The HfP chat thread – Monday 5th October

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• Matty says:

  5 Oct5 October 11:55

  I’m in Berlin later in the week. If I use Addison Lee in the city will the £10 credit using my Amex Platinum work?

  • Andrew says:

    5 Oct5 October 11:58

    I think it’s U.K. only.

    • Matty says:

      5 Oct5 October 12:15

      Thank you.

• AndreasJ says:

  5 Oct5 October 12:06

  Iberia just emailed me to confirm they are extending status until March 2022. Also offering double EP / PE’s on flights booked and flown between 1st Oct and 31st March 2022.

  • Paul says:

    5 Oct5 October 17:07

    Does anybody know how you currently call BA to book a reward flight, usual number is a massage taking about immediate travel plans and then you’re cut off.

    • Paul says:

      5 Oct5 October 18:49

      Can anyone help? Somebody suggested calling the executive club number and not pressing any options, but I just get a recorded message and then nothing.

      • AJA says:

        5 Oct5 October 22:33

        Try the BA Newcastle numbers
        +44 191 246 3933 or
        +44 191 490 7901

• Clive says:

  5 Oct5 October 12:09

  Damn shame Marriott Amex deal is not Global

• Alan says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:34

  Hi, I will be traveling out to Italy this week with BA from Heathrow.

  Is it worth paying for a club flight, i.e. are the BA lounges open and is there the normal club service on the flights.

  Thanks

  • meta says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:47

    BA lounges open and service is better than pre-covid. All table service with ordering via QR code. Club service on board is still boxes or bags though. Drinks service is normal albeit with disposable cups and glasses.

  • rahaney says:

    5 Oct5 October 14:58

    Just back club world to Pisa. Lounges in Heathrow open – multiple options depending on ba status/pp/Amex plat.

    No priority security, Boarding from rear due covid, food/drink service woeful compared to other airlines at present. Only worthwhile bit was extra leg room in row 1.

    Many lounges closed in Italy still

    • Alan says:

      5 Oct5 October 21:29

      meta, rahaney

      That’s useful thank you, as club is so cheap I think we will upgrade

      Regards
      Alan

• Heather says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:42

  Hi
  what’s the rules for if BA cancel your return flight? when you’ve already flown the outbound?

  • Anna says:

    5 Oct5 October 14:38

    They are undoubtedly liable to get you back to where you started. Also for duty of care if you need to stay extra nights due to a flight change.

  • BS says:

    5 Oct5 October 15:12

    If EU261/2004 applies*, they must:
    – reroute you (via any airline if necessary) – this may not be possible if no airline is running
    – provide accommodation/refreshments if this involves having to stay longer
    – or (your choice, not theirs): refund you for the cost of the unused flight

    * This will apply if on a BA flight to/from the EU/UK, even if a multisegment journey, whether or not the final segment after the BA flight is actually operated by BA so long as it is a BA codeshare, was booked as a through ticket, without stopover, via BA. So a LHR – JFK – LAX, would be covered, even if the JFK – LAX sector was operated by AA, so long as it is a BA code-share, and was a through ticket. BA would be responsible.

    If not their terms and conditions of sale of tickets limit themselves to a refund or rerouting on BA metal only.
    IATA rules require you to be rerouted, only if the cancellation is done within 24 hours of departure.

    • Lady London says:

      5 Oct5 October 15:26

      BA is a Europe/UK airline so EU261 applies on any flight BA runs on any route anywhere i the world.

      • BS says:

        5 Oct5 October 15:29

        No. The journey needs to start or end in the UK/EU. The BAH- DOH freedom flights for example are not covered. Any flight involving GIB is specifically not covered in the EC261 text. The South African flights on Comair are not covered (although would be if through ticketed to a UK/EU destination)

        • Lady London says:

          5 Oct5 October 15:40

          @BS not true.

          EU261 always applies to airlines based in UK/Europe whose countries have signed up. That’s almost all of them.

          The rule you’re talking about applies only to airlines that fall outside the above. For those airlines EU261 applies for flights departing those countries which have.signed up ie UK/Europe.

