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The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 10th November

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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.

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Comments (246)

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

  • Ian M says:
    10 Nov10 November 07:16

    I’ve not been able to pay HMRC with my Curve for the last week or so. Every time I tried I was receiving the following error:

    “Card number does not match card type. This might be because you’ve entered your card number incorrectly or selected the wrong card type. Check that both are correct.”

    Curve have finally replied by saying:

    “As of November 1st, HMRC is now charging a fee for payments made using a Business Debit card.

    As you have signed up for a business account, please could you try the payment again, this time selecting the payment type where possible as a Business or Corporate Debit card?”

    I’ve just tried this and worked. There’s a 0.1% fee from HMRC

    • Ali M says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:57

      Oh… this isn’t good. This was one of the big reasons I have metal… hope this isnt the case with metal

      • Ian M says:
        10 Nov10 November 09:37

        I have Curve Metal.

        0.1% isn’t so bad though.

        • Ali M says:
          10 Nov10 November 09:39

          I suppose…
          I am not clever enough to look into detailed valuations etc but I have seen a figure of 0.33 p somewhere on here x any extra charge puts me off, hehe…

    • Jonathan says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:47

      Ask Curve to swap you to a personal card.

      • melonfarmer says:
        10 Nov10 November 11:44

        Curve seem to be doing a sweep of accounts anyway: they emailed me to ask if the business account I signed up to in Jan 2017 (when one had to be a business) was still suitable and, if so, to provide proof of business credentials.

  • Fola says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:29

    I have just booked a flight for myself and the missus with a companion voucher for October 2021.London – NYC ( first outbound/Business inbound).

    I have used a friend’s card to pay for the tickets as I don’t current have an Amex card.In the e-ticket confirmation email, I got the below condition:

    ”If the payment cardholder is travelling, you must bring the card used to pay for this booking to the airport with you, for verification, before you can travel”

    Since the payment cardholder is not travelling, should I be worried? I am thinking of calling BA to explain what this means before the 24hrs cancellation without getting charged.

    Anyone had a similar experience?

    • Louise K says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:55

      I’ve never been asked to show a card. It normally asks on the payment page ‘is the person paying a passenger on the booking’ . Did you see this?

    • Catman says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:26

      I have been asked to show the card I paid with at T5. Pretty scary as I couldn’t find the card although I did eventually

    • Harry T says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:51

      I’ve never been asked to produce a payment card. And if I was, and didn’t have it, I’d just say I left it at home! Pretty sure my passport and driving licence identifies me sufficiently to board a plane.

    • Mco says:
      10 Nov10 November 11:36

      I was asked to show a card for an award booking last year.

    • AJA says:
      10 Nov10 November 12:19

      They can ask to see the card at Check In (has happened to me once before) but the simple answer if they do ask is to say I cancelled the card I used to pay a few months ago. Here’s another card to verify my identity.

      I don’t think you have to be holding the card at the point of travel. It merely has to be valid at the point of booking.

      Besides the person who paid the taxes isn’t actually a passenger so an alternative answer is to say no they are not a passenger on the booking, here’s another credit card to prove my identity.

      • Anna says:
        10 Nov10 November 16:16

        Why would they do this? Do they not believe your passport?!

      • Gin and Tonic Please says:
        10 Nov10 November 19:49

        Exactly this. Technically I think it’s in the T&Cs, but I can’t see how it’s enforceable.

    • the_real_a says:
      10 Nov10 November 20:14

      Qatar especially pull this trick all the time – especially with trips beginning in Asia. The desk does have discretion. You can lodge a new card for payment/security. I have in the past needed to refund out the payment to the original card and put it onto a new card.

  • Andrew says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:34

    Are we still coming back at 11:30 for an airline related announcement?

    • Rhys says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:36

      Ideally yes….

      • Rob says:
        10 Nov10 November 08:54

        More exciting if you are vegan.

        • Andrew says:
          10 Nov10 November 09:05

          Is it about McDonald’s launching the new range of veggie burgers?
          https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54883140

          • Rob says:
            10 Nov10 November 09:48

            Embargo has just been extended again …. you may never find out at this rate. Sorry.

        • Doug M says:
          10 Nov10 November 09:15

          So it’s Pret?

        • LB says:
          10 Nov10 November 09:22

          Is anything exciting for a vegan?

        • BuildTheWall says:
          10 Nov10 November 09:34

          BA launching Greggs vegan sausages on their BoB list?

          • Rob says:
            10 Nov10 November 09:48

            Embargo has just been extended again …. you may never find out at this rate. Sorry.

        • Super Secret Stuff says:
          10 Nov10 November 09:49

          Might not bother now, bloody vegans. Lol

          First they come for our Cheese (which btw cheese requires milk so vegan cheese is not cheese), then they go for our Greggs Sausage rolls and McDonalds! Now they’re playing with airline food?! 😉

          • southlondonphil says:
            10 Nov10 November 10:21

            In his missive yesterday Rob implied that it was loyalty-related, so Greggs Vegan sausage rolls on the Buy on Board menu alone doesn’t really fit.

