The HfP chat thread – Friday 16th October

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• YC says:

  16 Oct16 October 10:47

  Is it possible to make changes to a 2-1 ticket online? e.g. change dates

  • ChasP says:

    16 Oct16 October 10:50

    Normally cant change 2for1 dates at all need to cancel and rebook

    • meta says:

      16 Oct16 October 11:00

      You can change dates online.

      • YC says:

        16 Oct16 October 12:25

        Can’t seem to do this online for 2for1. Any tricks to make this to work?

        • Anna says:

          16 Oct16 October 12:49

          I think it depends on certain things like is there a domestic connection (this messes a lot of things up!) and is what you’re changing it to in the same zone, or are the taxes/fees different?

        • YC says:

          16 Oct16 October 12:56

          Its a straight direct flight return. Clicking change flight just pops up as contact us box. Trying to avoid the change in avios (as booked in sale) so trying to do it online!

        • YC says:

          16 Oct16 October 12:57

          To add – just date change

        • meta says:

          16 Oct16 October 14:08

          Hm, they might have disabled this because this is clearly abusing the system. I warned here that BA might do this!

• JP says:

  16 Oct16 October 10:53

  Anyone had recent success getting a retention offer on BAPP?

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    16 Oct16 October 17:37

    Not that I’ve heard of, but no reason why its not possible.

  • Sam says:

    16 Oct16 October 23:53

    Got offered 2000 avios but due to recent refunds making a fairly negative balance I cancelled anyway

• Nick says:

  16 Oct16 October 11:04

  Any news if the Premium IHG Creations Card is accepting new applications?

  • Aston100 says:

    16 Oct16 October 11:23

    They weren’t when I asked them on the phone earlier this week.

    • Nick says:

      16 Oct16 October 11:37

      Thanks mate

    • Rahaney says:

      16 Oct16 October 13:15

      Same here, no plans to reintroduce it.

      Be prepared for a really low credit limit too, compared to Amex & others

• YH says:

  16 Oct16 October 11:19

  I just moved one of my BA bookings by a day over the phone. For my outbound leg, I am booked into F, but when I go to select a seat, every seat is showing as taken and none are assigned to me. I checked EF and they are all showing as reserved too. What does this mean?

  • Mawalt says:

    16 Oct16 October 11:47

    By reserved, do you mean “occupied” or “blocked”? If occupied, BA overbooks F by 1, so beware – if everyone shows up, someone may be downgraded.

    • YH says:

      16 Oct16 October 11:53

      EF is showing every seat as occupied.

      • Anna says:

        16 Oct16 October 12:51

        They keep the best seats like 1A for frequent F flyers who might book at the last minute – you might find these open up at online check in.

        • YH says:

          16 Oct16 October 13:12

          Yes, 1A and 1K usually show as blocked in this case, but they are shown as occupied.

          Time will tell, nothing I can do now anyway…

• WaynedP says:

  16 Oct16 October 11:28

  Interesting data on thebasource. Passenger service from LHR to JNB resumed beginning October using 777 (which had previously also been used for cargo runs).

  But seating configuration changed from 48J/24W/203Y to 12F/48J/32W/127Y.

  It would be good to have some insight into best seat choices.

  Rhys, any update on when you expect to expand your excellent August research to cover the 777 configs ?

  • WaynedP says:

    16 Oct16 October 11:31

    Unless I’ve missed it.

    Would also love to know how full / empty these flights are currently.

    Does anyone have any insight at all ?

  • BS says:

    16 Oct16 October 11:36

    I am booked on a flight in Nov, and got an email yesterday to say my seat had been changed for operational reasons. I assume this was the aircraft changing.

    • WaynedP says:

      16 Oct16 October 11:45

      A change of seat number within the same class ? If so, what class ?

      I haven’t selected seats yet, as don’t have high enough BAEC status yet, and am single traveller so not worth paying for in my books.

      But would be interested to know how full these planes are operating. I suspect current pax numbers are minimal, but might be more in Dec when I’m booked.

      • ChrisC says:

        16 Oct16 October 13:15

        No one outside of BA is able to tell you how busy a flight is. And nor does looking at the seat map.

