The new HFP chat thread – Monday 6th July

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• ChrisC says:

  6 Jul6 July 03:17

  Used one of my BA ‘vouchers’ today. Pretty painless apart from the long wait for call to be answered but friendly agent in Newcastle on the end of the line.

  Hope they sort a system for on line booking soon as would be so much easier and release the agents for other tasks.

  I just gave her the details of the flights I wanted and cabin class and she did the rest. They can take either the ticket number or the original confirmation code to find the voucher.

  No issue that I wanted a one way AMS- LON and exchange rate was slightly better than the spot rate I checked before calling.

  Agent said it would take up to a week for new voucher to be issued and for for ticket to be issued.

  Booking reference is the same as for the original flight I got the voucher for. And those cancelled flights appear as part of the booking in MMB when you actually go into the booking which is a little confusing.

  I think the best thing for people using a voucher is to do the prep first so you can feed the agent dates / flight numbers etc and know what the price is and have the booking reference to hand to speed up the process.

  • Luckyjim says:

    6 Jul6 July 07:10

    I take it your original ticket was a cash booking rather than an avios redemption?

• Always in the air says:

  6 Jul6 July 08:08

  Clearly this is pretty speculative, but what do you think the chances of BA restarting LHR – SYD in August are?

  I see lots of avois availability and am tempted!

  P.s. should be able to get in to the country as a resident.

  • Andrew says:

    6 Jul6 July 08:53

    Zero. Plus it’s the middle of winter in Australia then so not the best time to visit.

    • Nick says:

      6 Jul6 July 09:09

      Poppycock. The best time to visit if you want to travel to Queensland, Barrier Reef and the Northern Territories. Just not so good for the southern states, Sydney, Melbourne etc.

  • Matthew says:

    6 Jul6 July 09:05

    Book it with Avios. When it gets cancelled you can then choose any dates within 12 months if ticket issuing without needed Avios availability.

    • Luckyjim says:

      6 Jul6 July 09:11

      RU sure?

      If an avios flight is cancelled you can use the voucher for an equivalent flight even if there is no avios availabilty? Has anybody done this yet?

      • Matthew says:

        6 Jul6 July 09:19

        No voucher. You get the option in MMB or by calling. It’s was part of a covid update they did. Not sure how long it will last but I did it 2 weeks ago. Changed an Aug trip to Jan with no availability present. See here…

        https://headforpoints.com/2020/05/05/avios-flight-cancelled-by-ba-you-can-rebook-for-any-date-even-if-avios-seats-are-not-available

        • Luckyjim says:

          6 Jul6 July 09:33

          Thanks Matthew, but changing an existing booking to a new date isn’t the same as taking a voucher to be redeemed at some point in the future. .It’s not clear how flexible BA will be with the vouchers.

          I have flights cancelled in August which I want to rebook for next August. I can’t simply rebook them now as it is more than 355 days out. I can take the voucher or I can get my avios back. I’m leaning toward the latter.

        • Matthew says:

          6 Jul6 July 10:46

          I’m not suggesting it’s the same as a voucher. My point is that your normally are allowed to rebook (same route) to a date within -3/+14 of original travel dates when a cancellation occurs. If you make an Avios booking to Sydney now for August and BA cancel it, you can choose any date (subject to peak/off peak, depending on your original booking I believe) to a date right up to 355 days from today (assuming booked today) and you won’t need Avios availability to rebook. As this route is very hard to get Avios seats normally, this maybe a gamble you are willing to take to be able to go to Sydney next year!

        • Rob says:

          6 Jul6 July 10:48

          Correct. Which is why many HFP readers are heading abroad for Christmas this year despite the lack of Avios seats 🙂

      • Matthew says:

        6 Jul6 July 09:21

        Only works if BA cancel of course. If you do choose to cancel, then you lose £35pp if booked with Avios. That’s your risk…

      • Rob says:

        6 Jul6 July 10:55

        Loads have done it. We mentioned it in an article, in a round about way, as we obviously cannot openly encourage abuse, but if you head to Barbados this Christmas you’ll find it full of HFP readers who booked tickets for June, were sorely disappointed to see their trip cancelled but consoled themselves by getting on the ludicrously expensive Christmas week flights even though you’d never in a million years see more Avios seats on those than the guaranteed 2+4.

