The new HFP chat thread – Tuesday 21st July

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

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Category

General

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

Scottydogg says:

21 Jul21 July 10:28

Anyone have any knowledge on Marriot / Bonvoy points expiring ? mine havent ‘yet’ but it just dawned on my recently that i have over 100k points in an account that hasnt seen any action in a long time. I remember reading that if the account does not have any action on it , it can lapse and you lose your points .
How long , and how can i tell how long i have until they lapse ?
I did use it to book a hotel in April , then had to cancel it due to covid, does this count as ‘resetting the clock’
- Rob says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 12:20
  
  Expiry suspended to Feb.
- WaynedP says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 12:21
  
  Mine says last qualifying activity April 2020, so points remain until April 2022. That’s on the desktop. App is less clear about actual expiry date, although does show last qualifying activity.
  Add on two years to that, given the above.
  In both Desktop and App cases go to My Account, and select Activity.
- Allycat says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 13:06
  
  It prompted me to check mine. The Activity page states “Points expiration is paused until February 2021. Starting February 2021, points will begin to expire 24 months after your last activity.”
  
  Hmmm, what does this mean ? It could be that points earned before Feb 2019 will expire in Feb 2021, and then periodically after that, or am I reading this wrong ? My last actual activity was Dec 2019 with an “AMEX UK BASE SPEND CNSR” points credit from the Amex Bonvoy card. So 24 months from then would be Dec 2021, and would I lose all points then in one go if no activity ?
  
  And what counts as activity to stop any points expiring at all ?
  - Allycat says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 13:13
    
    Maybe I should RTFM … or the T&Cs. For me I read this as my last activity was Dec 2019 so no points expiry until Dec 2021 and then I lose them all unless I have some activity before then.
    
    1.6.d. Points Expiration Policy. Members must remain active in the Loyalty Programme to retain Points they accumulate. If a Member Account is inactive for twenty-four (24) consecutive months, that Member Account will forfeit all accumulated Points. Members can remain active in the Loyalty Programme and retain accumulated Points by earning Points or Miles in the Loyalty Programme or redeeming Points in the Loyalty Programme at least once every twenty-four (24) months, subject to the exceptions described below …
  - Rob says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 14:07
    
    https://headforpoints.com/2019/05/26/when-do-marriott-bonvoy-points-expire-how-to-stop-it/
- Ming the Merciless says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 17:03
  
  I hold the Amex Bonvoy. When the earning rate was cut I called to cancel and got an additional point per £. This expired last month.
  
  Just called to cancel Card again and was given double points.
  
  I don’t churn this card as I use it for work expenses exclusively.
Peggers says:

21 Jul21 July 10:39

Good Morning. For the information of @Anna (and others). Further to previous info about the IC George, Edinburgh I was told yesterday by a staff member that it will not open until 2021.
Alan says:

21 Jul21 July 11:20

Did anyone have any success with the status match with Tap Air Portugal? I have had confirmation email but in trying to buy their Club Tap package cant get to payment screen because of requirement to put in a VAT number. Ive got one but keeps coming up with error despite inputting in every format possible. Also tried different browsers
- Sina says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 13:38
  
  Hey Alan,
  
  I didn’t have a VAT number so I used my NI number and it worked! And they did the upgrade very fast after that, I think 2 days.
  - Polly says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 14:09
    
    Smart!
  - Alan says:
    
    22 Jul22 July 13:49
    
    thanks Sina for the tip – sorted
Michael says:

21 Jul21 July 11:24

Just had an email from BA to say our flights LHR-PDX and back next May have been cancelled. Any reasons why they’re cancelling flights so far out?
- memesweeper says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 12:23
  
  I would imagine they’ve scrapped the route completely. Wasn’t it quiet new? They have a reduced number of long haul planes and crews for next year, I suspect a few marginal routes will go.
  
  BA should offer you a re-route, and some of those will be via SEA.
- Kathryn Daniels says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 12:43
  
  I think they’re pulling the route. It was a new introduction this year. I’ve just had flight for this October cancelled too.
- marcw says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 16:32
  
  I think many more routes will be pulled.
MylesM says:

21 Jul21 July 12:13

Hi Michael – I’ve just had the same email but for next June. They may have pulled opening the PDX route? No longer bookable on the BA website.Tried calling BA but call center seems to be jammed up at the moment. Any information anyone has would be great. Would be happy to switch to SEA if BA let us. Will try calling again later
- William Dore says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 12:37
  
  I was booked LHR – PDX in October (20). Received cancelled email this morning. A quick google search shows no PDX flights in October, every other day in Nov (didn’t look past this). We were flying into Portland and back from Seattle.
  
