The new HFP chat thread – Friday 5th June

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• dave says:

  5 Jun5 June 12:52

  I need to book my return on a 2 4 1 next week. Is the approach of booking it online as a one way and phoning up BA to get it added to the booking I’ve made with my companion voucher (and getting half the miles refunded) still fine to do/ the best way?

  • Rhys says:

    5 Jun5 June 13:12

    See here: https://headforpoints.com/2019/11/22/odd-things-are-happening-when-you-book-a-british-airways-2-4-1-ticket-355-days-in-advance/

    • dave says:

      5 Jun5 June 13:16

      Thanks Rhys. Just read the article. I’m looking at flying back from Tokyo so I guess it makes more sense to do it online and then phone up as seems the taxes are quite a bit less…

• Anna says:

  5 Jun5 June 13:07

  Just got an email from BA to say our flights from MAN-AGP for July 26th have been cancelled, as I have been expecting. Are they really writing off the entire summer season? It’s going to be apocalyptic for the travel industry if so.

  What to do now with 2 weeks’ leave in July/August? I don’t fancy England or Wales as the rest of the country will be trying to get away, and it seems that Scotland will be closed. I’ve always wanted to explore the area around Dublin where there are some fantastic Neolithic sites, are the ferries running?

  • Anna says:

    5 Jun5 June 13:29

    Quarantine actually won’t affect us an OH is exempt and me and my son don’t need to go anywhere when we get back, but I’m thinking any alternative overseas plans we make are also likely to be cancelled as well!

    • roberto says:

      5 Jun5 June 17:27

      the london flights are still going , ask to be swapped down south…..

  • Peggers says:

    5 Jun5 June 13:56

    Hi @Anna. I know that Scotland is not opening up at the same rate as England in some respects, but I believe/hope there will be movement across the border by July and August for tourism.
    I work in the tourism industry and there is a lot of pressure to get things opened up for UK visitors as soon as practically possible. I still hope to visit the Northern Isles in early September to see the Neolithic sites on Orkney and Loganair are as confident as they can be that this will go ahead.

    • Anna says:

      5 Jun5 June 14:09

      Thanks Peggers, I will have to wait until there’s an announcement re domestic travel before booking anything anyway, so will keep an eye on developments north of the border!

      • Sam S says:

        5 Jun5 June 14:49

        Ireland is reopening quicker than expected. They have just this minute announced the reopening of restaurants and tourist attractions and the return of domestic tourism by the end of June. This is weeks ahead of what we were told initially/ I would think a trip to Ireland might be possible for you by August.

        • Polly says:

          5 Jun5 June 23:14

          Yes, and `new-grange worth a visit, and the Boyne Valley…

    • Vit says:

      5 Jun5 June 14:17

      Orkney, love the ice-cream and the milk there is just so specially rich! I am aiming for Faroe Islands this summer but hope to be visiting Western Hebrides if further destinations are not opening up quickly enough.

  • meta says:

    5 Jun5 June 15:37

    @ Anna I’m booking all things on points and I will book flights last minute, 2-3 days before either cash or Avios. I can’t see cash prices going much up. I also have a list of destinations where I want to go. I’d actually decide a week or less before your annual leave where to go. I can’t imagine BA cancelling a flight 3-4 days before but that’s why we have points!

  • Reeferman says:

    5 Jun5 June 15:42

    It seems to be selective cancellations. BA has just cancelled my AGP/LCY flight on 26th July – but put me on the later one that same evening which seems therefore to still be going – for now, at least.

    • Anna says:

      5 Jun5 June 16:29

      Yes, when I looked at the re-booking options it said I could still go on that date if we go MAN-LGW then LGW-AGP. I’d need a lot longer than 2 weeks to get over that!

• K says:

  5 Jun5 June 13:23

  Looking for some clarification re: AMEX Business Platinum car hire excess insurance cover. It is clear that family members too are covered overall. What I don’t find clear:

  – can my spouse (not a cardholder) hire a car and still be covered for the excess, despite me (the main cardholder) not being present nor on the hire document? Amex says, yes it should, but they wouldn’t put it in writing.

  • Sandgrounder says:

    5 Jun5 June 14:27

    You haven’t added your spouse as one of your 5 supps?

