The new HFP chat thread – Thursday 25th June

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We have decided to run this new daily chat thread on Head for Points.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the defacto repository for random comments and questions. It is unlikely that the news flow will be so big over the next few weeks that we will need many ‘Bits’ articles, however.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind. At this tricky time, and given that many of you are stuck at home self-isolating, we want the HFP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article. This has long-term benefits as its keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

By default, HFP shows the last page of comments under the article. If you want to see the first page of comments and read them all from beginning to end in order, click here: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/06/25/the-new-hfp-chat-thread-thursday-25th-june/comment-page-1. The page will refresh with this article but the comments will now show the first page and not the last page.

We will continue to monitor how this is working. Let’s see how it goes. Take care!

Category

General

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

Michael C says:

25 Jun25 June 09:52

Anyone like to venture odds on a 21 Oct. LHR-BOS flight going ahead?!
- marcw says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 10:01
  
  It might go ahead. Whether you would be allowed to enter the USA is another story.
- Lady London says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 10:03
  
  I need to visit the US and would love to be there in October. Perhaps if we all think hard enough we can make it happen.
  
  Ooh look I just saw a flying pig. 10% chance and most people here would give it less.
- jamie says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 10:12
  
  100% Thinking about it myself, however rising covid numbers through stupidity is a concern.
- Nick_C says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 13:18
  
  BA203 has been operating to Boston every day.
William PH says:

25 Jun25 June 10:03

Is there any news on when the Mr and Mrs Smith – IHG tie-up will be in place. I’m looking at a few days in Devon or Cornwall early September – and there are a number of Mr and Mrs Smith hotels showing on IHG bookings as “availability coming soon”. Is it worth waiting for the link, or should I go via Mr and Mrs Smith?
- Michael says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 10:40
  
  You could be waiting a loooong time.
- memesweeper says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 10:42
  
  Don’t wait. It’s been ‘coming soon’ forever and there’s no reason to think it will be cheaper than booking direct.
  - Anna says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 13:19
    
    Do you get the IHG points if you book direct? There are quite a few properties in the Lake District which doesn’t boast many IHG hotels (I think there’s one HI).
    - Rob says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 14:07
      
      No. It will be like the Hyatt / Small Luxury Hotel deal.
      
      And, as I explain in the Eastbourne review today, SLH hotels booked via Hyatt are often pricier than if booked direct.
    - Charlieface says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 14:49
      
      TBH never understood why such a dearth of chain hotels in the Lakes, Wales and other National Parks. It’s not like they’re short of indy hotels
      - Rob says:
        
        25 Jun25 June 14:55
        
        Crap public transport links kill the corporate market. Outside the Summer, you need small conferences, corporate off-sites etc to survive. No-one holds those in places which are impossible to reach. This is why Brighton dominates the coastal conference market, because it has a decent London train service.
        
        Look at the Eastbourne hotel reviewed today. 2 hours by train from London, according to the reviewer, to go 54 miles (based on straight line distance from Victoria station).
        
        Lakes is slightly different due to the West Coast train link, but it is still a pain to access from the east. Planning restrictions are also fierce in the lakes and you would struggle to get anything vaguely corporate through. Luxury hotels like The Samling are usually in converted mini-mansions.
bill says:

25 Jun25 June 10:09

OT: Wirecard are insolvent. https://www.ft.com/content/284fb1ad-ddc0-45df-a075-0709b36868db

i think they currently issue Curve Cards.
- Matt2 says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:14
  
  No curve dropped wirecard recently. Obviously knew something was up.
  - Rob says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 11:26
    
    As did Revolut.
  - memesweeper says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 13:16
    
    I don’t think they’ve actually migrated though. Having said that, my Curve card is still working fine today so far!
    - Ralph says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 13:55
      
      They are supposed to migrate on 28 June…
Sukes says:

25 Jun25 June 10:45

I have a negative balance on my personal UK amex due to flight & hotel refunds – anyone know whether I can request a refund for overpayment through my online account, rather than having to ring or use webchat? US help centre suggests ‘After you choose the account you made the payment to, select “Open a Payment Dispute,” then choose “I have a credit balance on my account” and click “Continue.”‘…maybe I’m being blind but don’t see a way to do this on a UK account.
- John says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:01
  
