The new HFP chat thread – Wednesday 12th August

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• Chas says:

  12 Aug12 August 13:07

  Further to the comments yesterday about topping up the R card. @Anna – you mentioned that it is possible to do this with a Visa or MC, but I thought that c6 months ago things changed when they started attracting cash advance fees? It certainly did on my VA cards which I used regularly. Have things reverted back again?

  • Anna says:

    12 Aug12 August 14:24

    No cash advance fees. They do charge interest, but you can minimise this by paying off your balance asap.

    • Anna says:

      12 Aug12 August 14:24

      Sorry, that’s IHG.

      • Grant says:

        12 Aug12 August 15:06

        Whereas V will hit you with a 5% fee

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    12 Aug12 August 15:29

    I think VA may still be attracting fees, it keeps changing but best to do a small test first to be sure.

    • Chas says:

      12 Aug12 August 19:03

      Thanks all – seems like I still can’t rinse my V card that way again. I haven’t had the time over the last few months to read the Bits comments anywhere near as religiously as I used to, so was worried that I’d missed some important gossip in the meantime.

• Craig W says:

  12 Aug12 August 13:29

  does anyone have any idea how to get through to BA at the moment (not a first class booking)?? I haven’t been able to get through on any of the numbers you just get cut off.

  very annoying i had thought this wasn’t happening anymore! I have tried not pressing any buttons and it doesn’t work this time

  Thanks all

  • Stagger Lee says:

    12 Aug12 August 13:37

    Don’t press any buttons, even if it sound like the option is what you want. I did this yesterday and got in to a queue. Took about 20 mins to answer and they then had to transfer me to another departmenr which was another 10 min wait but I did actually get everything sorted.

  • Andreas says:

    12 Aug12 August 13:37

    When I called a few weeks ago, I got the same thing. Called again but pressed hash instead of the numbers to get put straight to a person. Had to wait on hold for about 20 minutes before being connected, but I did get through! Alternatively, try calling earlier in the morning (around 0830) or later in the evening (1730)

  • Craig W says:

    12 Aug12 August 14:56

    thanks both

• Tonyb says:

  12 Aug12 August 13:58

  Hi, sorry if this has been covered recently but which cards are the best to use linked to Curve metal for paying HMRC for PAYE/VAT/Corp tax. I’ve read about COT and IHG what would you recommend?
  Many thanks

  Reply

  • The Urbanite says:

    12 Aug12 August 23:18

    I wouldn’t recommend IHG now. If your account gets flagged by the KYC team and they can see you have been doing business transactions, specifically HMRC, they can shut your accounts for breach of terms and conditions.

    To be honest pretty much any credit card will work so go with your preferred rewards card, as long as it complies with the underlying card’s T&Cs!

    • Crafty says:

      12 Aug12 August 23:52

      Has this happened to you?

• Charlieface says:

  12 Aug12 August 14:17

  Hate to be the bearer of bad news but not sure if anyone is aware but there’s been a derailment of a lightly loaded HST south of Aberdeen. Unconfirmed reports of fatalities.
  I think this is the first major derailment since Grayrigg 2007 IIRC

• Fred (Your comment is awaiting moderation) says:

  12 Aug12 August 14:18

  Lloyd’s Upgrade Voucher – cancelled flight
  Will the Avios team contact me immediately once flight Is cancelled (as if they are the travel agent)
  Or am I able to wait until say 24 hrs before flight time and pick my desired option then?

  Avios team are offering 3month voucher extension in such circumstances and I’d be curious to know if I can delay that 3month period starting in the event of such a cancellation

• Dev says:

  12 Aug12 August 14:38

  Was just pricing out an economy reward seat from Boston to London and noticed the fees for each one way is exactly half of that for the return. Has this always been the case or is it a recent change? (there is still a large discrepancy for 2x one-ways in J)

  • Andrew says:

    12 Aug12 August 15:04

    If the return is pricing at full fare then it would be half that as a single. But if the return fare is reasonable (£400?) then singles at half that isn’t something you’d normally see.

  • Anna says:

    12 Aug12 August 15:11

    Is it some sort of lowish-cost HBO fare? It might be that BA are doing these as per European routes.

    • Anna says:

      12 Aug12 August 15:11

      Though you won’t be paying APD coming back, so technically the return portion is more expensive!

    • Dev says:

      12 Aug12 August 15:20

      Ah, I was talking about the fees/surcharge on an Avios redemption. I thought long haul it was always skewed so that 2x one-ways was way more in surcharges than a return. However using the ‘least amount of avios option’, it was £360 return or £180 each.