    • K says:

      5 Jun5 June 20:26

      no, I wish I could. A long legal case, which my spouse won, but that resulted in AMEX not issuing any cards to him and making it clear they never will.

  • jc says:

    5 Jun5 June 15:28

    What do your policy docs say? Pretty sure mine says that that would be covered – it refers throughout to “You” receiving the benefits, and defines “You” to be the individual who holds the Account as well as their Family, which includes their partner/spouse at same address.

    • K says:

      5 Jun5 June 20:53

      yes, you’re correct. It’s the bit where defining YOU is confusing me. But maybe I’m just too paranoid.

      • Polly says:

        5 Jun5 June 23:12

        Better to be safe and buy him an annual excess policy around £40..in between Plats we get the odd one from lcancarhire l think they are called…

• Smiles says:

  5 Jun5 June 13:36

  Looking into booking tickets for my family. When booking a flight using a BA 2 for 1 voucher online for 2 adults can I add a children to the same booking using cash price or more points? Thanks

  • Anna says:

    5 Jun5 June 14:11

    You can make an avios booking for more than 2 people when using a 2 4 1 as long as the other passengers are children. A cash booking would have to be separate; when we do this we book 1 adult and our son with the 2 4 1 and the other adult on a cash ticket (which helps to earn avios and status as well).

    • Anna says:

      5 Jun5 June 14:12

      I spoke to a You First CSA recently who didn’t know this and was very confused that I had 3 passengers on the same booing reference.

    • Smiles says:

      5 Jun5 June 14:59

      Thanks Anna
      Was wondering if HFP could write an article on this?
      Booking family holidays when using the 2 for 1

• Anna says:

  5 Jun5 June 14:22

  Just had a look at how the option to change a cancelled flight works in MMB and it looks as though you can only book the same route? As MAN-AGP only runs at weekends during the summer this is really not a lot of use to me 🙄

• Anna says:

  5 Jun5 June 14:31

  I know I keep banging on about it but why are BA cancelling so many summer flights when EasyJet is sold out for some European routes and clearly still selling tickets on others? I have been looking into escorting a family friend in her 90s back to her family in Bordeaux but the MAN flights are sold out until the first week in August. These can’t all be returning French nationals!

  • Anna says:

    5 Jun5 June 16:38

    Hi LL, this is so kind! She is too frail really for us to risk anything other than travelling direct from MAN (she only lives 20 minutes from the airport), though I will have a look at rail options, though with the extra 2 hours minimum from Manchester to London it would still be quite a long journey. I’m hoping there will be a clearer picture of things by the first review of quarantine, in which case we might be able to find seats to BOR, or maybe fly to Paris then train to Bordeaux as your suggestion now has me thinking! Thanks for your offer though. Just by way of clarification, this lady was my grandpa’s partner; he died in April and she understandably feels she would rather rejoin her family in France than spend what time she has left in the house they shared. It’s the least we can do for her after she nursed him in his final years.

    • Rob says:

      5 Jun5 June 19:28

      Face and bum?

  • AJA says:

    5 Jun5 June 17:24

    Hi Anna Have you considered Ryanair? A quick google flights search reveals they fly directly between MAN and BOD on Wednesdays and Sundays from 1 July. One way fares are on sale on their website from £19 (cheapest no baggage fare). I also clicked through to the Ryanair website.

    https://www.google.com/flights?hl=en#flt=MAN.BOD.2020-07-01;c:GBP;e:1;sd:1;t:f;tt:o

    • Anna says:

      5 Jun5 June 21:08

      Yes – it only occurred to me to check after I posted! Thanks all xx

• Travel Strong says:

  5 Jun5 June 14:41

  Transfer from amex to virgin worked fine this morning now everything is reinstated. Used the miles to top up account and book a flight next year.

  Virgin IT is let down the agent working from home. It literally took hours to do the booking. Several system resets, one of which resulted in me getting cut off. Once all booked I tried to discuss rebooking an existing flight… some further file system error occurred, and I threw in the towel.

• Benilyn says:

  5 Jun5 June 14:44

  OT: got a new amex gold, just registered. Is the sign up bonus tracker meant to come up immediately or takes some time?

  • Wally1976 says:

    5 Jun5 June 21:22

    It can be very hit and miss but the bonus normally credits ok. If in doubt, use the live chat to check you’re registered for the bonus.

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