The HfP chat thread – Monday 7th September

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

We have decided to run this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions. With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind. At this tricky time, and given that many of you are at home, we want the HfP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article. This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

By default, HfP shows the last page of comments under the article. If you want to see the first page of comments and read them all from beginning to end in order, click here: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/09/07/the-hfp-chat-thread-monday-7th-september/comment-page-1. The page will refresh with this article but the comments will now show the first page and not the last page.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page. If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here. This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

Category

General

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

Niall says:

7 Sep7 September 03:10

Does anyone know if UK-based private PCR tests required for travel to certain countries are reimbursable via either travel insurance (e.g. Amex Plat) or private medical insurance (e.g. Axa)?
- Jonathan says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 07:11
  
  Definitely not for either. Same as they won’t cover travel vaccines, upgrades to business if you have a bad back or screening tests in absence of symptoms.
  - blenz101 says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 08:40
    
    Niall – I would certainly check if you have private medical. I have worldwide cover provided by my employer through Aetna due to being based outside of the UK. They have certainly covered the cost of PCR tests. When there has been a case of Covid in our office tower all staff have been advised to take a test and use pay and claim to cover the cost.
    
    They may not cover you for travel but if you had suspected symptoms or had been advised by track and trace to get a test there may well be a good chance you are covered. I know plenty in my building who have now claimed for multiple tests for various reasons via private medical.
    - Niall says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 10:07
      
      Thank you!
Andrew says:

7 Sep7 September 04:38

Wheely offer on Amex Plat – my reading of it is that there is no spend threshold, just needing to spend 3 times. Seems the minimum fare is £12 so potentially a £36 spend to trigger a £50 credit. Although the journeys are likely to be a bit more expensive especially as it’s a quote rather than a fixed fare, but certainly seems easy to break even and get 3 free rides.
- memesweeper says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 14:10
  
  Good luck getting any further than a stones throw for £12 🙂
  - Andrew says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 15:43
    
    I’ll happily throw a stone 3 times to make a £14 profit! A week ago everyone was in raptures over earning 1000 Avios by renting a bike 3 times – this seems a better deal.
  - Lady London says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 17:10
    
    TBH out of peak hours I’m not seeing much difference between regular taxi and Uber around Zones 1 & 2. Haven’t done a lot with Uber yet but that’s how it’s shaping.
- BP says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 16:25
  
  Book a car with a long wait. Cancel after 5 minutes and you pay the smaller cancellation fee. Do this 3 times and profit 😀
paulm says:

7 Sep7 September 06:03

A few new Amex offers this morning incl Hyatt and Marriott which might interest a few..
- AndyGWP says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 06:13
  
  Yup. Marriott spend £200 get £50 back seems decent 👍🏻
  - Anna says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 06:27
    
    Marriott expires 31/12, my next stay is in February 😬
    - Anna says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 06:27
      
      Though would a spa day at our local Marriott qualify?
      - Andrew says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 07:22
        
        Depends which till it goes through.
        
        If it’s front desk, “Marriott Grimsby”, definitely.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 09:25
        
        In my experience it really depends on the hotel. If the spa is fully integrated it’s just billed as if it was the hotel (The Langley does that for example)
  - Harry T says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 07:52
    
    At long last! Just in time for my September travels.
    - YC says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 08:55
      
      Always worth double checking if the hotel is eligible before paying the 3% FX (for example Marriotts in Greece/Turkey are not part of the Amex offer)
      - Harry T says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 09:54
        
        Yes, good point @YC. Luckily I’ve got a few UK based stays lined up.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 09:29
      
      Luckily UK and Germany are included
      
      The remaining warmer corridor destinations like Greece, Portugal, Turkey are excluded
      - Harry T says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 09:46
        
        @TGLoyalty
        University Arms in Cambridge isn’t on the list for the offer but do you reckon it might work anyway? Or is their IT pretty good?
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 10:21
        
        Sounds like a mistake as every other hotel in the UK is but if it doesn’t auto post you won’t get manual credit.
- Andrew says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 07:29
  
  £100 back on a £300 spend at Hyatt is eye catching (checkout spend until year end).
  
