The HfP chat thread – Friday 25th September

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• AndyGWP says:

  25 Sep25 September 12:59

  This is worth a read… it was shared with me on my employers IT security channel.

  Whilst I suspect everyone that reads HFP, will already be aware of the risks of sharing pictures of your boarding pass, this is quite an entertaining read of someones adventures trying to find Tony Abbott (the former Aus PM’s) passport number, and uncovering some security flaws within Qantas’ website:

  https://mango.pdf.zone/finding-former-australian-prime-minister-tony-abbotts-passport-number-on-instagram

  • Chris K says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:03

    Thank you for this. Very interesting. I knew not to share PNRs but didn’t think anything more sinister could happen than assigning someone a Vegetarian Meal!

  • Anna says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:05

    And yet we have to hand over our boarding passes in airport shops just to buy a bottle of water!

    • Andrew says:

      25 Sep25 September 14:17

      You DON’T have to – they ask so they don’t have to pay VAT on the water if you’re leaving the EU, but charge you the same. Always say no when they ask.

      • xcalx says:

        25 Sep25 September 14:23

        Tried that last year in WH Smith LBA. The guy refused to serve me without handing him it.

        • Andrew says:

          25 Sep25 September 14:27

          Then he was acting outside the parameters of the law. Should have asked to speak to a manager.

        • Anna says:

          25 Sep25 September 17:26

          Andrew – shops have no obligation to serve you. If they want to make it a condition that they see your boarding pass, they can, just like they can make it a condition that you wear a mask, or (in a club or bar) adhere to a dress code.

      • ChrisBCN says:

        25 Sep25 September 16:04

        I’m always asked in boots ‘do you have a boarding pass?’. My answer is always a simple ‘no’ and they never question it. If they did I would be informing them that I would rather the tax went to the likes of the NHS than their American venture capitalist owners.

        I’m not sure if the current American owners are still a VC, but the point remains.

        • Nick_C says:

          25 Sep25 September 17:34

          Individual stakeholders 33.89%
          Mutual fund holders 31.63%
          Other institutional 26.87%

          Largest individual shareholding is 16% by VC and CEO Stefano Pessina, who is Italian and was Chairman of Boots between 2007 and 2014 when it was taken over by Wallgreen’s

      • cinereus says:

        25 Sep25 September 17:07

        But you do for alcohol?

      • Anna says:

        25 Sep25 September 17:24

        They refuse to serve me if I don’t hand it over. I don’t generally buy anything now unless I really need some duty free rum or something for the holiday!

        • TGLoyalty says:

          25 Sep25 September 17:41

          Anna is it really that big a deal?

          They are following the rules if you are travelling outside the EU or not.

        • Aliks says:

          25 Sep25 September 21:17

          Last week in one of the LHR T5 WHSmiths, their self serve checkout offered the choice ” I cannot show you my Boarding Card” or something very similar. It then proceeded to take my credit card without any issue.

          Regarding the legality/ethics of what firms like Boots were caught doing, apparently they were aggregating EU and non-EU purchases so that they were reclaiming VAT on some EU purchases.

          Not sure if they were punished or just promised not to do it again.

    • ChrisBCN says:

      25 Sep25 September 16:04

      Don’t ever do it Anna!

  • cinereus says:

    25 Sep25 September 17:07

    Mindboggling people weren’t already aware of all of this.

• Hugh says:

  25 Sep25 September 13:13

  I am thinking of getting a Lloyds Club Account to take advantage of £100 Switching Offer. At one point this would have increased my earning rate on my Lloyds Avios Credit Card. Does anyone know if this is still the case?

  • mark2 says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:03

    Yes it goes up from 0.4 to 0.5 Avios per £ plus magazine subscription or other benefits. Travel insurance with Platinum add-on is also good.

• AD says:

  25 Sep25 September 13:48

  Hi, if I upgrade gold charge to platinum for 20k MR bonus for spending £4k, would current spending on the gold charge be counted as part of the £4k spending limit to get the spend bonus please? Many thanks

  • Genghis says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:07

    If you’re online account shows as Platinum, yes.

