The HfP chat thread – Thursday 3rd September

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• Lady London says:

  3 Sep3 September 14:55

  I hope you booked flex because none of this seems right.

  Since the quarantine list came in it seems easyjet is honouring a much reduced schedule after they had started to fly again, but flights will continue only to the end of September.

  They serm to have completely cancelled all their flights in October on almost all of their routes. Through until 25 October which is the start of the winter season – but surely they will cancel flights from 25 October as well if quarantine continues changing all the time now as not enough people can book in these circumstances to keep them going. BA has also cancelled many days’ flights depending on the destination.

  Funnily enough Ryanair seems to be holding up best when it comes to maintaining a short haul schedule.

  Does anyone know if flights to Europe get cancelled can we ask for re-route by train instead from the airline? or are we on our own.

  • Jody says:

    3 Sep3 September 15:45

    Thanks for this, been checking Easyjet site every day as we are booked to go to Ibiza in October. Our hotel has already cancelled on us, but flights were still showing as going. However, checked today after seeing your comment and flight has been cancelled, which means we can re-book any flight for no extra charge. Going to move Ibiza to next September (hotel offered us free move to any dates in September or October, which was very reasonable of them considering it was a non-refundable booking) but the easyjet flights next September are really expensive. Was going to look at avios flights when they came out, but that have the hassle of getting to Heathrow or Gatwick, so it’s much easier to be able to just change the flights.

    Now we’ve just got the holiday with flights to Nice in November to try and figure out. Booked with BA but prior to March unfortunately. Much as we want to go and are desperate for a holiday, am not prepared to go without insurance covering everything (am aware you can get cover for COVID) as we both have pre-existing medical conditions. Of course, things might change by November, but I think that’s unlikely.

• venturelog says:

  3 Sep3 September 14:58

  Quick question re Plat card benefit. Are there any conditions to the the £10 credit for Addison Lee? Min. spend on the taxi? Does that apply on the end of month statement as opposed to each ride?

  • Rob says:

    3 Sep3 September 16:21

    Not sure if you need to spend at least £10 or not. The credit appears a few days after the ride, not at month end.

    • KS says:

      3 Sep3 September 19:27

      I got it credited for £9.45

• mark2 says:

  3 Sep3 September 15:06

  I just got 13,200 Avios on a one year print and digital subscription for the Economist from this link https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/06/20/economist-avios-offer/

• r* says:

  3 Sep3 September 15:07

  How soon after cancelling an amex gold card is it safe to re-apply for another for the free year? Not like I need it for a while, but my free year is up soon and I dont see the point in paying a fee for it currently.

  Also, is there a way for someone to find out when they last held an amex to check if the 2 years is up to qualify for sign up bonus?

  • dezbez says:

    3 Sep3 September 15:51

    I generally leave it 3-4 months and have never had a problem.

    Re your second question, I think if you ring Amex you can probably get this info from them.

• Ishan says:

  3 Sep3 September 15:29

  Just got an email from Tandem. Credit card closing for all in November. No new spending beyond that point. Rate goes up to 7% from November until the deadline for paying off in full in Feb 2021. Savings rate falling from 1.25% to 0.5%

  Oh well

• NJB says:

  3 Sep3 September 15:49

  Thank you for the responses I had last week but I wondered if anyone else could help.
  Has anyone else had a cancelled flight by BA where they upgraded after the initial booking? I am getting absolutely no where trying to claw back the 150 pounds they have kept as the non refundable change fee. They have now advised me, if I am unhappy with the response, to make a complaint to CEDR.
  Am I flogging a dead horse?! Seems so unfair as they cancelled the flight!

  • TGLoyalty says:

    3 Sep3 September 16:22

    Was it actually a change fee or was it for an upgrade?

    If it’s an upgrade I would take them up on the offer to go to CEDR. Or just raise a MCOL online.

  • AJA says:

    3 Sep3 September 18:36

    I agree it seems unfair but reports on FT are that change fees are not refunded as it is seen as a fee you paid BA to change the booking separate from any difference in fare that you paid to upgrade. BA see it as a consequential loss. The only other suggestion I have is to try claim off your travel insurance given you seem to have proof BA won’t refund you.

  • BS says:

    3 Sep3 September 19:01

    Yes, or to add: I’d also try and claim off credit card as well using S75. They have failed to provide the service which you paid your change fee for. You should be able to restitute yourself to the position you would be if the service had been provided (or all your money back).
    I agree it is a ridiculous position for BA to argue. It doesn’t surprise me.