  That’s probably just enough for a 3 day autumn break between weekly announcements.
  - Reney says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 07:33
    
    That’s an idea, anyone have recommendations?
    - Rob says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 09:07
      
      Hyatt has a lot in Germany which is not on the quarantine list.
  - meta says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 08:00
    
    Park Hyatt Mallorca is on the list. It’s not open until March 2021 and not part of Hyatt brand anymore. You would think that they thought about the promo…
    - Peter K says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 11:12
      
      @Meta Like of Amex were to have a yearly shop small promo….oh, wait.
- Michael C says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 07:44
  
  Connaught/Berkeley 100 on 300 (room only).
- J says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 09:53
  
  If used outside the UK no way around avoiding Amex FX charges though which will eat up a chunk of the saving?
  - Pangolin says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 12:21
    
    The charge is ~3% so easily worth swallowing if you’re getting £50 off £200 or £100 off £300.
    
    If you have the Marriott Bonvoy card, that generates triple points at Marriott properties so it offsets the FX load.
- Pangolin says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 12:24
  
  What’s annoying is that I have the Bonvoy card and the Marriott offer doesn’t appear on that. Of the three Amex cards I have, it only appears on the card I hardly ever use these (BA free card).
  
  On the Bonvoy card I get triple points for hotel spend so it’s a shame they couldn’t include it on that.
  - memesweeper says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 14:12
    
    Log out, log in … you may find it there tomorrow … mine showed up after my Gold card
    - Pangolin says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 18:09
      
      OK thanks, I’ll check tomorrow, but normally I check offers on the desktop where I always have to log in anyway.
Luckyjim says:

7 Sep7 September 06:53

Does anyone know of free trials or special offers for co-working spaces? We work/ Regus, that sort of thing?
- Andrew says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 07:14
  
  Don’t forget the local independent ones.
  
  At the moment, you might be better off phoning around for offers. These places are like gyms and car dealers, the best deals aren’t published on the interweb
  - Luckyjim says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 08:58
    
    The independent ones I’ve looked at are still closed. Possibly permanently. Ibis and Virgin Money Lounges are also closed.
- Rob says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 09:10
  
  If you want a private office, WeWork is fully negotiable. No leeway on hot desking or day passes AFAIK because those are not negotiated locally.
  - Sina says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 10:39
    
    Also 20% off if you open an HSBC Kinetic account 👍🏼
- Lady London says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 11:25
  
  Accor has a new program of offering work spaces in its hotels.
  - Pangolin says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 12:22
    
    Interesting. Do you have a link to that? I normally don’t use Accor so hadn’t heard of that.
    - Lady London says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 17:19
      
      They used to call it Nextdoor , seems they’ve renamed it wojo. Monte Carlo is in there though!! as well as Barcelona. Looks like their European expansion plans got delayed by Covid but Paris looks good. There were some very tasty promotions last year for 1 free day when they launched. A bit of digging makes this look like the current link
      https://www.wojo.com/search?ref=reborn_header
      - Pangolin says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 18:10
        
        Thanks, Lady London. Wojo is a weird name for sure!
eligold says:

7 Sep7 September 08:13

I’ve just noticed that BA Avios bookings to SYD are showing RFS. Is there actually a saving on what it used to be, and how much?

Also, can someone explain to me the difference between the flight that shows up as a direct LHR-SYD and the one which is LHR-SIN SIN-SYD. I see the price is slightly different and same for the amount of Avios but what are the differences based on?
- Chrisasaurus says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 08:19
  
  Airport fees, presumably
  - Chrisasaurus says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 08:19
    
    Since the indirect flight lands twice
    - Nick_C says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 21:20
      
      The Direct flight also lands twice; in Singapore and Sydney.
      
      You can choose whether or not to have a stopover in Singapore. That could explain the price difference. It’s also possible to connect between the direct flight and a LHR/SIN flight at SIN without a stopover. Either of these could explain the price difference.
      
