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The HfP chat thread – Saturday 5th December

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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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Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page.  If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here.  This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

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General

Comments (158)

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

  • Sina says:
    5 Dec5 December 04:44

    Red by Duffry Platinum with this promo code: REDPLATSMART0821 in case anyone is interested!

    • Always_in_the_air says:
      5 Dec5 December 06:41

      Brilliant, thank you, just done it.

      Seems the £10 found access for platinum has gone though, which is a shame. Fingers crossed it will come back at some stage.

    • KBuffett says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:06

      I’ve entered the promo code on my existing account, but my status doesn’t seem to have changed?

    • Rhys says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:29

      Just tried this myself the other day!

    • Doc says:
      5 Dec5 December 09:10

      Never used this. Apart from 10% off the selected duty free airport shopping, are there any benefits since the website is bereft of any useful information on this?

    • KBuffett says:
      5 Dec5 December 09:53

      Thanks Sina. I’ve noticed you post quite unique and interesting finds! I added the code through the app, which still says I’m silver, but when logging in on my computer it now says I’m Platinum,

      • Sandgrounder says:
        5 Dec5 December 11:32

        Good find, just saved 15p on a bottle of water! Here in BHX I have been hit by the loss of No1 from PP, both Aspires closed until 10th, No.1 appears to be open.

      • Sina says:
        6 Dec6 December 00:39

        Cheers, I only return the favour! I learn a lot and share whenever I think it’s useful 😊

    • Kevin says:
      5 Dec5 December 13:07

      Thanks for that got my updated despite quite challenging how to put the promotion code

  • Rob says:
    5 Dec5 December 06:36

    Their website and app is so bad. How do you even put in a promo code?

    • Always_in_the_air says:
      5 Dec5 December 06:40

      Just done it, create the account and add the promo code, or if you have an account click on your profile, scroll to the bottom and there should be somewhere to enter the promo code, but if you do this option do it on a desktop, I couldn’t get it to work on my mobile and in the end had to creat a new account!!! Yes both app and website are terrible.

    • KBuffett says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:02

      Worst app ever. But the discounts are not to be sniffed at

  • Vin says:
    5 Dec5 December 06:59

    Don’t know if it’s been reported on before but MAN are offering Covid testing – different tests based on country requirements, pre-departure and post-arrival.

    https://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/coronavirus/testing/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=SFMC-Email&utm_campaign=INFO-MAN-20201203&utm_content=&sfmc_e=0030Y00000JkuypQAB&SFMC_JobId=154510

    • Yorkieflyer says:
      5 Dec5 December 11:49

      But if you need a PCR test like most destinations, why trail yo the airport days before ?

  • Carl Austin says:
    5 Dec5 December 07:49

    Hello what is the easiest (free) way for my sister to transfer her BA Avios into my Iberia Plus Avios account? thanks

  • A270 says:
    5 Dec5 December 08:13

    Has anyone used the £250 off £500 Etihad for a good deal? I have that on my main and supplementary card. Any ideas would be appreciated. We are a family of 4 so the £500 discount is handy.

    • Andrew says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:46

      Singapore for the spring was showing as £510. return in economy when I checked some dates. So £260 with the offer which seems good. Remember that like most airlines they offer vouchers as refunds so you can book a flight you don’t want to take, refund to a voucher and you’re effectively buying a £500 gift voucher for £250 for use at another time. Depends if you want/trust giving an airline a £250 loan at the moment.

      • A270 says:
        5 Dec5 December 09:42

        Thanks. I’m looking at February 2021 so wouldn’t be keen on the Far East. Are people wanting to go to Dubai still taking the flight to Abu Dhabi and then making their way to Dubai without quarantine? I believe Abu Dhabi has stricter restrictions.

        • Sandgrounder says:
          5 Dec5 December 12:07

          As of two weeks ago you could only enter the UAE at AUH if you were a citizen or a resident. It may have changed by now, or change by February.

          • A270 says:
            5 Dec5 December 14:40

            Oh, so no entry via Dubai? Strange. I will read up if I decide to book anything. I just thought I’d ask of anyone found some amazing deal to avail this offer. £100 off Qatar isn’t tempting.

          • Rob says:
            5 Dec5 December 16:17

            You can enter AUH from Dubai but you need to show a test result at a check point on the road I believe. Emirates website explains it.