        • Matthew says:

          6 Jul6 July 11:10

          Exactly. I agree….can’t be seen to ‘promote’ it but it potentially provides an opportunity with minimal risk for much better dates.

        • Flybynight says:

          6 Jul6 July 11:20

          So hypothetically, could I book flights to a country which still isn’t accepting British travellers if there was avios availability, to have BA cancel that flight and then rebook at a time I actually want to go? I guess my overall question is what’s the safest way to book flights which will have a high probability of being cancelled?

        • Rhys says:

          6 Jul6 July 11:30

          Only if BA cancels. BA is still flying to the US despite UK tourists and travellers being blocked from entry.

        • Rob says:

          6 Jul6 July 13:33

          Look at the IAG Cargo website. Avoid anywhere where IAG Cargo is flying as those flights will probably go even if BA only expects 5 repatriating paying passengers. Anything else where the country is closed to UK residents will probably be wiped.

      • Simon says:

        6 Jul6 July 13:29

        I have successfully done this. Booked in May for July 4 x CW to KL. Flights were cancelled by BA, allowing me to rebook over Xmas when I wanted to go. You must book peak to get peak etc. was all done on MMB. Couldn’t get FRI/SAT/SUN dates.

    • LB says:

      6 Jul6 July 09:17

      Way back in February 2020 we booked open jaw flights to Singapore, returning from Bangkok, for January 2021 using a BA 241 voucher. Ideally, we’re like to cancel this booking and rearrange for later (September 2021) next year. I know we can cancel each leg (£35 per person, per leg) but would doing this allow us to get a future travel voucher, extending the 241 and allowing us to book using Avios, even if there is only standard (non Avios) availability? I’m guessing that we booked the initial flights “too early” in the year to benefit from this voucher. Any help would be appreciated.

      • Rhys says:

        6 Jul6 July 09:21

        Your assumption is correct – off the top of my head both your booking and travel window are outside of the voucher issuing dates.

        • LB says:

          6 Jul6 July 09:29

          B##ger. Thanks Rhys.

  • Lyn says:

    6 Jul6 July 18:26

    This seems unlikely as long as Sydney continues it’s recently imposed limits of 50 arriving passengers per flight / 450 overall per day. Not to mention the strict 2-week hotel quarantine.

    • Lady London says:

      6 Jul6 July 19:09

      Brilliant. At last a country has decided something which is well reasoned and sensible.

• Andrew says:

  6 Jul6 July 08:18

  Where have all the decent Amex offers gone? Only random e-commerce companies I’ve never heard of on my Platinum and literally nothing other than shop small and extra points on BAPP.

  • Andreas says:

    6 Jul6 July 10:39

    Agree, it’s the same on my BAPP card. Just a few random offers. However, my spending has gone WAY down so this could be having an effect as their servers can no longer easily tailor offers based on spend

    • memesweeper says:

      6 Jul6 July 12:30

      Advertising and marketing spend has plummeted across from all sectors, retail in particular. Amex won’t have offers to show you as they are struggling to line up deals with retailers.

• Richard says:

  6 Jul6 July 08:48

  Morning, we have one night in Miami pre cruise (!) next May. Looking at either the JW Marriott at 35,000 Marriott points or the Conrad at 67,000 Hilton points. Anyone got any recommendations? I’m leaning towards the JW Marriott (it’s not the JW Marriott Marquis).

  • Nick_C says:

    6 Jul6 July 10:44

    Have stayed in both pre cruise. Loved the JW Marriott. Hated the Conrad. It was the only Conrad I have stayed in and I had high expectations. The room was dark and poorly lit. I literally couldn’t see to read. The entrance lobby to the room was in need of repainting, and felt like a cheap motel. The atrium dining area was crowded and noisy. The staff were not interested and said no other rooms were available.

    The Marriott felt luxurious.