        • BS says:

          5 Oct5 October 15:57

          @LL – Afraid not. It is based on departure/arrival airports, not airlines.

          EC261/2004:
          (6) The protection accorded to passengers departing from an airport located in a Member State should be extended to those leaving an airport located in a third country for one situated in a Member State, when a Community carrier operates the flight.

          This is backed up by the BA EC261 wiki here:
          “16) My flight was outside Europe, am I still covered?
          The regulations apply to all flights departing the EU, the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland. Litchtenstein). plus Switzerland; and to journeys on EU carriers to these parts of Europe. This covers the majority of BA flights, but not Comair flights around South Africa, nor people on journeys such as BAH-DOH, SIN-SYD, and POS-UVF.”
          https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2002072-2020-ba-compensation-thread-your-guide-regulation-ec261-2004-a.html

        • John says:

          5 Oct5 October 16:08

          The regulation applies to flights from the UK (or Europe) to GIB because such flights depart from the UK (or Europe). (Where Europe means the EEA and the other countries in Europe that fall under the regulation.)

          Flights from GIB to the UK (or Europe) are covered because they are on a UK carrier going to the UK.

          If BA flew between Gibraltar and an airport outside Europe the regulation would not apply to those flights. Similarly a non-European airline flying to Gibraltar is not covered.

        • BS says:

          5 Oct5 October 17:15

          @John

          There have been specific examples where GIB has just been considered completely out-of-scope of EC261, regardless of whether it is an EU carrier or not. Certainly no higher court has made a ruling on it. YMMV

          https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-european-airlines/1928319-easyjet-gibraltar-cancelled-flight-no-hotel-meals-refunded-cedr-failed.html

      • Heather says:

        5 Oct5 October 15:30

        Thanks for the replies
        It would be a flight back from Dalaman.
        Flight out is on Sunday – I very much doubt they will cancel outbound and flights are currently departing as per timetable – decision time is looming

        • BS says:

          5 Oct5 October 15:33

          They are required to re-route you.
          You might have to pay for it yourself and claim back later. Make sure it is the cheapest equivalent flight. Keep all receipts.

        • BS says:

          5 Oct5 October 15:35

          Although as it is a return ticket and you haven’t flown the outbound, you could also get a full refund of the entire ticket

        • Lady London says:

          5 Oct5 October 16:33

          @Heather why not call them and find out what they are proposing for your return? assuming they will honour the required extra hotel and meals until a replacement flught they will provide you, try to record the call, note who you spoke to and when and ask them to put a note on the PNR.

        • Heather says:

          5 Oct5 October 17:04

          @LadyLondon The flight back isn’t cancelled and i haven’t flown out yet. I doubt that BA would tell me that they are intending to cancel a flight. I am just worried that demand plummets and they cancel – however there are 10-ish flights a week. Who knows!

    • Lady London says:

      5 Oct5 October 16:22

      @BS Im aware of Comair and some peculiarities re Gib.

      However EU261 as a statute, and a continuing European statute to which the UK is signed up at that, supersedes any statement or rule or wiki or term or condition BA would like to make.

      It would be interesting in future to see if airlines try things like flagging themselves as Liberian to avoid onerous legislation, as ships do 🙂

      • marcw says:

        5 Oct5 October 16:33

        Yes Lady London. It applies to ALL European Airlines + foreign airlines departing from UE/UK/Switzerland/Norway and Iceland – but the start or endpoint of your itinerary must be in one of the participating countries; that’s why if you take BAH to DMM on BA 5th freedom route you are not covered (you are covered if you departed LHR and final destination was DMM and the delay was caused in the BAH-DMM sector).
        GIB is the odd exception: no flights to/from GIB are covered by EC261 regulation.

        • Sukes says:

          5 Oct5 October 21:17

          Whilst we’re thrashing this out for fullness may as well add this –

          The Faeroe Islands, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are considered third countries and not EU member states for eu261

          Conversely Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion Island, Mayotte as well as Saint-Martin are considered part of EU member states for eu261

          Source doc is the European Commission 2016 interpretative guidelines on eu261.