            I’m that this is about Waitrose being announced as the Avios-earning supermarket partner (and BoB supplier). Waitrose are quite big on Vegan offerings, and their loyalty programme is in the midst of being revamped and combined with the John Lewis loyalty programme – this latter wrinkle perhaps explaining the delays to the press announcement?

          • Super Secret Stuff says:
            10 Nov10 November 10:41

            I really hope it is not Waitrose, I only sometimes buy lunch as work their. I’m still hoping it is Sainsbury’s because I have 15k Nectar points! They do an ok range of Veggie and Vegan things I think. Also, ASDA have just launched a vegan isle so could be them, although unlikely given they have just been bought out.

            Not sure about Morrison’s, never shop their.

          • Gerald says:
            10 Nov10 November 11:14

            Being a vegan is a huge missed steak 🙂

          • Unknown says:
            10 Nov10 November 18:27

            I suppose you also like to kick up a fuss about mince pies and shepherd pies not containing mince or shepherds? Or hot dogs not containing dogs? 😂

            Language evolves, whether it’s Cheeze, Cheese or even just “Cheese Alternative” it’s all the same. Why make it a faff

          • Super Secret Stuff says:
            10 Nov10 November 22:08

            Hot dogs have dog in them if you go to Asia;-)

            (Sorry I had to! Lol)

  • Number9 says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:44

    I’ve been looking at new cars online so today’s ad on HFP is for a McLaren 720s spider. Can just imagine the looks in disabled parking when I park with my blue badge. But it made me smile.

    • Aston100 says:
      10 Nov10 November 11:09

      There seems to be a common misconception that people with blue badges need to be poor, or wheel-chair bound. Came as a surprise to some people I know that the blue badge can be for a passenger, regardless of the vehicle or driver that is transporting them.

      • AJA says:
        10 Nov10 November 11:36

        Yes but the disabled badge holder actually has to be a passenger. Sadly some people have been known to borrow the badge without transporting the passenger which is illegal.

        • Chris Heyes says:
          10 Nov10 November 15:29

          AJA Sorry to have to correct you and others on here
          But the Disabled badge holder doesn’t have to be a passenger
          There is a loophole which is regularly used
          If somebody is shopping for somebody who is disabled, they are legaly alowed to use the disabled persons blue badge without the disabled person being present and yes it’s exploted

          • Anna says:
            10 Nov10 November 16:20

            From the gov website:

            “The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped.

            **Don’t allow other people to use the badge to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you.** ”

            You might want to stop doing that now 🤣

    • AJA says:
      10 Nov10 November 11:32

      I’m not disabled but I would struggle to get in and out of that McLaren.

  • InfrastructureDebt says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:47

    Morning, anyone with the extra 2MR for every £1 spend on gold card as a retention offer, have they had any bonus points post the last week?

    • Harry T says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:53

      Posting as normal on several transactions up to the 8th November. Haven’t made a transaction on my Gold card since then.

  • Ali M says:
    10 Nov10 November 09:02

    is there an 1130 am article today team HFP?

  • Crafty says:
    10 Nov10 November 09:06

    Those considering switching from Curve Business to Curve Personal may be interested to hear that doing so has reset my annual spend counter to zero.

    • Lawro says:
      10 Nov10 November 09:22

      But your limits remain unchanged? Mine says ‘Commercial’ on the back, but I’m fairly certain I moved across from business to personal card years ago.

      • Crafty says:
        10 Nov10 November 11:16

        Yes, still showing as £100k pa. This is however before receiving or activating the replacement card.

    • Ian M says:
      10 Nov10 November 09:40

      I’m thinking of switching from Curve Business to personal as being charged a fee by HMRC now. Like Lawro asks however, have your limits remained the same? I know the spend counter resets whenever you switch card, but the limit is the important thing for me as I have a very large annual spend limit currently!

      • johnny_c-l says:
        10 Nov10 November 09:59

        I switched to personal yesterday and my limits reduced (500k to 300k p.a.); not too concerned though, that should be enough for me.

        • BP says:
          10 Nov10 November 12:59

          What’s the daily limit? Did that reduce too? I’m currently at 500k but daily limit is the main factor that limits how much I can put through.

          • johnny_c-l says:
            10 Nov10 November 13:31

            Yes, went from 7k to 4.5k, which is a bit annoying.

          • cinereus says:
            11 Nov11 November 10:47

            @johnny_c-l that’s weird. Usually daily limits are hard-linked to annual and £100k has £5k daily so I’m confused why you have £300k annual with only £4.5k daily.

  • cinereus says:
    10 Nov10 November 09:10

    Like many I have ANA F flights booking with VS points in March. It’s looking like April is the earliest Japan is going to open up again. Is there any way to avoid paying the £30 cancellation fee so I can rebook later in the year given they probably won’t cancel until nearer the time and I don’t have enough points spare to have two live bookings at once.

    • Harry T says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:54

      Don’t think so. You’ll have to rely on VS cancelling.

    • Yorkieflyer says:
      10 Nov10 November 12:11

      You are likely to have paid YQ (carrier surcharge) depends when you booked. There is no YQ now on ANA so a change now to later even with a fee may not cost anything or potentially a partial refund

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

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