The HfP chat thread – Thursday 10th September

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• ChrisC says:

  10 Sep10 September 02:43

  Wanted to report a good experience claiming a Eurostar voucher.

  Make the claim on 1st September when they extended the date you could claim for trips from September to November. Easy webform to complete with clear instructions.

  Received an email yesterday (9th September) telling me I’d soon receive the voucher.

  That email appeared around 30 minutes later (but went to my spam folder)

  Both emails included the amount of the voucher but only the second included the actual voucher 9 digit number you need to enter into future bookings to claim the value. It’s a different number than the case number you are first sent when you apply for it.

  Have until 1st June 2021 to redeem it and since the release tickets 6 months in advance could take a train right up until 1st December 2021.

  I’ve been really impressed with how easy this claim has been as well as how easy it has been generally to change booking dates. Any extra costs are clearly shown on the list of trains available when you enter the date you want to move to.

  • High Grade says:

    10 Sep10 September 02:56

    I agree Eurostar is easiest cancellation I’ve had to make. I applied for a voucher on 7th Sept and received it on the 8th. Very easy to re-book with the voucher too.

  • John says:

    10 Sep10 September 05:18

    Oh hello travel bear. I’ve just been pushing my trip forward by 2 weeks every fortnight. Not been charged any fees… I think I’ll just go once Belgium comes off Germany’s naughty list

  • Lady London says:

    10 Sep10 September 08:12

    Given how many Eurostar trains have been cancelled do they let you use your ticket on any other near train without having to pay fare difference?

    The French (who run Eurostar more than the British do) have been making people pay full price on the day for other trains when they cancel and only (eventually) refundung the original ticket for the cancelled train in incidences I’ve come across on their own local trains.

    Whereas the British would generally let you use your ticket on any other train that’s running and not charge you any more money or make you buy a ticket.

    • Nick says:

      10 Sep10 September 13:40

      On a point of information… Eurostar is ‘run’ more British than French. The office is in London, it’s staffed mostly by Brits (particularly the rail specialists), and this is done deliberately. It’s ‘owned’ more French than British, however.

      • Lady London says:

        10 Sep10 September 13:54

        Correct. The British guys are nice but their systems and policies and way of doing things have some surprises… defo coming more from the French side of the house.

        hence my worry about them potentially making passengers on cancelled Eurostar trains purchase a new ticket at the then current rate for another train… because that’s what was happening with local trains in France during the strikes.

        • Lady London says:

          10 Sep10 September 14:00

          I speak as one of many who, many years ago, found their semi-flexible Eurostar ticket that had been purchased, suddenly had its flexibility taken away completely by a retroactively acting rule – paid for, but suddenly no longer flexible and the French running Eurostar at that time (was bought in Britain) wouldn’t back down.

          So along with this year’s episode of the French government allowing airlines and hotels to simply refuse refunds wheh the hotel was actually closed and the airline actually not running the flight, I am fairly mistrustful if the rules for anything are set by the French!!!! I would buy a lot of Eurostar right now if I could go on any train that was running near my cancelled Eurostar train, provided I did not have to buy a new ticket or pay any fare difference. But I’m holding off because I fear being subject to French rules.

          i am quite serious. I have quite a few cancelled flights and to be able to book Eurostar instead would be a godsend. But I won’t do it unless my cancelled Eurostar ticket can be used on any other train running the same day or near, or something similar. No one seems to be confirming that as an option Eurostar is offering.

        • ChrisC says:

          10 Sep10 September 18:27

          This may have been the way I booked my trips (more to do with how BA was cancelling flights!) bit I had separate STP-AMS and AMS-STP bookings.

          Both got cancelled and when looking for alternatives there were no extra charges so I changed and there was nothing to pay.

          When I decided to change the dates I had to pay £10 for the STP-AMS trip which was the fare difference (I checked the price)

          Bit more complicted on the AMS-STP as part of that to BRU is on the Thalys so Eurostar is not fully in control and I was going to have to pay extra. It’s why I was glad when they changed their policy on getting credit vouchers as the cost of my AMS-STP single leg in Standard Premier will virtially pay for a new return using the direct Eurostar services!

          Sometimes I think doing brain surgery on a roller coaster would be easier than trying to work out cancellation and change policies!