  Why don’t you want to use chat?
  - Sukes says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 11:07
    
    Speed. Got a few accounts to do it on (I manage this sort of stuff for family members). If I can learn how to do it with a click of a button then won’t be sitting multiple times waiting for chat agents who although are usually very good aren’t always 100% competent in what they tell you.
    - John says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 11:10
      
      I don’t think you can. Just open several private tabs and chat all at the same time
      - Sukes says:
        
        25 Jun25 June 11:12
        
        Got it. Thks for replying.
    - Anna says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 11:12
      
      Sukes, I had to use the option you cited to upload my bank details for a refund to a closed Amex, but this was after I requested it via chat so I don’t know if Amex actually has to initiate the process before you can complete it on your account.
      However, I have also had smaller amounts refunded solely via chat and it takes about 5 minutes from start to finish, 99% of the time the chat agents are fantastic. BA could learn a few things from them about customer service!
      - Sukes says:
        
        25 Jun25 June 11:20
        
        Thks Anna that’s interesting to note. And agree that vs many other companies Amex customer service is exceptional! It’ll be interesting to see whether refunds from chargebacks, even when marked closed, go through without issue. I’ll report back here in due course…..
      - Aston100 says:
        
        25 Jun25 June 15:29
        
        Sukes:
        “It’ll be interesting to see whether refunds from chargebacks, even when marked closed, go through without issue. I’ll report back here in due course…..”
        
        I’ve done it successfully a few times recently. Got another one in mid progress right now.
        Card was cancelled months ago.
        Money transferred to my bank account, on average two weeks after initiating the charge backs.
      - Lashious says:
        
        26 Jun26 June 15:54
        
        +1, they’re great as Warren Buffet well knows 🙂
- Charlieface says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 14:46
  
  FYI don’t try transferring it to someone else’s Amex account, it’s hassle
John T says:

25 Jun25 June 10:49

Come on. It won’t be happening. Well, the flights might, but no one will be entering the country.

Lots of talk of these ‘airbridges’, but right now unless its essential travel, abroad doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, even a 7 day jolly to the Costa del Sol, let alone to the Caribbean or Hong Kong or wherever.

This week there have been people on here talking about Disneyworld in October! I think a lot of people just need to accept this year is a write off and be thankful the pandemic hasn’t affected them on a more personal level, like it has so many other poor people.
- Jeff 99 says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:21
  
  I saw something about people having to pre book a slot on a beach somewhere in Spain (I can’t remember exactly where it was) and others having to queue up for an hour 😂
  
  What a “holiday” 😂
  - Anna says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 13:17
    
    Yes, some reports have even been saying you have to wear a mask on the beach! I’m just waiting now for the reports of Brits getting fined for breaching the Spanish rules as many will be used to doing exactly what they feel like in the UK and not seeing any consequences!
- Navara says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 16:31
  
  Totally agree just right it off this year double up next.
marcw says:

25 Jun25 June 10:57

Park Hyatt Mallorca not opening until march 2021
- Rob says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:32
  
  Yes, very annoying. I finally got agreement from my wife for days when she can get off work, I went to book yesterday and now it has decided to close.
  
  I need to decide whether to use my points for Oman in October (decent value per point) or save them for potential Mallorca use next year (exceptional value per point, but who knows what holiday plans we might have).
  - Anna says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 13:01
    
    So annoying to have a partner stuck with an annual leave rota! I told my OH that if he couldn’t get 2 weeks off next summer I would just take the teenager and go without him. He’s managed to get the time off approved but I really would have done!
  - mutley says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 15:54
    
    Park Hyatt Mallorca was definitely my favourite trip of the last two years. We went in September 2018, room was fantastic, service immense. Great cocktail selection, and awesome breakfast. Love the chauffeur driven Mercedes to local restaurants in the evening, which also comes to collect you on demand. Also there is transport available to local beach if you tire of lounging by the pool, so no worries about parking. I hope to go again in late May next year, a real steal at 20k points.
    - Rob says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 17:11
      