      If you are flying directly to Sydney, you will be on the ground for nearly two hours while they refuel and re-provision, and change crew.
    - eligold says:
      
      8 Sep8 September 07:56
      
      There isn’t ANY direct BA to SYD!!!
      - Rob says:
        
        8 Sep8 September 09:06
        
        Technically there is, ie one flight number.
- Chrisasaurus says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 08:29
  
  Price difference itself will be based on value – rarity of the direct flight availability, convenience etc. Airfares are not constructed as cost plus…
  - Eligold says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 10:37
    
    Talking about Avios cost and APD fare. That all has nothing to do with value, availability, rarity….
- Andrew says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 08:30
  
  Maybe they are rolling out the RFS on long haul economy after its trial on New York – which is 60,000 +£100 return.
  - Rhys says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 09:20
    
    If nothing has changed from the trial it isn’t great value: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/04/30/british-airways-trials-reward-flight-saver-on-long-haul-to-new-york/
    - Charlieface says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 10:57
      
      The bit you always miss on Economy flights is the value in last-minute and/or one way tickets, both of which are nearly always cheaper as an Avios ticket.
      - Rhys says:
        
        7 Sep7 September 11:02
        
        This is very true
meta says:

7 Sep7 September 08:30

Looks like reward flight saver has been rolled out to all long-haul destinations. I can see it for Dubai and for Tokyo. Only economy though. Fees seem to be based on distance £50 for Dubai, £100 per one way for Tokyo.
- Andrew says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 08:32
  
  Same as New York which started at the beginning of the year – economy only. But good value if you’ve got Avios to burn and want a cheap flight, remembering the advertised economy fares are for HBO whereas Avios always comes with baggage.
Aston100 says:

7 Sep7 September 09:12

Wife just qualified for a BA companion voucher.
The message on her Amex screen says “Start earning towards next year’s voucher from 07 Apr 2021”
Does it mean any further spend on her BAPP (prior to 7th April) will not count towards another companion voucher?
And why 7th April? Is this something to do with her BAEC account year?

As I found the whole BA reward experience quite stressful the other day, I am unlikely to want to go for a 3rd companion voucher anyway, so she may as well just downgrade to the free BA card shortly.
If only we’d applied for the IHG black card before they stopped it in April. Seems going forward my only points earning will be done through the free white IHG card.

Thanks.
- Darren says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 09:22
  
  It’ll be her card anniversary, one voucher per membership year. Correct on the spend not qualifying.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 09:23
  
  Any additional spend from now until April 7th 202a won’t count towards another voucher as you only get one per card year.
  
  April 7th would be the card anniversary.
  - Aston100 says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 09:38
    
    Thanks both.
- Fred says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 09:42
  
  Why was the experience stressful?
- Anna says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 09:45
  
  This is why if you’re putting enough spend through for 2 vouchers per year, it’s useful for one card year to be, say, Jan – Dec, and one June – May, so you haven’t got one card sitting inactive that you’ve paid the fee on. It is a bit of trial and error though when you first start, and we still end up in September/October each year having earned 2 vouchers, (plus Amex gold £15k spend bonus this year!) and waiting for OH’s BAPP to reset In December in time for Xmas! We’re both eligible for Platinum bonus next year so I’m hoping to be able to plan slightly better and have only 1 BAPP on the go as we won’t need 2 more vouchers next year.
  - Sandra says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 11:04
    
    Just triggered my voucher, valid until March 2023. Have to wait until 7 Jan (membership year start) before I can start spending for the next one. Got in early this year to get the 6 month voucher extension with 2 new iPhones bought via BA e store that have netted 11399 Avios with the current bonus offers, although had I known Apple were going to increase their e store Avios from 3 to 6/£1 I would have bought both together rather than one last month and one this month!
Ammar says:

7 Sep7 September 09:38

Are the hotel offers eg Marriott/Hyatt cumulative or you have to spend in one go?
- Rob says:
  
  7 Sep7 September 10:00
  
  Hilton ones were always cumulative, I would assume it is unless it specifically states otherwise.
  - meta says:
    
    7 Sep7 September 11:05
    
    Yes, there is a wording in T&C to that effect. I think for the first time it’s clear.
    - rk says:
      
      7 Sep7 September 17:08
      
      I am unclear… it is cumulative?