  I’m unable to do anything with it on MMB so assume I need to wait until they call me. Ideally they will book me onto SEA instead which doesn’t cause me too many issues, however I ain’t paying any difference in fares (and assume I should not be asked to – would love some clarification on this).
  
  I also had paid for seat reservations on PDX so assume these will get transferred FOC or refunded.
  - MylesM says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 13:54
    
    From experience of my South Africa and PDX flights being cancelled you have to call them – otherwise nothing will happen. We were also booked back from SEA
- pauldb says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 12:58
  
  You should be able to automatically (as in, without waiting for a specific policy) rebook to SEA or YVR as these are within 300 miles, or book an indirect routing to PDX with AA.
  - William Dore says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 13:19
    
    Assume, this is meant for me? MMB does not allow me to do anything – just takes me too a help page. Don’t fancy waiting on phone forever. As they said they’d be in touch I will wait a day or two and see if they call.
    
    If I get rebooked to SEA there should be no cost implication, correct? I ask because when I booked flights were £1400 circa pp (CW), now showing at £3800 pp.
    - memesweeper says:
      
      21 Jul21 July 13:47
      
      all at no cost to you
      - William Dore says:
        
        21 Jul21 July 14:35
        
        thanks
    - William Dore says:
      
      21 Jul21 July 19:22
      
      Update – got another email from BA saying as my one of the flights on my holiday was cancelled they were cancelling all package and refunding me. Not ideal as I had secured these flights in Jan at very good rate. So called them up – wait wasn’t awful – and now rebooked to Seattle instead of Portland. Club Suite both ways as a bonus. Now all we need is Americans to get their act together on Covid. Not holding my breath.
      
      Thanks to anyone who commented.
  - MylesM says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 13:55
    
    Very interesting Paul, thanks for that – YVR would be much more attractive than SEA
Andrew says:

21 Jul21 July 12:26

It’s a shame Amex haven’t extended the double points, double value offer on Platinum card. Hopefully some more reasons to keep the card will come soon as it’s looking a bit pointless again now.
- Crafty says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 20:25
  
  Yes, I was hoping for an extension from this arbitrary date. Lovely little offer.
Rachel R says:

21 Jul21 July 13:35

I called Amex yesterday to ask about cancelling my BAPP account as I have a large negative avios balance and am not spending on the card at the moment. I have an unredeemed 241 in my BA account. The agent told me that the terms state that taxes have to be paid with the BAPP and that while BA’s IT currently doesn’t recognise that it’s the same/different account, they have now way of knowing when they’ll update their IT systems and that it will recognise that the voucher isn’t attached to the account, which would then invalidate the voucher. Any thoughts on whether I need to be worried? Thanks!
- Freddy says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 13:48
  
  Inventive bs from amex
  - Rob says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 14:05
    
    Amex, globally, does not do name verification. End of.
- memesweeper says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 13:50
  
  Right now, BA’s IT cannot detect if you are paying with a BAPP, another Amex card of your own, or somebody else’s.
  
  I imagine fixing this so BA’s IT enforced the T&Cs of the card would be tricky and a low priority for BA. You are at risk that they *might* fix it in the gap between cancelling the card and using the companion voucher. But I’d guess it’s just FUD on the part of the call centre as they are trying to retain you.
  - Spaghetti Town says:
    
    21 Jul21 July 14:18
    
    You’d think the internal audit would of picked up on this
- Polly says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 14:14
  
  Amex trying it on. Just be reassured from this site. Any Amex card does it.
james says:

21 Jul21 July 14:05

so looking at flights to Lanzarote for 2 pax using my 241. Its showing as 40k + voucher + £100 or 70,400 no voucher and £100. anyone able to explain this, seems to undervalue the voucher to me.
- AJA says:
  
  21 Jul21 July 16:13
  
  Assume this is Club Europe? Peak travel is 20,000 Avios , off-peak 17,000 Avios each way. So return for 2 using 2-4-1 should be 40,000 Avios and £100 in RFS taxes. It should be 80,000 Avios and £100 in RFS taxes not using a 2-4-1. If you booked peak out and off-peak back that would work out at either 37,000 Avios + £100 + 2-4-1 or 74,000 Avios and £100 without a 2-4-1. Are you sure you didn’t just misread the number of Avios on the booking without 2-4-1?
  - James says:
    
    23 Jul23 July 00:02
    
    Thanks for the reply, triple checked the dates with and without voucher and the figure I gave was correct. I called exec club and they said it was correct as the pricing points Using miles to pay for fees were what made it different, woman on phone wasn’t budging so have put a concern in to customer relations.