    Both are in similar locations. The cruise lines pick up from the Marriott but its a cheap taxi ride and a taxi is a much better experience.

    Good places to eat at nearby Mary Brickell shopping centre.

    • Richard says:

      6 Jul6 July 15:53

      Thanks Nick_C will go with the JW Marriott.

• Jimmy says:

  6 Jul6 July 08:50

  Morning,
  Has anyone managed to extend their 2 4 1 voucher?
  Mine expires end of September & I wont have been able to use it by then.
  Cheer

  • Rob says:

    6 Jul6 July 10:56

    All 241s have been extended by 6 months. Look it up on ba.com. You won’t get a further extension.

• John Caribbean says:

  6 Jul6 July 08:59

  Hi.
  I’m booking flights to Spain next summer, as two one ways rather than return. The outbound will be RFS. If I book the flight back as HBO will the baggage allowance from the outbound flight be added to the return?

  • Matthew says:

    6 Jul6 July 09:07

    Nope. You will need to book with bags. Have you priced up a BA holiday. Luggage included then and just add a car maybe (don’t have to add hotel)

  • Rhys says:

    6 Jul6 July 09:27

    Nope – you’re booking as two one ways! Not even status will get you extra luggage on a HBO fare unfortunately.

  • ChrisC says:

    6 Jul6 July 09:27

    No because you have two separate one way tickets and you will get the allowance per each ticket with no cross linkage.

    Even if it was a proper return BA changed it in the last couple of years so that you get the baggage allowance based on the cabin class of the flight you were taking and ended the policy of granting the highest allowance to the entire booking.

  • Optimus Prime says:

    6 Jul6 July 10:02

    Is the return flight operated by Iberia? If so it may be possible to have a checked bag:

    https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/iberia-airlines-iberia-plus/1845685-extra-luggage-iberia-hand-luggage-only.html

• ian_h says:

  6 Jul6 July 09:18

  Lloyds Voucher Question –
  I find myself in the strange situation of having 3 lloyds vouchers all that need booking by the end of september after my easter trip was cancelled.

  I am really struggling to find a good use for them as there is still so much uncertainty but know that its a book by date not a travel by deadline that is approaching and as I will never get any more I dont want to just waste them in a panic redemption.

  Does anyone know if once a booking is made its possible to change dates and/or destination without losing the voucher?

  Thanks in advance

  • meta says:

    6 Jul6 July 10:08

    You can change destination within the same zone and you can change the date within the original ticket validity which is a year I believe. So your new flights will need to be by September 2021.

    • Matthew says:

      6 Jul6 July 11:11

      Correct, subject to the usual £35pp fee.

  • Nigel says:

    6 Jul6 July 14:12

    I would double check by giving them a call (I find them to be super friendly and helpful on the phone) or on the Live Chat function on the website (need to select Other EU country – English) to get the option to appear.

• Gavin says:

  6 Jul6 July 09:32

  Apologies if this info is somewhere – I’ve looked and BA as ever is suitably opaque:
  What’s the London City food and drink offering on BA at the moment? Am flying in August, economy.

  • Rhys says:

    6 Jul6 July 09:34

    BA don’t have a lounge at city! (If you’re on the BA1 flight to JFK they do a mini pop-up lounge at the departure gate)

    • Andrew says:

      6 Jul6 July 09:48

      I think he means the inflight food and drink.

      • Rhys says:

        6 Jul6 July 09:53

        In which case we have no idea! We might know more by next week however….

      • Gavin says:

        7 Jul7 July 06:25

        I did.

    • marcw says:

      6 Jul6 July 09:52

      Hasn’t this been dropped and now you go to the restaurant, paid by BA?

      • Rhys says:

        6 Jul6 July 09:55

        Yes, you’re right! Pilot’s restaurant.

    • ChrisC says:

      6 Jul6 July 10:23

      OP is flying economy and the BA 1 is an all business class flight!

      Not that it’s running at the moment anyway.

      • Rhys says:

        6 Jul6 July 10:24

        I added that as it’s an exception, hence the brackets 🙂

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