The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 8th December

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

• jil says:

  8 Dec8 December 08:20

  Can’t log into my accor account this morning, is it just me?

  • Luckyjim says:

    8 Dec8 December 08:27

    No. I can’t log into your account either.

    • Gruntfuttock says:

      8 Dec8 December 08:32

      😅

    • Peter K says:

      8 Dec8 December 08:32

      😁

      • FFoxSake says:

        8 Dec8 December 08:38

        😛

  • Vit says:

    8 Dec8 December 09:09

    Yes, could not log into mine either. Checked yesterday 1000 points posted from A3 just fine though.

    • RussellH says:

      8 Dec8 December 10:38

      Working fine at 1037 today. Club Opinions points credited from Saturday.

  • KellyK says:

    9 Dec9 December 09:27

    Accor app/website working yesterday afternoon, not working in the evening, working again this morning……..not the first time this has happened, weird

• Michael C says:

  8 Dec8 December 08:44

  So for quarantine on arrival in UK, we are STILL with “a list of private test providers will be published on GOV.UK soon”….
  Just out of interest, I see one of the BA-recommended testing places is closed for the entire holiday period…

• Grimz says:

  8 Dec8 December 09:07

  Sorry I posted this last night and received some helpful reply’s but looking to get further comments from more experienced readers:

  Can someone advise my best options? I have just had an email from BA saying my 1st class seats on a 241 to Phoenix in September 2021 have been cancelled. I have been rebooked onto the same flight in club. It looks like it is a change of plane to A350. My return was in club from San Diego and the only change there is that it arrives 5 mins earlier into LHR. It says I need to confirm in ‘manage my booking’ or choose alternative flights.
  I have had a reply saying do ‘nothing’ and claim compo after the flight. My fear is that I arrive at the airport and they have cancelled me for not getting back to them!

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    8 Dec8 December 09:42

    General advice is don’t accept it online. Ring them up and see what they can do. If there are no alternatives that suit you get them to add notes to the file that says unwillingly downgraded. That way you can claim 75% of the total cost after but you will have a battle on your hands, you will have to escalate to the external negotiators.

    Points of clarification: 75% of the total cost, ignore what BA try to fob you off with. No legal right to cancel.

    • Grimz says:

      8 Dec8 December 12:47

      That’s great thanks, I think I will just turn up and fight for the compo after the flight.

  • Jon G says:

    8 Dec8 December 11:45

    If you’ve been booked onto a Club Suite plane, then I’d say you’re getting a marginally poorer hard product for basically 75% of the cost back in comp. As others have said, get it in writing that you are accepting this flight involuntarily to facilitate any future comp discussions.

    • Lady London says:

      8 Dec8 December 18:35

      no you dont have to get it in writing that you’ve been involuntarily downgraded. it will be clear since you will have a boarding pass that proves you travelled in a lower class than booked.

      The only reason to make a point of having it noted is if you have to interact with BA and you feel there is any danger you could be deemed to have voluntarily accepted the downgrade (ie willingly) particularly if there is a hint of lesser compensation than the 75 % of first class cost you due. Such as if they ever-so-nicely say they.will refund the difference in cash / avios between First Class and Business. That’s not all you are due, at all so I would state as I am being involuntarily downgraded I will be claiming the full amount due to me, which is higher, after the flight.

  • Nick says:

    8 Dec8 December 11:51

    If they have rebooked you, they won’t take the seats away if you don’t click accept – the email would have a deadline if this were the case. Trust us, it’s fine.

    There’s no legal right to cancel if downgraded, but BA does generously offer this on request – obviously only do that if you actually want out.

    Otherwise your options are to accept a voluntary reprice in advance(*) or to travel as-is and claim your 75% afterwards.

    (*) Rob has said before that a voluntary reprice doesn’t affect your right to reimbursement after the flight. This is untested in court, and BA’s position is that it does, so you’d have to fight officialdom to get it. IMO not worth it, when you have an easy way to do it by travelling first.