• Tony says:

  12 Aug12 August 14:50

  Hasn’t been able to top up revolut with my aqua card – with or w/o Curve – another loophole closed?

  • The Urbanite says:

    12 Aug12 August 23:19

    Revolut appear to be slowly blocking certain cards for topping up.

• Moff says:

  12 Aug12 August 15:46

  HELP PLEASE – Oman Air Refunds

  Apologies if this has been covered on a previous article – however I’m currently experiencing huge difficulties with Oman Air trying to get a refund out of them for cancelled flights. From looking at their recent Trustpilot reviews it seems that many others are also falling victim to this insane refund policy, which definitely wasn’t in their T&Cs when we booked our flight in October.

  Their party line at the moment is that they will not be refunding money for flights until at least 12 months after the date of issuance (which in my case will be Nov 2020). Our flight was supposed to be in September and this has now been cancelled, there is clear non-delivery of contractual obligations between vendor and customer and quite simply, it feels like they are stealing my money.

  I have tried countless times to resolve this issue (more forcefully on each occasion) but keep being issued with the same response. Would welcome any advice on how to move this forward.

  • Lady London says:

    12 Aug12 August 16:11

    2 key questions here does your flight first depart from and how did you pay for it

    • Moff says:

      12 Aug12 August 16:17

      Flights were AUH-MCT-BKK departing 7 September. Booked using SPG Amex.

      • Lady London says:

        12 Aug12 August 16:23

        you are not covered under EU261 as Oman Air is not EU/UK airline and not departingbfrom Uk/Europe.

        If you paid by UK credit card you would have Section 75 claim as card is jointly liable.

        Someone who paid on charge card can onlyask card for chargeback which you shoukd do immediately.

        Otherwise check your travel insurance.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    12 Aug12 August 16:17

    Your only hope is a S75 claim if you paid with a credit card or Amex equivalent if it was a charge card

    Not sure you can make a claim until you flight that was meant to leave has actually not left though. others can answer.

    It can take 6-8 weeks for S75 claims to be properly settled so you have to ask yourself is it worth the hassle if they will offer a refund anyway in Nov (if you believe them)

    • Lady London says:

      12 Aug12 August 16:28

      would you? believe them? Really?
      Recovery sction asap. Move quickly otherwise to avoid any cashflow risk to themselves, once chargeback claims flood in there’s a danger Amex will pretend to believe any upcoming lies from the airline concerned. As it appears they did with Lufthansa.

      Remember chargeback is a voluntary scheme run by the card companies so easier for them to mess with Section 75 and EU261 which are law.

    • Moff says:

      12 Aug12 August 16:30

      Understood – thanks for confirming. Given their uncooperative responses thus far I’m not holding out much hope that they will refund us but hey ho.

    • Sukes says:

      12 Aug12 August 16:33

      When I did online chargebacks to Amex Plat for flights cancelled and hotels closed and no refunds forthcoming in June Amex asked during the process for the dates when I was notified that the service purchased would not be provided. Slightly different situation but it may have bearing. No harm in trying with Amex now therefore. there was no ability at time of raising the issue with Amex to upload documents or provide significant detail. But go back into the complaint once submitted on your online account and you can then upload details of all your problems with Oman Air in order to strengthen your case as Amex review it.

  • Erico1875 says:

    12 Aug12 August 18:23

    I did an Amex chargeback after trying to get an OMAN AIR refund.
    They disputed it and told AMEX they gave me a voucher ( they didnt- ive had zero replies to any correspondence !! ) so I have had to do a 2nd chargeback. Hopefully this one will stick.

    • Lady London says:

      12 Aug12 August 19:21

      exactly as I warned above. it’s clear the OP has good records of multiple attempts and definitive statements made to him by OmanAIR.

      I would strongly advise insisting on chargeback claim now. the flight isbon September but OmanAir have stated clearly they’re not honouring the contract for the flight on the date as booked. They’re also trying to introduce new terms. OP has a valid claim now.

      Personally I’d also put in the claim upfront that you know of somebody OmanAir claimed to have offered a voucher to – whuch was not true – on chargeback claim. Proactively Id include in the claim that I was not offered a voucher, I wuld not have accepted it anyway and in any case the terms purchased on had noborovision for a voucher anyway.

      • Lady London says:

        12 Aug12 August 19:22

        *no provision for a voucher anyway

  • cinereus says:

    13 Aug13 August 16:23

    Just get a copy of T&Cs off IA WM and then LBA them?

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