    • AD says:

      25 Sep25 September 16:22

      Thanks Genghis

  • TGLoyalty says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:10

    If you mean the spend before you apply for the upgrade then no

    If you mean spend after you apply and it turns Platinum in the app/apple or google) pay but before you receive the actual Plat card then yes.

    FYI if you are close to the £15k annual bonus on the gold charge you would also forfeit that.

    • AD says:

      25 Sep25 September 16:22

      Many thanks

• Jody says:

  25 Sep25 September 14:09

  Recently got an Amex preferred rewards gold card. Do I get points adding a supplementary card holder, or am I better to wait and see if it appears as an offer? Can’t remember from when I’ve previously had one! Also, how long before the lounge club card comes through? It’s been over 2 weeks now since I got the card.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:12

    As long as you add it online once you’ve received and registered the card you should get the 3k points

    • Jody says:

      25 Sep25 September 15:25

      thank you.

  • Rob says:

    25 Sep25 September 14:18

    Either wait for it to appear or use this page: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/hfp/amex-supplementary-cards-page/

    • Jody says:

      25 Sep25 September 15:25

      Lovely, thank you.

    • tomdoyle says:

      25 Sep25 September 16:02

      Is the 3k bonus only for the 1st supp card?

      • Rob says:

        25 Sep25 September 18:06

        Yes

      • Genghis says:

        25 Sep25 September 19:42

        If you have an existing supp but not had the offer, you can add another for 3k (extra fee chargeable on the Gold, but just say ordered by mistake and cancel soon thereafter).

• Tom says:

  25 Sep25 September 14:28

  Hello. Long-time subscriber to HFP, first-time poster! I have a question I hope the collective can help with….

  I have a glut of Alaska miles which I’ve acquired over the last couple of years, but I think they are due to expire in a few weeks. What’s the easiest way of extending these out? I’m not taking any flights at the moment so can’t credit. Is my only remaining option to do a cheap hotel booking on Rocketmiles? Or is there an easier way to acquire a couple of Alaska points, to extend their expiry? Thanks!

  • xcalx says:

    25 Sep25 September 15:00

    3000 Marriott Bonvoy points will get you 1000 Alsakan miles in under 2 weeks. Just done it for Alaskan account.

    • xcalx says:

      25 Sep25 September 15:01

      My

  • Lyn says:

    25 Sep25 September 23:59

    You could order an inexpensive book from AbeBooks (US) via Alaska’s shopping website. Their points post quickly and they will show if the order has been tracked.

• JohnT says:

  25 Sep25 September 15:02

  Any idea if Dragonpass might extending the card expiry dates? Have a few ($10) passes showing as early Jan21. Not much chance to use them before then, but seem to remember getting a refund was ok-ish…

  • Claire says:

    25 Sep25 September 15:11

    Whats the easiest way to get your money back on this. I also have a number of passes bought before Covid scuppered all my travel plans for this year. Thanks

    • JohnT says:

      26 Sep26 September 08:17

      Just trying to search for original articles but having some trouble with search! Also look for Red by Dufry

• Lady London says:

  25 Sep25 September 15:18

  I never ever show mine. They are not allowed to insist unlesd you need to prove you are flying somewhere that does get you VAT/duty off the price. This is really only needed for alcohol and tobacco, watches/jewellery etc and noy for a anything in WHSmith! by They serve you at the till (dont bother with the machines unlesd there is a staff member cspable of using their pass to waive it.

  They relied in the early days on you would show it rather tgan have sn argument and misd your plane – I left piles of stuff at the till and walked out a couple of times. Nowadsys theyre more aware – ask for a supervisor or walk out leaving it all behind.

• Niall says:

  25 Sep25 September 15:28

  My mother-in-law (who is just Blue BAEC) has just changed the date of her 787-8 LHR-CAI flight (business class cash ticket), resulting in a timing change (new flight number: BA0400 instead of BA155) and aircraft downgrade (to narrow-body ex-BMI A321neo).

  Two questions:
  1. Shouldn’t she be due a partial refund of taxes due to the aircraft change? My wife and I have had the exact same change (albeit Avios tickets on a different booking) and received ~£50 back each
  2. Her checked baggage allowance now states zero! It was 2 checked bags before. Is this a glitch? Again, my wife and I still have 3 checked bags each (we’re Gold BAEC) following the change

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