    • Grimz says:

      8 Dec8 December 12:44

      I don’t want out I am happy with trying club suite. I will do as you suggest and just turn up for the flight and claim 75% on my return. I take it that is 75% of the Avios and not 75% of the fees/taxes?

      • Jonathan says:

        8 Dec8 December 12:53

        75% of the Avios & 75% of BA’s charges (YQ in fare breakdown but not APD, passenger service charge etc). Only applies to the affected legs.

    • Charlieface says:

      8 Dec8 December 16:25

      EC261/2004 is pretty clear on this:

      Article 15

      Exclusion of waiver

      1. Obligations vis-à-vis passengers pursuant to this Regulation may not be limited or waived, notably by a derogation or restrictive clause in the contract of carriage.

      2. If, nevertheless, such a derogation or restrictive clause is applied in respect of a passenger, or if the passenger is not correctly informed of his rights and for that reason has accepted compensation which is inferior to that provided for in this Regulation, the passenger shall still be entitled to take the necessary proceedings before the competent courts or bodies in order to obtain additional compensation.

      • Lady London says:

        8 Dec8 December 18:46

        hahaha as breached by BA systematically when they altered their website so that people who clicked s Refund button ended up forced into a voucher instead.

        Where did BA display the information to passengers informing them of their full rights? They did not. Will BA, even today, many months later, reverse those forced vouchers and give people their due refund ? No.

        So BA is getting away with flouting the law and they’re keeping the money.

    • Leafwarbler says:

      8 Dec8 December 17:44

      What if you want to choose your seats in Club in advance? How would that work if you don’t accept the downgrade.

      • Lady London says:

        8 Dec8 December 18:48

        phone them and be wary and ready to state as in my comment above.

        • Grimz says:

          8 Dec8 December 22:49

          I will just take the seats they allocate us at check in?

  • Hugh says:

    8 Dec8 December 20:08

    Exact same thing has happened to me. Flight to YVR in June. Looking through comments from last few days from people in same position you have to wonder if BA are planning any F Flights next year!

    It looks like recommendation is to not accept the downgrade, fly and then press for compensation. I suspect I will be reaching out for help on how best to get the compensation in July! One question for now, if you cannot get to MMB without accepting downgrade, is it still possible to check in online at T -24 Hours or will check in only be possible at the airport?

• Reney says:

  8 Dec8 December 09:21

  Hi all, I have an IHG voucher expiring on 31 Dec. I don’t think IHG is extending expiration again since it was issued in 2019? It can be redeemed against one night up to 40k points per night. I know I can book now and stay later. So I’m hoping to source some hotel recommendations from you all?

  The lowest risk of cancellation would seem to be somewhere in the UK in the summer? Or maybe in Europe mid to late next year? I live with vulnerable people/people who care for an elderly relative hence reluctance to travel sooner.

  Thanks in advance.

  • Anna says:

    8 Dec8 December 09:26

    This is a very broad question! Where would you like to go and what sort of hotel do you want to stay in? Also how long is your trip, would you need extra nights and would this be feasible on points/cash? I personally feel one of the best ways of getting value from the free night is to combine it with the Ambassador BOGOF and stay somewhere really nice. Also, is yours an American free night voucher as UK ones aren’t capped at 40k points.

    • Reney says:

      8 Dec8 December 11:18

      Yes it is a US free night voucher, I have 2 of them to spend. I’m looking for a long weekend (2 nights), but have some points so can add probably 2 more nights. I’m ideally looking for as nice a hotel as I can get, happy to do city break or somewhere with nice walks. I don’t have ambassador.

      Hope this makes it easier to help me.

      • Anna says:

        8 Dec8 December 16:13

        The Kimptons in Edinburgh and Glasgow can often be 40k or less per night at lower demand times, both have good reviews. Obviously staying in the UK you have less chance of travel disruption.