• BJ says:

  10 Sep10 September 04:48

  Red LetterDays is back on amex offers. I seem to recall many readers making good use of it last time around.

• Pablo says:

  10 Sep10 September 06:02

  Just a heads up that the August bank holiday 2021 is now bookable with avios.

• Rob says:

  10 Sep10 September 06:24

  I have 23k of Thai Royal Orchus Plus ppints due to expire at the end of the month.

  Any transfer or spend options available on these so they dont go to waste, as I won’t be booking any flights from uk with them any time soon?

  Appreciate any suggestions guys.

  • Pablo says:

    10 Sep10 September 08:07

    I would book myself a return flight to Europe with Star alliance for next summer (you have a choice of Aegean, SAS, Turkish, Lufthansa). Quite speculative given the pandemic but better than losing the miles. Other options are various hotels in the US, AUS, NZ or SE Asia. If you have friends or family in those places book a stay for them.

    • Lady London says:

      10 Sep10 September 09:03

      I suppose if you have less points you could look at Club or First intra-Asia on someone like SQ or ANA?

• Andrew says:

  10 Sep10 September 06:41

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54067499
  A shame BA just retired all their 747s then!

  • Andrew says:

    10 Sep10 September 07:44

    “Extinction Rebellion” will be having tantrums.

  • ChrisC says:

    10 Sep10 September 08:11

    They’ve not been disassembled yet though have they so could be put to use,

  • John says:

    10 Sep10 September 10:41

    Compulsory vaccine? They can get stuffed. I’d feel like I was in Dr. Mengele’s chair, strapped in.

    • eligold says:

      10 Sep10 September 15:29

      no way compulsory. there’ll be absolute revolt!

• Sonicoid says:

  10 Sep10 September 07:02

  Hilton status match. Morning all. Just been declined the latest status match from hilton. I am currently gold though amex platinum and have been declined because of this. Is this normal?

  • Claire says:

    10 Sep10 September 07:09

    No, I was gold through Amex platinum and became a diamond in 2018 through status match (matched to my IHG status, which I had from my creation credit card!)

    • meta says:

      10 Sep10 September 07:48

      Yes. Golds are excluded from the current status match promo.

• Secret Squirrel says:

  10 Sep10 September 07:43

  Just a heads up for anyone wanting to chase BA refunds via Twitter.
  I tried and got an auto reply so Twitter not working now.

  • David D says:

    10 Sep10 September 07:53

    Willie switched it off as his last action in the job. Was fed up with all the complaints.

  • E says:

    10 Sep10 September 08:20

    Reply to the automated message and you’ll get a person eventually. Won’t be quick though as it’ll probably be about 3 days before the person replies.

• Andrew says:

  10 Sep10 September 07:55

  I’ve mentioned a few times that I bought OptionTown vouchers earlier in the year in anticipation of 9 domestic flights.

  My Easter flight was cancelled (first of this batch), so I took the voucher option expecting it to return to my OptionTown voucher pool. But I got a Future Travel Voucher of indeterminate value instead.

  I’ve asked for a full refund or extension to my OptionTown vouchers, but now told I can’t have it because one of vouchers is a different kind of voucher.

  The BA voucher expires in 2022, but the OptionTown BA vouchers still expire in April 2021.

  Any suggestions who to escalate the issue with? Originally bought through OptionTown but payment collected by BA.

  • Lady London says:

    10 Sep10 September 08:25

    Have you used any of the flights?

    If not I’d look at s75 on the basis that BA has not provided the number and frequency of flights to choose from that were on offer when you bought the pack of flights to use flexibly – the offer is radically smaller now removing the ability of the voucher to provide the choice and flexibility throughout the period that you bought. Therefore they have not provided what was purchased.

    Get ful name and registered address of Ootion Town and BA off BA and te them you are going to do an MCOL and let the court sort it out.

    If you’re feeling generous yoi could take an FTV for the whole value but since no one in BA knows how to handle this and it would be taking up too much of my time I would get tough.

  • John says:

    10 Sep10 September 14:34

    Book random flights on the optiontown vouchers and cancel them all for FTVs? Would extend it to 2022.

    Assuming that the FTV is valid for any flight that the optiontown ticket would have let you book, with no extra charges. So maybe see if you can confirm that first.

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