The new HFP chat thread – Monday 22nd June

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• Chris Heyes says:

  22 Jun22 June 09:42

  Hi, i wonder how many have/are taking real advantage of this virus ?
  We personalty benefited enormously. We have spent nothing except on food and bills. We have made a decision to carry on the same way on the expectation that the chancellor will be forced to scrap VAT Temporary
  If he doesn’t we still have saved a fair bit. Children/Grand Children will get dosh Christmas
  We are Shielded so found it very easy not to spend, except for future flight/Hols next year

  • dotdot says:

    22 Jun22 June 09:56

    Yes lots and lots of people are saving or paying down debts.

    the outstanding £s borrowed by UK households on non-mortgage debt has rapidly shrunk since lockdown – roughly the nominal increase in borrowing over the last 4 years has been paid off in last two months ; and household savings balances have been increasing by about the normal increase in 18 months per month of lockdown.

    But given the amount of unemployment that is probably coming down the pipe if the furlough scheme ends before trading can actually go back to normal – it is very rational for each individual family to improve their finances whilst they can.

  • Rob says:

    22 Jun22 June 10:31

    Intrigued to see how you claim that you have “benefitted” from spending 3 months of – and don’t take this personally! – the not huge number of months you have left on this planet stuck in your house, even if you’re a few quid better off.

    Lots of people are doing very nicely out of this, others aren’t. My wife continues to pick up her salary and saves a fortune on commuting, work outfits etc. My income is down about 80% but that’s manageable for us. Some people are fuloughed on 80% and having a laugh. Some are furloughed on 80% and are panicking that today’s the day they get told their job is gone on 1st August when furlough starts to taper off. Others who fell through the cracks have earned nothing for 3 months, can’t claim anything and are now in serious trouble.

    The problem is that, in general, those doing very nicely are the ones who aren’t short anyway and those who are doing badly were the worse off in the first place.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      22 Jun22 June 10:41

      Others are spending more as they have been looking at their Houses/Gardens and getting all those jobs that need doing done.

      • Lady London says:

        22 Jun22 June 22:34

        Immortal comment from my friend “for awhile, paint was the new toilet paper”

    • E says:

      22 Jun22 June 10:44

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53131643

      Backing up Rob’s comment on this.

    • Craig says:

      22 Jun22 June 10:59

      There are some benefits, not spending as much time in hotels with work have helped me lose 2 stone and knock 5 minutes off my 5k time!

    • The Lord says:

      22 Jun22 June 11:07

      Although it might not seem like it today I am sure there will be more losers than winners from this

    • Lady London says:

      22 Jun22 June 11:26

      Very good statement in your last paragraph Rob – you’ve just stated what the effect of this crisis is going to be overall.

      • Anna says:

        22 Jun22 June 13:23

        We haven’t lost out financially and are all fit and well (fingers crossed that may continue), but I am pretty depressed about the state the country is going to be in after this. I’m going to up my volunteering once lockdown is finally over but it’s going to be a drop in the ocean. Future travel plans are helping keep my morale from going through the floor at least in part because the money spent will be going into local economies.

        • Lady London says:

          22 Jun22 June 22:44

          I feel very, very sorry for those that have fallen through the cracks – I came close to it myself, but have been very, very lucky and think I will just scrape through this year. Next year I will change strategy.

          I was thinking about what a change this could mean to our lives. When I was much younger my cousin was one of the first AIDS victims. This was just as everybody was beginning to realise what it was, and how nasty it was, for everyone. Casual encounters just became impossible for anyone with any sense. Some people complained about having to be with someone but only in a rubber factory. One very funny sales manager, who had been tbh wellknown for being a bit “easy”, made us all laugh by saying that before she went out she used to step into a c*ndom and zip it over her head!

          What restrictions are we going to have now just going out and sitting next to people? not even getting to know them any closer? It’s really quite scary to think that normal life could become as restricted just going out for any reason and not meeting anyone.

      • Cat says:

        22 Jun22 June 15:53

        Indeed – basically widening the gap.

• Paul says:

  22 Jun22 June 09:45

  Those that have taken out a pet insurance policy with Waco under the current clubcard bonus offer, did you see any mention of the points throughout the application process?

  • Simon says:

    23 Jun23 June 21:23

    Are the Branch Davidians into Clubcard points? I take it all back!

• rams1981 says:

  22 Jun22 June 10:47

  Has anyone tried to use the Selfridges Amex offer instore to buy a gift card?

  • Andrew says:

    22 Jun22 June 12:28

    I’m going to Selfridges later today so was wondering the same and I may take a punt. I used the BA card £50 back on £250 online but I have several of the Platinum £30s to use. I’ll report back!

    • Sam says:

      22 Jun22 June 12:46

      Thank you sir

      • Chabuddy geezy says:

        22 Jun22 June 18:44

        I made 2 purchases in store and it didn’t work.