      Well, I’ve now booked Alila Oman with my 100k instead (+ wife’s 100k). 25k per night for a £410 room during October half term, so well above my 1.2p Hyatt valuation. I will think about whether to jump in on the current Hyatt 30% bonus offer to replenish my supply – https://headforpoints.com/hfp/hyatt-buy-points/
      
      I’d need to act this year because to get back to 100k for 5 nights (or even 120k for 6 nights) x 2 rooms requires both me and my wife to buy in this calendar year and 2021.
      - marcw says:
        
        25 Jun25 June 20:44
        
        Do you honestly believe Oman will open up this year? I don´t think so, looking at their covid19 numbers…
      - Rob says:
        
        25 Jun25 June 21:17
        
        Yes. We’re talking 4 months time here. It’s not exactly mass tourism there esp at £400+ per night resorts (£800 for a family).
        
        I will put a Plan B in place, though, just in case. We are in Dubai the week before
  - Tom H says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 17:05
    
    @Rob, we’re you going to book two rooms for the 4 of you if using points or were you going cash?
    - Rob says:
      
      25 Jun25 June 17:31
      
      2 rooms x 2 people, at both Mallorca and / or Oman!
RogerC says:

25 Jun25 June 11:23

Just had my August flight to Rome cancelled. Trying to ring for a refund proving tricky as no matter which option I pick I get cut off. Anyone got any up-to-date advice on getting through?
- RogerC says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:23
  
  (Flight is BA from LHR)
  - Sean says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 11:45
    
    I phoned at 9 am this morning, didn’t select any of the options and was through in 5 minutes. 2 refunds processed inside 10 mins.
- Rob says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:25
  
  Wait. If BA cancelled 100,000 seats yesterday then calling immediately doesn’t sound too smart. The cancellations are done in waves every few weeks – give it 10 days and, as long as no other wave of cancellations has gone through, you won’t be waiting long.
  - meta says:
    
    25 Jun25 June 13:23
    
    Yes, I had a flight for last Friday cancelled mid-May. I only called on Monday, four days before. Got through immediately, refund processed by Thursday.
    
    If you call when it’s really busy, there is also a greater chance that the refund will fall through the cracks and it will take very long time to get the refund.
- Scallder says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 11:47
  
  If you can do so for free call the US line – I’ve got straight through the last 5 times I’ve called…
- Matt says:
  
  25 Jun25 June 12:26
  
  I’ve had exactly the same – I selected options that didn’t mention “refund” and got through after 5 minutes
Jody says:

25 Jun25 June 11:29

Another Barclaycard update from me (for those who care dispute for package holiday done online on 1st April, Barclaycard said they received the paperwork I posted on 14th April, and when I phoned a week last Monday was told they had a huge backlog and were up to disputes dated 11th April. At no point has money been credited back to my card like other card issuers have done).

Yesterday I spent around 3 hours and 45 minutes on hold before the call was even answered (thank god for mobiles with unlimited minutes). Spoke to an extremely helpful chap (finally) who has managed to get the full amount credited back to my card (it was showing this morning). He is going to see if they can do some kind of fast track action (I can’t remember the actual name of it) to try and get the dispute closed sooner than it would normally seeing as I put the dispute in so long ago. It sounded as if Barclaycard had tried to contact Cruise Nation a while ago and had no reply, although I’m sure than now the money presumably has been charged back, then they’ll probably be in touch super fast!!

I can’t say I’ve been impressed at all by how this has been handled. The chap yesterday couldn’t understand why the money hadn’t been put back on as a temporary credit straight away, as that is what should have happened (and when I’ve messaged and phoned before I’ve said this and been fobbed off). I think I was lucky yesterday to actually get through to someone who took personal responsibility and has made things happen and I’m grateful for that.

I realise I’m not home and dry yet, and Cruise Nation might try and dispute the chargeback, but at least the money is back on my card for now so I feel like I’m a step closer.

Anyway, I know there are a few people on here who have mentioned disputes with Barclaycard so I hope this helps. If your dispute is quite old like mine was I would definitely suggest phoning (as long as you can do something else while you’re on hold for hours!).