    • Lady London says:

      3 Sep3 September 19:26

      For ease, go to chargeback or s75.

      I sm sure BA would lose this in court as due to their action in cancelling your flight you paid a fee for nothing. I think you could argue also that the fee had been “integrated” into the overall cost of the flight to you and not possible to separate.

      Similar to items not actually having to be returned when they otherwise would be, because you had already built them into your house ie integrated them.

      I think BA deserves to be picked up by the scruff of the neck for being so blatantly unfair to customers when BA has cancelled the flight they gave paid various fees towards.

      It will only take one person to win in court and BA should stop this nonsense. Promise me, whoever takes them to MCOL, that you will ensure to include 8% ststutory interest in your claim and also try to add a request for a preparation order because of the time you’ve had to waste fighting BA’s unreasonable behaviour.

    • ChrisC says:

      3 Sep3 September 22:28

      The logic BA is using is this –

      + We did provide the service the change fee was for – we changed the flight booking as requested the OP.

      + This fee is separate to the costs of the upgrade – additional fare element, surcharges etc

      That the flight then never happened is neither nor there as far as the change fee is concerned because the service charged for – the upgrade process – was provided.

      Not saying that is right but S75 claims are based on did you get the service you paid for and in changing the booking BA did provide that service.

      Reminds me of a query on another blog where someone bought some hotel points but there was a delay in them being applied to their account. In the interim the reward room they wanted – and had bought the points for – had been taken by someone else.

      The hotel chain denied a refund because they had provided the points that had been purchased albeit with a delay from the normally instant credit (but within the advertised time). And that the poster was buying an amount of points not points for a specific booking.

      The poster argued for a chargeback that they didn’t get the service they paid for but they were denied because they received the points they paid for.

  • Lady London says:

    3 Sep3 September 19:34

    PS CEDR may be return more ‘odd’ decisions by whereas MCOL decisions more likely to give expectable results.

• will says:

  3 Sep3 September 16:06

  Ref dell amex offers, anyone know if they work with dell outlet purchases?

  • BLT says:

    3 Sep3 September 18:20

    It has worked for me from dell outlet in the past, think when it was 75 off 400 spend. Can’t say if it’s the same for this promotion

  • Charlieface says:

    3 Sep3 September 20:49

    Dell Outlet I think yes, because it goes onto our regular Dell account at work. Dell refurbished is a separate business

  • Will says:

    4 Sep4 September 00:57

    Excellent thank you

• meta says:

  3 Sep3 September 16:17

  Question regarding IHG Ambassador Weekend night voucher. When does it get removed from your account once you use it? I basically used one last weekend. Definitely wasn’t charged for the second night, but the voucher is still showing in my account. Points have posted for the stay.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    3 Sep3 September 16:24

    Usually it says it’s been redeemed rather than physically removed.

    Btw you can book as many ambassador stays as you like but you need a valid cert when you check in so I wouldn’t take being able to book another stay as any type of signal it’s still redeemable.

    • meta says:

      3 Sep3 September 16:38

      I know that you can book at anytime even without a certificate. It is very strange as it only shows “Redeem before”, not redeemed. It seems to me that it hasn’t been redeemed which is odd. Looking closely at the hotel bill as well there is no reference to second night being free. I just wasn’t charged for it.

      • Rachel R says:

        3 Sep3 September 18:27

        This happened to me last year. So I used the free night a second time and it worked. Funnily enough a similar thing also happened to me this year. I got given a second voucher when I queried the extension, and I’ve now used one (showing as redeemed) and the second is still available to use.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        3 Sep3 September 18:28

        When you book with these new electronic certs the voucher is usually taken automatically.

        as early on some used their paper vouchers but the electronic was used anyway (I did it the other way round and got two free nights 🙂 )

        What I do know is the IHG site has been very shaky recently with it even blocking me out this morning. Maybe you got lucky or it just hasn’t updated yet. Unless the redeem by date is soon give it sometime to see if it stays like that?

        • meta says:

          3 Sep3 September 19:17

          Thanks. Yes, I have quite a bit of time to use it again.

        • Anna says:

          3 Sep3 September 19:30

          I got the message that my account was locked this morning but the app seemed ok so I assumed it was an IT issue and not because IHG thought I was up to no good!

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