        If I remember correctly Rhys has said that they won’t do a 777 best seat article as there are too many variations for them to cover.

        There are several ‘best seat’ threads on the flyer talk BA board.

        • WaynedP says:

          16 Oct16 October 13:20

          Makes sense, thanks.

        • Rhys says:

          16 Oct16 October 14:22

          There are 10+ seat variations for the 777, and something like 3 or 4 new ones from those with Club Suite!

    • Lady London says:

      16 Oct16 October 14:59

      could just be they redid the seating plan spreading people out more on same aircraft?

• Aston100 says:

  16 Oct16 October 11:30

  I made a points booking at the the IC in Kuala Lumpur for May half term 2021.
  Upon enquiry, they advised they can upgrade the base reward room to a club intercontinental, along with all the lounge access & benefits for 2 adults, for a cost of approx £48 per night (inc taxes & fees).

  I only have platinum status with IHG, and no ambassador.
  As I’ve not stayed at an IC before, I have no reference point, but am assuming this is a decent deal right? Cash price wise, the club room is about £42 more per night on my dates, but clearly I didn’t pay cash for the points I used for the standard room.

  • Anna says:

    16 Oct16 October 12:54

    It’s about right that they would quote you roughly the difference in price between the room you booked and the one you want to upgrade to. Whether it’s worth it depends on how much value you’re likely to get out of the lounge of course – what are the reviews generally like?

    • Aston100 says:

      16 Oct16 October 17:06

      Hi Anna, I can’t find any reliable reviews newer than 2 years ago. That guy from OMAAT did a review in 2011!
      There are however several Tripadvisor reviews which seem positive. I’ve just asked the hotel to send details of all the lounge benefits and access times etc

  • BP says:

    16 Oct16 October 13:03

    That appears to be a decent deal. I’ve not visited IC KL but if the Club experience is anything like IC Bangkok then £48 a night is a bargain if you are going to use it.

    The club breakfast at Bangkok is excellent with a reasonable sized menu of cooked to order options to choose from. Evening drinks/cocktails are superb – great mojitos! And the evening food is good enough to replace dinner (I’d never recommend this in Asia as the food in general is too good to waste a dinner opportunity in the club lounge)

    • Aston100 says:

      16 Oct16 October 17:10

      Thanks, I’m also looking at that new Kimpton in Bangkok (opened this month). Seems quite a bit cheaper than the IC Bangkok, and the rooms look bigger like for like.
      On the IHG site, it states free breakfast in the list of headline benefits (you know, when you get the initial shortlist of hotels in the area you’ve selected in the search), but when I contacted the hotel, they denied this is the case and say it only applies to certain cash bookings. Oddly, when I select a room, there is breakfast listed against every single booking option, other than points.

      • Aston100 says:

        16 Oct16 October 17:10

        *free breakfast that is.

      • Pid says:

        16 Oct16 October 21:06

        This happened to me when I stayed at a HI in Bangkok. Managed to persuade them at check in to honour the breakfast. So worth taking a screen shot then seeing how it goes at the hotel.

• Flying Misfit says:

  16 Oct16 October 11:42

  @Cat… I have just caught up with yesterday’s chat thread and noted your post. Flightradar24 Gold membership does have a 7-day trial, which could allow you to get the information you seek on your own flights and then cancel before 7 days are up. I personally use Flightaware but havent used for a while so do not recall how far back it gives info for on the free basic account. But both will provide a record of whether the flights actually went ahead and under what flight number.

• Ian says:

  16 Oct16 October 11:46

  Can I ask if anyone knows how far in advance BA are cancelling flights? I’m due to be flying to Barcelona in 14 days time and would prefer if they cancel the flight rather than triggering a voucher.

  • Rhys says:

    16 Oct16 October 11:48

    Unlikely now. BA have updated their schedules to take Covid into account so they aren’t doing as many regular cancellations any more.

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    16 Oct16 October 17:43

    If they cancelled anything less than 14 days in advance they would be liable for EU compensation to every passenger. So extremely, I mean extremely unlikely to be cancelled now.

    Combined with, as rob stated, they have adjusted their schedules for covid, you don’t have any chance.

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