• Steve R says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:47

  Thinking of collecting Accor points for the Sofitel at T5.

  Can’t seem to find out how many points i would need for a nights stay next July

  Any clues

  • Chris Heyes says:

    5 Oct5 October 14:02

    Steve R Secret escapes a better bet than points for Sofitel at T5,
    Very easy to spot (usually half price if you time it right)

    • Anna says:

      5 Oct5 October 14:40

      Also you can get the Sofitel as part of a BA holiday if you’re booking one anyway, just add it to the night before your flight.

  • EwanG says:

    5 Oct5 October 14:15

    Accor points have a fixed value of 2 Eurocents per points, redeemable in 2,000 point blocks (2,000 points = 40 Euros). So it depends what the cost is for your chosen date and room type.
    Chris’s suggestion is good.

  • Lady London says:

    5 Oct5 October 15:36

    spending of Accor points can only be done in chunks of 2000 points. Each 2000 point chunk is worth 40 euros. You can use them for anynormal booking of any type. Use as many of your points as you like on any one booking. you receive no change back if you overpay i points. If 40 euros *your vouchers.doesnt cover all the coat you pay the rest by card/cash.

    Did you see Rob’s article about Accor’s latest points-earning promo? There’s very few days left to book. It works for stays of more than an 1 night up to 15th December. You need to know ypu will do 2 ideally 3 stays within the period to qualify.

  • Lady London says:

    5 Oct5 October 16:09

    There’s no extra benefit to Accor points unlike other hotel points. This is because how many you need to give for a hotel room is always based atrictly on the cash price at the time you make the booking at the fixed rate of give 2000 pts to cover 40 euros of the price.

    So on that basis unless Accor points are easy for you to earn, then as Accor webaite often maintains ‘rack rate” prices when external sites like secretescapes or booking.com are discounting then you might well end up paying far less if you just pay cash through the sites others are suggesting. Ib the case of the Sofitel this could be £89 if you’re lucky vs £158 off which you’d never get more than 10% as an Accor member and you’d be paying that rate in points.

• ChrisC says:

  5 Oct5 October 15:09

  Just wanted to share a positive experience with BA just now

  Booked in August to go to Germany this week. Came down with a couple of covid symptoms this morning so having to isolate. Test on the way (as long as the serco spreadsheet can cope!).

  Called BA to discuss options. Can’t get a voucher as I booked in August and need to give 3 weeks notice for that.

  Told I could rebook for a future date but I’m not sure when I want to go at the moment but I do have until the time check in closes on Wednesday to call them back with dates of a future trip so I have roughly 48 hours to sort myself out.

  So even though I don’t get a voucher I do have a credt that I need to use in a short space of time.

  Also it can be used for another destination so I may end up cancelling a booking for next year (where I can get a voucher) and just use this credit to pay for that.

  Busy afternoon for me looking at options!

  Am investigating the cost of an BRU/LUX trip to Chocago next May or SFO in July.

  • AJA says:

    5 Oct5 October 15:21

    That’s good to know. Sorry about the potential Covid infection though. Hope you don’t have it or if you do it’s only mild.

  • YC says:

    5 Oct5 October 15:50

    Would rebooking for a similar price flight in the future (x months) and then cancel tomorrow to get a voucher work? Would then be within 3months

  • Joe N says:

    5 Oct5 October 16:20

    Was it a flight + hotel or flight + car booking, or flights only? For flights only, BA say “Flight only bookings can be exchanged [for a voucher] up to the close of check-in” – just thought I should ask because I wouldn’t put it past them to mislead you! Hope you’re feeling better soon.

  • Lady London says:

    5 Oct5 October 16:26

    Good luck on fhe potential Covid please keep us informed.

  • Amber Lynn says:

    5 Oct5 October 18:50

    Good to know Chrissy.

  • ChrisC says:

    5 Oct5 October 22:32

    thanks for the good wishes.

    Sorry yes this was a BA Holiday hence the different T&Cs to a flight only

• Steve R says:

  5 Oct5 October 15:14

  Thanks we have an RFS flight on 31st July going out first thing

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