  • Nick G says:
    5 Dec5 December 08:32

    Anyone know of a decent hotel with a decent exec lounge Abu Dhabi/Dubai etc that accepts children?

    Everytime I try and look at booking I do some digging and find children under 12 aren’t allowed or allowed until 6pm. The RC Doha has a great lounge and couldn’t have been more friendly to our then 6yr old last year. I get spaces may be for adult time but our son is perfectly well behaved and knows how to behave. I’m not sure whether these rules are strictly enforced at hotels or not? I don’t want to find out the hard way of course

    • Juno says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:49

      Just go anyways, they’ll probably let you in

    • fivebobbill says:
      5 Dec5 December 19:55

      Radisson Dubai Creek definitely allows children into the exec lounge, no restrictions at all that I could see…

  • memesweeper says:
    5 Dec5 December 08:35

    @Rob @Rhys no link to page one of the comments in the article for today’s chat?

    • Rhys says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:56

      Not sure what’s happened! Looking into it

    • Rhys says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:59

      Issue resolved: this IS page one – not enough comments for a second page yet! Remember it is done by top level comments, not by comments in total which is why it can vary day to day

      • memesweeper says:
        5 Dec5 December 17:44

        @rhys @rob I know this is page 1 — but the normal link to page one of the comments is missing in the text above

        • Rob says:
          5 Dec5 December 18:30

          We removed it, because now there is a 1/2/3/4/5 selector at the top of the comments, it isn’t needed.

  • sayling says:
    5 Dec5 December 08:54

    Yet another post about being downgraded from First to Club – in my case, used a companion voucher and booked Heathrow to Toronto 18 June in the 50% discount promotion. Added car hire too, through BA (to qualify for ATOL – certificate yet to be issued, but that’s another story).

    The idea was to fly out to YYZ, grab the hire car and drive down to Windsor. It looks as though there are no flights to YYZ with a First cabin at all now, BUT there are flights to Chicago, with connecting flights to Detroit on American Airlines (Skywest as American Eagle).

    What are the chances, oh wise and knowledgeable HfPers, on getting the outbound flight rearranged to LHR-ORD- Detroit? I’d probably want to keep the return YYZ-LHR in Club intact, if that matters

    • sayling says:
      5 Dec5 December 08:55

      (Should add that the Heathrow to Chicago does, currently, have seats in First)

    • AJA says:
      5 Dec5 December 11:56

      You can always ask with an expectation that BA says no. I think you won’t be succesful as the distance between ORD and YYZ is 436 miles according to GCM. If it was under 300 miles you would be ok to request the re-route. You could try asking to change the ticket to an open jaw but you would probably have to swallow the cost of the flight between ORD and Detroit.

    • AJA says:
      5 Dec5 December 12:03

      I think I’d be inclined to keep the downgrade to Club to YYZ and then go for Downgrade compensation – remember it is a refund of 75% of the Avios for the sector downgraded and it is per passenger so both passengers are entitled to the downgrade compensation. It does not matter that you paid 50% of the Avios and got the second ticket free other than the taxes paid. You will have to fly and then claim afterwards and expect a fight with BA but it could work out as a very cheap trip.

      • sayling says:
        5 Dec5 December 16:08

        That’s a fair point. I’m guessing it would only be Avios @75%, not 75% of the cash value of the seats?

        • Rob says:
          5 Dec5 December 16:23

          If it goes to arbitration you get 75% Avios x 1.6p (the BA selling price) as CEDR can only make cash awards.

        • Lady London says:
          5 Dec5 December 23:59

          You also get 75% of the not-actually-tax part of BA’s so-called ‘taxes’ paid to you as well, which is most of it.

      • Annie says:
        5 Dec5 December 19:47

        Sorry. So is it compensation of 75% of what that sector would normally cost x2 if it were a 2-4-1 Avios booking? For example Miami-LHR in first is 100k – so if downgraded to J it would be 75,000×1.6p each person? ( or do they value the ‘free’ ticket as zero Avios! ). Thanks.

        • Rob says:
          5 Dec5 December 20:35

          This is a 2nd problem. When BA agrees to compensation using a 241 voucher, it value the 241 at zero. There was a period a few years ago where 241 holders seemed to be targetted for downgrades because it halved the compensation BA would offer.

          Again, arbitration always found in your favour.

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

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