claim this if not provided when you ask.

    • Doug M says:

      5 Jun5 June 10:58

      @TimM – I think you’re being a little harsh on Adair. The situation is no more their fault that the person posting. If they have the accommodation open and waiting then expecting them to bear the full brunt of the cancellations is not a reasonable position. They will have costs and and maybe those are not easily cancelled or avoided either. Regardless of legalities I’d have said a fair position was no refund but no chasing of the full payment.

• Yawn says:

  5 Jun5 June 06:55

  KLM news flash: it looks like they are returning to Bristol next month with one flight a day, but Norwich and Cardiff have been pushed back til August. They were still flying to Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, so it remains surprising how expansive their UK network actually is. Especially given the quarantine rules.

• BJ says:

  5 Jun5 June 07:23

  Anybody been able to cash out Miles & More via gift vouchers recently? I know the option was closed due to ongoing legal action but it is still showing as an award option. Just tried it and it failed, providing a message to contact the service centre.

  • Lady London says:

    5 Jun5 June 10:52

    I got Amazon vouchers easily and quickly and this was after they had stopped hotels IIRC

    • Lady London says:

      5 Jun5 June 10:54

      yes I did it online, signing into Miles&More from the UK, codes landed within a day or two in my email, loaded them to Amazon and did not have to speak to M&M

  • Pierre says:

    5 Jun5 June 11:00

    I cashed out some M&M to Hearthrow Rewards Shopping vouchers, not all that long ago. Maybe 2-3 months ago… But things may have changed since…

  • BJ says:

    5 Jun5 June 11:57

    Thanks to both, I’ll try logging in to my online account and see if that helps, I’ve been using the app so far.

• AJDT says:

  5 Jun5 June 07:37

  I had flights booked with Lufthansa Birmingham – Lisbon in early July which have just been cancelled. Paid for on BAPP.

  Does anyone know if Lufthansa are currently offering/processing refunds? (would rather not have a voucher). Am I better to go straight for a claim on credit card?

  Any advice would be much appreciated (apologies if this has been asked before).Thanks.

  • Jon says:

    5 Jun5 June 07:39

    It is unreasonable to go straight for a credit card claim – you need to give the airline a chance first. It is also unreasonable for Lufthansa to expect you to take a voucher – They should give you a Refund. Ask for the refund. If they don’t give it then claim on the card.

    • Doug M says:

      5 Jun5 June 09:56

      I agree that straight to the credit card is normally unreasonable, but in these circumstances Lufthansa threw reason out long ago. LH are deliberating flouting EU rules and don’t give a toss.

    • Charlieface says:

      5 Jun5 June 14:41

      For S75 claim technically you can go to the card first, but most providers don’t like it and push back

  • J says:

    5 Jun5 June 08:15

    In April Lufthansa told me they are not processing refunds until further notice so I did a charge back (which was successful).

  • Swad Wolf says:

    5 Jun5 June 13:05

    I had flights with Lufthansa (to Austria) scheduled for May 27th. Lufthansa cancelled the flights and I called and was offered a full refund but was told it would take ‘2-3 months’ to process the refund. Obviously not received the money yet but the agent I spoke to made no attempt to refuse my refund although they did initially offer a voucher.

• Nick says:

  5 Jun5 June 08:31

  Any opinion on this? Need to pay for some flights for next Spring – any implication re travel insurance & other cover if I don’t pay on AMEX Platinum? AMEX is my only travel insurance. Thanks

  • Sandgrounder says:

    5 Jun5 June 08:46

    If you pay on any of your Amex cards, or the merchant does not take Amex, you will be covered by your Amex Platinum travel insurance (but I cant recall if business cards are included?) Using an Amex credit card as opposed to your Plat charge will give you statutory rights under s75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

    • Nick says:

      5 Jun5 June 09:12

      Thanks. So essentially if I choose to pay with non Amex card due to better point earning I will not have any travel insurance? Thanks

      • jc says:

        5 Jun5 June 09:42

        You will have the core medical cover but not other parts like cancellation cover. All detailed in the policy docs.

        • Lady London says:

          5 Jun5 June 12:24

          in these times i would pay on credit card as s75 gives statutory protection unlike Amex chargecard. I would read the small print on yhr Plat hoping this would still cover medical/repatriation. ATM I perceive airline failure, hotel closure, FCO advice, other country restrictions as greater risk so I would give priority to covering that risk and think credit card has a better chance of covering that risk if it can be covered at all.

          is getting an Amex Gold credit as well, snd paying on that the best solution?

    • Nick says:

      5 Jun5 June 09:15

      Wait is that definately right? Does that mean If I was a passenger on a trip paid for by somebody else I don’t have cover?

      • Jonathan says:

        5 Jun5 June 09:22

        You keep the core elements ie. medical but (going off memory) delay/cancellation/baggage are excluded. It’s all in the T&C’s on the Amex website.

      • Sukes says:

        5 Jun5 June 09:31

        This is going to be a fairly generic answer and you should read the insurance policy document. But the main thing to note is that, broadly speaking, your Amex Plat insurance covers medical expenses arising for cardholders and their families regardless of whether you purchased the travel on the Amex Plat. But note that NO pre existing medical conditions are covered. Non-medical benefits such as cancellation and disruption cover will only be valid for travel purchased on the card. Furthermore I’m not sure how Amex Plat insurance will cover new bookings now COVID is a known event – amex ins has a webpage specially on Covid which I’ve not looked at in detail. I would read that to ensure you are comfortable with their terms regarding Covid related events that could impact your booking before making any bookings.

• Mark says:

  5 Jun5 June 08:34

  Hi there, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice: I booked a flight with BA to Mumbai in April which was cancelled. The flights were paid for in cash plus Avios. The flight was cancelled and I was offered a Future Travel Voucher which I took without thinking. I’ve now got the Future Travel Voucher but it is not clear as to its value and whether it includes the Avios. I would obviously now prefer the refund – does anyone have any experience of success etting a voucher turned into a refund? Thanks

  • Rob says:

    5 Jun5 June 09:13

    Hi Mark

    It’s impossible to turn the voucher back into its separate components. It DOES contain both the cash and the Avios you used previously, although you can’t prove that. Trust us though – your voucher number is the same as your old ticket number, because it IS just your old ticket put into hibernation.

• Vit says:

  5 Jun5 June 08:39

  Anyone used the £12 cash back on AMEX offer for spending £24 or more on Beer52 lately? I used it yesterday but did not get email notification that the offer has been used, etc. and today the offer just complete disappeared from my saving tab.

  • memesweeper says:

    5 Jun5 June 09:19

    Paid out for me last week OK, and I did get the email within the hour.

  • Grant says:

    5 Jun5 June 09:19

    Email notifications are flakey at best. If it was a one time use offer, still had plenty of time to run, but has now disappeared from your saved tab that is a pretty good indication that you have triggered the offer.

    • Polly says:

      5 Jun5 June 22:53

      Mine is still there, even tho have already had the Waitrose full credit. Wonder if l could try It again!

  • Vit says:

    5 Jun5 June 09:24

    Thanks guys. Agreed. Quite flakey at times. Never had issued with not getting the offer fulfilled by amex though. Hopefully that’s still the case this time. 🙂

  • AndyGWP says:

    5 Jun5 June 15:16

    Don’t forget to also go through your favourite intermediary website for an extra ~£10 back too 🙂

  • AJA says:

    5 Jun5 June 15:16

    Vit Have you checked the Savings tab under Amex Offers? It will show where, when and how much you saved.

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