The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 1st September

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

• Amalti says:

  1 Sep1 September 10:50

  Hi

  I’ve got quite a large tax bill due end of January because I have deferred the July payment.

  I’ve seen the article on HMRC payments where essentially options come down to upgrading to curve metal for £150 or signing up to Miles and More credit card.

  I have two BA companion vouchers to use (both expire 2022), and also a HSBC Premier World Elite CC – so keen to try and get Avios rather than invest in a new airline’s loyalty scheme.

  Last time around (Jan 2020) I managed to use Revolut as a workaround without any costs, but that option has gone too now unfortunately.

  I’m reluctant to pay for the Metal Curve as I’m already paying for the HSBC World Elite, and also due to the limit so I’ll have a similar issue in July.

  Any tips on best way forward or other workarounds please? Accept this is subjective and definitely a first world problem! Many thanks in advance if anyone can help.

  • memesweeper says:

    1 Sep1 September 17:20

    Depends how big the bills are. If they are significant then the Metal fee may be worth it for you. I can’t think of a workaround for anything other than small amounts.

• Paul74 says:

  1 Sep1 September 11:05

  Just thought I’d report back on couple of recent IHG stays.
  Hotel Indigo Kensington, which has been mentioned here before. 25,000 points. Staff very friendly as reported on these pages previously. As a Spire no drinks tokens but was given extra mini bar drinks. They were serving a proper breakfast but with no menu I went for a local café where there’d be more choice etc. Overall good.
  Crowne Plaza Edinburgh. Very pleasant location (Royal Terrace) and nice building. Got a good view from my room (not sure if an upgrade) and compo a la carte breakfast. Again, 25,000/night. Happy with that.
  Went up to Edinburgh in LNER First on the azuma rolling stock, a good experience. Came back with BA City Flyer, lounge still closed, minimal on board catering, not such a good experience but still arrived in one piece.

• Anna says:

  1 Sep1 September 11:30

  Just noticed the Conrad Rangali has water villas available for 95k points per night next summer as well as beach villas, I don’t know if they normally have both of these for redemptions but it’s a great points deal.

  • marcw says:

    1 Sep1 September 11:32

    Every now and again they did it pre-covid19. Now I think they always have ow villas available with a standard redemption.

  • Anna says:

    1 Sep1 September 11:32

    I’m tempted to make a speculative booking in case we can’t go to GCM!

  • Paul says:

    1 Sep1 September 13:23

    I think this is a permanent feature I booked and stayed last November doing this

• Anna says:

  1 Sep1 September 11:51

  We have avios/241 flights for 3 of us booked for Easter, out in F to JFK, back from GCM in CW. As neither the US nor the Cayman Islands are showing any signs of opening up to tourists at the moment, what are my options for flight changes?

  • Anna says:

    1 Sep1 September 11:53

    Obviously I know I can cancel and get the avios & vouchers back, but would BA move us to another route even if there were no award seats available? I can see the GCM flights being cancelled nearer the time, but the JFK leg may well still go ahead, and they are on separate bookings!

    • pauldb says:

      1 Sep1 September 12:11

      You can only change route (without requiring avios availability) if your flight is cancelled. And then only within 300mi which is little help for JFK; only MBJ I can think of for GCM.

      • Anna says:

        1 Sep1 September 12:21

        Someone posted that they changed from Denver to LA the other day, which is much further than 300 miles. I think You First can do a lot more than other CSAs!

        • pauldb says:

          1 Sep1 September 12:39

          Perhaps, and I suspect there is some pragmatism. You might get away with JFK-YYZ. But in the case above are you sure it was a revenue rebook: there’s hardly a shortage of F seats to LAX if it was a Sep/Oct cancellation.

        • Anna says:

          1 Sep1 September 13:45

          I can’t remember, which is why I’m asking!

        • John says:

          1 Sep1 September 14:22

          You First told me 500 miles

        • Anna says:

          1 Sep1 September 16:06

          What would they do with an open jaw booking where one of the airports was more than 500 miles from the new one?

        • John says:

          1 Sep1 September 22:51

          Mine was an open jaw booking. Told could move either leg 500 miles within original destination for each leg!

• ChrisC says:

  1 Sep1 September 13:05

  Eurostar direct services ex AMS now released for booking – currently until end of Feb 2021 some Sat/Sun trains not available yet but likely tied to awaiting engineerign dates.

  Times and prices are for the dates I checked and relevent to me – a long weekend departing on a Thursday and returning on a Monday in October, December and February. Prices and times may change depending on your specific trip dates and lengths.

  UK departures at 08.16 (arr 13.11) and 17.16 (arr 22.14)

  Two ex AMS services a day – one at 07.47 (arr STP 10.57) and 16.47 (arr STP 19.57)

  Return fares – £80 in Standard, £178 in Standard Premier and £ 520 Business Premier

• Waddle says:

  1 Sep1 September 13:23

  Virgin Atlantic says it will resume flying from London Heathrow to Delhi, Tel Aviv, Atlanta, Mumbai and Lagos this month.

  • Lady London says:

    1 Sep1 September 18:34

    Those all look like routes that would be financed by cargo wouldn’t you say?

    • Charlieface says:

      1 Sep1 September 21:06

      Tel Aviv is holiday season coming up

• KS says:

  1 Sep1 September 13:24

  Just saw the Amex Plat offer for SLH. T&Cs state that it is only applicable for spends at checkout. Would that include the room rate if that is settled at checkout or is it only for additional spends during the stay?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    1 Sep1 September 13:27

    Should include the room rate.

    I have set hotels and handpicked hotels but not SLH!

    • TGLoyalty says:

      1 Sep1 September 14:30

      Just rechecked and £100 off £350 just appeared. Nice discount 👍🏽

    • Harry T says:

      1 Sep1 September 14:40

      I’ve got all three. If booking SLH, I think you can do it through Hyatt to get extra benefits and earn points. Should work in combination with this offer as you pay at checkout.

  • aDifferentSimon says:

    1 Sep1 September 17:18

    shame if “at checkout” excludes prepaid as they have done some really keen black friday offers in the last couple of years

• Sina says:

  1 Sep1 September 13:59

  Just got my Free Ambassador night after a stay at Kimpton Blythwood! 2 weeks after.

  • Anna says:

    1 Sep1 September 16:08

    Good to know, did you only do one night? I’ve got a night booked at the Kimpton Clocktower at the beginning of next month so hoping that will trigger mine.

    • Sina says:

      1 Sep1 September 21:45

      Yeah I only stayed a night 👍🏼

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