The new HFP chat thread – Friday 26th June

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

• Funkmeister says:

  26 Jun26 June 16:10

  Had Avios tickets for myself and partner to Inverness cancelled by BA. Accepted a voucher. When calling to use the voucher for a new Avios flight from MUC to LHR, was told that by accepting the voucher I was now under the original booking rules and would not be able to use the cash portion of the voucher. Agent put me on hold so long that my call died.
  Decided to leave another attempt for when the two of us will take that INV flight and use some fresh Avios for my MUC-LHR.
  I was surprised how complicated this all seems to be.

  • Anna says:

    26 Jun26 June 16:41

    What do you mean, “not able to use the cash portion of the voucher”? What do they expect you to use it for?

    • memesweeper says:

      26 Jun26 June 19:13

      I’ve had inconsistent answers and actions from various agents. If you don’t like what you hear HUACA.

      • Lady London says:

        26 Jun26 June 22:50

        This is getting really sleazy. Because BA isnt really giving vouchers at all, just storing your original booking, agents seem to be making it up as they go along.

        Who knows how much meaner BA will get once business picks up again?

• Chris says:

  26 Jun26 June 16:10

  Re: Amex Platinum pay for purchases with points:
  Does anyone know how long it takes for this to show in one’s account? I processed a small transaction this morning and no change to the balance yet this afternoon, even though my points have been debited.

  • Andrew says:

    26 Jun26 June 17:58

    Overnight.

• MKB says:

  26 Jun26 June 16:16

  My cards with no foreign-exchange loading from the card provider are Halifax, Post Office and Santander Mastercards and an MBNA Visa. What I have not been keeping tabs on is the loadings applied by Mastercard and Visa International.

  On the MBNA Visa, I lost £88 (just over 2%) on a refund from a Qatar flight charged in Norwegian Krone due to currency fluctuations. This was despite the interbank rate having moved slightly in my favour between debit and credit processing dates.

  Comparing VIsa International’s daily exchange rates against the interbank rate (from xe.com), it seems Visa’s loading can vary significantly and without pattern each day. Mine was 1.8% on one of my dates and around 0.4% on the other.

  I wonder if I would fare better with Mastercard in future?

  • Genghis says:

    26 Jun26 June 20:04

    There’s an MSE article which discusses the different rates MC vs Visa vs Amex. I think this is it
    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2015/05/mastercard-vs-visa-for-using-abroad-which-wins/

• John says:

  26 Jun26 June 19:00

  IAG’s analysis of safe countries for reciprocal travel (final two paragraphs).

  Includes UK. Excludes Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

  https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0626/1149877-quarantine-aer-lingus/

• Lisa Mundy says:

  26 Jun26 June 19:11

  I’m booked on the first BA flight to Barbados on 18 July after the airport in Barbados reopens. The Barbados government has announced this afternoon that all arriving passengers will need a certificate showing a negative COVID-19 test issued within the last 72 hrs. Does anyone know where/how travellers in the UK can obtain such a test? I’m not a key worker and I don’t have any symptoms. I rang You First at BA who were clueless.

  • Andrew says:

    26 Jun26 June 19:14

    Anyone in the U.K. can get a test. The government announced it a few weeks ago.

  • Chris Heyes says:

    26 Jun26 June 19:19

    Lisa Mundy@ the naughty way get a cough or pay for a test

  • Jimbob says:

    26 Jun26 June 19:55

    How’s that cough? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink
    But you have to hope the turn around is less than 72 hours (unlikely)

    • Charlieface says:

      26 Jun26 June 20:19

      Did one a few days ago for all of us incl kids at Etihad stadium. 11am got results at 8pm. No one is checking symptoms

    • Peter K says:

      26 Jun26 June 21:11

      I disagree. It depends where you are. I had a result come back (negative) within the past 3 weeks after about 30-32hrs.

• Brian W says:

  26 Jun26 June 21:30

  Hoping someone can help me regarding the process for booking the outbound flights online on a BA 241 voucher open jaw booking, T-355 days out.

  I know I need to book the outbound online and then call to book the return flight via a call to another call centre like the USA. What I’m unsure of is, do I select the use of the 241 voucher when booking the outbound online as a one way (with the inbound booking being added to that and adjusting the maths later) or do I book the outbound as a clean one way Avios booking without the voucher and the agent on the phone will subsequently apply the voucher and do the maths at that point when I book the inbound?

  Any help is greatly appreciated.

  • avidsaver says:

    26 Jun26 June 21:36

    You must use your 2 4 1 when you book your outbound. Then when your return becomes available you call and ask for this return flight to be added to your 2 4 1 outbound booking. The avios and taxes will the be re calculated.

    • avidsaver says:

      26 Jun26 June 21:39

      *then

    • Brian W says:

      26 Jun26 June 21:50

      Thank you @avidsaver, you help is greatly appreciated. Used many 241’s but this is the first time booking a T-355 return or an indeed an open jaw on a 241 so the clarity on the process puts my mind at rest 🙂

      • avidsaver says:

        26 Jun26 June 21:58

        If you have enough avios you can always book your return at midnight online as a one way and then call the UK first thing in the morning to add it to your 2 4 1 outbound. This way they will re calculate your avios but NOT the taxes and the booking will remain as two one ways. Then if you should need to cancel you will have to pay £35 X 2.

        • Brian W says:

          26 Jun26 June 22:16

          Thanks @avidsaver, understood. I don’t have enough in the tank to book the inbound online too so I’ll need to grin and bear it and pick up the phone at midnight. I’ve got some bounce in the schedule so I have a few shots at banking the returns in Club too over a 4 day window so fingers crossed!

        • BJ says:

          26 Jun26 June 22:52

          4 x £35 to cancel or change whole thing, 2 x £35 to change one leg.

          If 4 days available to play with, Tuesday or Wednesday is generally easiest to get.

        • Brian W says:

          27 Jun27 June 16:24

          Thanks @BJ

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