      • Lyn says:

        8 Dec8 December 21:08

        Reney, have you checked the Ts&Cs for the free nights? If they are US vouchers they may be the same as the UK free credit card nights. You may have to both book AND stay by the end of December.

        • Lyn says:

          8 Dec8 December 21:09

          sorry, may NOT be the same as the UK …

• Stanley says:

  8 Dec8 December 09:36

  Amex £30 off at Selfridges offer doesnt seem to work in-store. Spending on Friday in there hasn’t triggered any credits…… Shame

  • TGLoyalty says:

    8 Dec8 December 09:47

    Buy something for £100 online for click and collect. Return item Instore for a gift card or exchange. Sorted.

    Already did it last week and exchanged for one item I wanted with £90 off.

    • Stanley says:

      8 Dec8 December 09:50

      Yep, too late now. My wife went on the rampage instore last Friday. I was hoping the offer would still trigger……

    • Matty says:

      8 Dec8 December 10:11

      Will the offer still trigger if I buy online and collect in store?

      • TGLoyalty says:

        8 Dec8 December 10:12

        Yes. That’s an online sales as per the terms of the offer.

      • Oli says:

        8 Dec8 December 10:13

        Yes, I did that

        • Matty says:

          8 Dec8 December 10:16

          Thank you for the prompt replies. 👍🏻

  • Niall says:

    8 Dec8 December 10:55

    I’d like to just order something online and get the credit but Selfridges really manage to mess things up. My first order was over £100 and then they cancelled an item bringing it under. They took a week to do this (and ship the rest) so missed their good (20% off everything) offer. Then I tried ordering another item as a replacement to bring me over £100. This too took almost a week to ship. Amex seems to know this wasn’t a single £100 transaction as I haven’t got the credit.

    If I order another item, there is no chance of them charging before the offer expires. If I order a gift card who knows if it will trigger. Give up?

    • Andrew says:

      8 Dec8 December 11:01

      A gift card won’t trigger as they are sold by a third party. Order a single item like a shirt for more than £100, then there is no possibility of a split order, and return it in store for an exchange or gift card which can be done up to 28 days after ordering or 11 Jan whichever is later.

      • Niall says:

        8 Dec8 December 11:26

        Cheers! I could probably find something I want without returning (not near a store), but my history has been two orders both taking a week to dispatch and more than that for them to charge. Anyone know if certain items/types ship quicker than others?

        • TGLoyalty says:

          8 Dec8 December 11:47

          Click and collect always arrives next day if it’s ordered before 10pm and you have 7 days to collect.

• Grimz says:

  8 Dec8 December 09:41

  Can someone advise how I can look up previous HfP chats?

  • Genghis says:

    8 Dec8 December 09:44

    Look up ˄˄˄

  • DT says:

    8 Dec8 December 09:46

    Bottom of this article, just above the chat there is a paragraph that says this;

    “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.”

    Click the link in that paragraph

• EvilDoctorK says:

  8 Dec8 December 09:53

  UK OneWay car hire – Looking for something next week from London to Birmingham Airport

  Europcar OneWay deals are usually good, though they restrict availability from most London depots to near zero – However they are not working at the moment – plenty availability but fails on payment – ‘problem with their website’ .. they’re ‘working on it’ , but I wouldn’t hold my breath !

  Hertz One – doesn’t seem to have anything at all at the moment

  Are there any others I’m missing ? – Don’t think Avis have any attractive offers here ?

  • Andrew says:

    8 Dec8 December 11:00

    Enterprise?

    There’s a funds return deal on Avis on some Amex.

    Just booked with Thrifty for a long term hire for December. They were charging £380 for a month when the others were charging £560 for a week at Christmas. Not sure if they do one way hires though. Very happy with the service and the car.

    You might be better off just booking a cab.

    • Nick says:

      8 Dec8 December 13:13

      I’ve never found an Enterprise equivalent but would be delighted if there were! I also find most of the europcar one way offers are southbound rather than northbound.