        • Chabuddy geezy says:

          22 Jun22 June 18:45

          I didn’t buy gift cards though.

• Mingus says:

  22 Jun22 June 10:57

  Should I be worried that my Gold card is still showing a 31 Aug 2020 expiry on ba.com ? I got the “extra year” email.

  • Rob says:

    22 Jun22 June 11:04

    It’s not July yet …

    • BS says:

      22 Jun22 June 11:10

      What is the significance of July Rob? I understood the changes would be put through the system within 2 weeks of when the BA email was sent (11th June) ie by 25th June?

      • Rob says:

        22 Jun22 June 11:11

        They go through in July I was told. Doesn’t mean I was told correctly, but all the discussions have revolved around July. This is why there is so much debate about how people with 8th July year-ends are going to be treated, because it isn’t clear if the extensions are done 1st July or some random point which could be after 8th July.

        • BS says:

          22 Jun22 June 11:19

          Ah OK thanks – a bit longer then.

          Have any of your Q&As in your extension article updated based on new information received? There is a bit of chat quoting your Q&As on FT and how it doesn’t quite marry up with the perceived wisdom there. I assume it is a case of no-one quite being sure what is happening yet?

      • Mingus says:

        22 Jun22 June 11:22

        Yes, this “July” thing was also my confusion. The BA Q&A linked from the email said that updated details would show on accounts within two weeks. That was 11 days ago. The wording was (and is, it’s still live):

        q: Where can I see if the 12-month extension has been applied to my membership?
        a: The 12-month status extension will be applied automatically in the next two weeks* to those memberships with Tier Point collection end dates of July 2020 – June 2021.

        My membership year ends 8 July, card expires 31 Aug. So I would have expected the extension to be applied by Thursday/Friday this week, i.e. by 26th June. If timetables have slipped, I’m not worried… if policy has, I am!

        • memesweeper says:

          22 Jun22 June 12:33

          Seems clear to me Mingus you qualify. They were late in telling us about the extensions, so I guess they’ll be late telling us the extension has been activated.

• JamesR says:

  22 Jun22 June 10:58

  Question regarding the BA voucher scheme.. I had a Virgin upper class booking which they cancelled and rebooked me onto BA club world back in March.
  The flight is in August and BA have now extended the voucher scheme so it covers the date of the flight.. However what I wonder is what the value of this voucher would be, Given what I paid Virgin is half what BA charge for that seat I am now booked in.

  Would BA know the price what I originally paid Virgin? Would Virgin have paid BA the normal ‘public’ going rate for my ticket?

  • Jonathan says:

    22 Jun22 June 11:22

    Virgin will not have paid the “public” rate but an almost certainly much reduced fare on a similar level to an interline fare. The fare probably won’t be visible to the frontline customer service rep & I’d strongly suspect you won’t get a voucher off BA but will have to go back to Virgin to be rebooked on either Virgin or BA.

• EJH says:

  22 Jun22 June 11:13

  Is there a collective view on here whether BA will extend by one month their policy of issuing FTV for bookings to 30 Sep made pre-Covid, or do we think it will end 31 Aug? Thanks.

  • AJA says:

    22 Jun22 June 12:40

    I think it depends on how quickly BA gets back to flying a fuller schedule and whether the government suspends the 14 day quarantine rule on return/arrival in the UK. I think there is a 50/50 chance it will get extended to include end of Sept.

• BP says:

  22 Jun22 June 11:14

  Anyone tried to trigger the Curry PC World offer instore? For the Plat Business card.

  • Rob says:

    22 Jun22 June 11:19

    I plan to when I can, but the city centre stores aren’t open yet.

• CR says:

  22 Jun22 June 12:14

  Quick question on an AMEX offer. Last night I saved onto my Platinum Card the ‘Spend £600 at NET-A-PORTER, get £100 back’. I was wondering if this includes MR PORTER too? I’m fairly certain they post under the same name when they hit your statement – i.e “THE NET-A-PORTER GROUP” – anyone know – asked AMEX, and they weren’t actually sure either. Any thoughts or maybe I’m missing something?

  • Andrew says:

    22 Jun22 June 12:25

    Could possibly by a gift card from NAP and that can be used on MP too – a bit like a Burtons gift card can be used in TopShop.

  • Sam says:

    22 Jun22 June 12:40

    I had this thought too, they changed their billing so now Mr Porter shows up as “THE NET-A-PORTER GROUP” on the statement, previously “MR PORTER” obviously. If you click into the transaction it does show

    DOING BUSINESS AS
    MR PORTER

    W12 7GF
    UNITED KINGDOM OF GB AND NI
    0203.471.4543

    • CR says:

      22 Jun22 June 12:49

      Thanks Andrew- option wasn’t viable as can’t transfer Gift Cards between the two. Ah thanks Sam, went back and checked my statements and you’re right, it does say Mr Porter in the ‘Transaction Details’ frustrating. Thanks for clarifying.

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