      Obviously this depends whether you’re in any way willing to be flexible, but the LNR train from Euston direct to BHX is still selling for £7pp, nice and easy journey with plenty of space. Cab to Euston and this is probably cheaper than your car hire options.

      • EvilDoctorK says:

        8 Dec8 December 15:05

        Europcar allegedly have London ( outer London, deepest darkest Zone 6 and beyond !) to BHX available for £1 no problem if you could only book it … so it could work and clearly would be mega cheap .. change from £20 even after you include petrol.

        Train is a good shout otherwise will probably do that … taking a cab all the way to BHX wouldn’t be a good idea I think !

  • Lady London says:

    8 Dec8 December 18:57

    There’s a few available right now on driiveme dot co dot uk.

    Tip courtesy of our pal @Shoestring. If you’re still around @Harry thanks for everything.

• Anna says:

  8 Dec8 December 09:54

  Looking for options at February half term. Lots of free nights and IHG points to use. We have 2 nights already booked at the Indigo Stratford on Avon and want 2 more nights in the Midlands/Oxfordshire region. Can anyone recommend e.g. a CP, with a pool and/or lounge?

  • Anna says:

    8 Dec8 December 10:00

    Also have Indigo Bath booked for May so probably won’t visit that area.

  • Michael C says:

    8 Dec8 December 10:14

    How about Heythrop Park, Anna? Not been into the hotel itself, but our pals live up the road: we go there all the time, and the area is just gorgeous.

    • Harrier25 says:

      8 Dec8 December 10:38

      Heythorpe Park just outside Chipping Camden is a beautiful hotel in a beautiful area but is no longer a Crowne Plaza or part of the IHG family.

    • RussellH says:

      8 Dec8 December 10:45

      Heythrop Park is not a CP or anything else IHG any more.
      As you say, a lovely area. We have family nearby too. If necessary use the Premier Inn in Chipping Norton – not that that would be of any help to Anna!
      I rather think that IHG have nothing in the area that meets the spec.

      • RussellH says:

        8 Dec8 December 10:53

        Heythrop Park is now a Warner Leisure Hotel.
        https://thpt.co.uk/warner-buys-heythrop-park-oxfordshire-uk/

        • Anna says:

          8 Dec8 December 11:07

          Lol – are they the ones for middle aged couples who like crafting?!
          Considering the Voco Solihull again – it’s not the most picturesque location but it’s well placed for visiting other areas and staggering value for money, easily as nice as the Indigos we’ve stayed at. Currently £64 pn at Feb half term with breakfast and parking or 12,500 points.

  • Andrew says:

    8 Dec8 December 11:11

    The Voco Hotels at Oxford both have pools. Oxford Thames (Sandford) was relatively small from memory, not sure how big the Oxford Spires (Abingdon Road) is.

    Abingdon Road is a relatively short stroll into the City Centre along the Thames or along the road. Sandford is also perfectly walkable along the Thames, but may result in protests from those who don’t automatically stick a pair of Goretex walking shoes in the boot when they travel.

    • memesweeper says:

      8 Dec8 December 12:27

      Oxford Spires Voco is a perfectly adequate hotel, but nothing special in itself. Great riverside location, and walkable to the city centre. I’d stay again.

    • Anna says:

      8 Dec8 December 16:15

      Lol – in February we’d have walking boots or wellies with us reagrdless I think!

  • Aston100 says:

    8 Dec8 December 12:04

    Indigo Birmingham (The Cube / Mailbox).
    There is a Marco Pierre White restaurant at the top. Great views from up there, but alas the views are of a grim city of Birmingham.
    You should get a discount as a hotel guest which may go someway towards making up for being in Birmingham.

  • JonD says:

    8 Dec8 December 12:56

    CP Gerrards Cross is nice. Good pool and spa. Needs a car though as nothing is walkable. Perhaps too far south for what you are wanting though.

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