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The HfP chat thread – Sunday 20th 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.

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 (229)

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

  • Harry T says:
    20 Dec20 December 15:34

    Anyone recently tried to cancel their Amex Platinum and received a retention offer? I received 40,000 MR in August to stay but I honestly can’t see the point of paying £50 a month for the card now. It’s impossible to use most northern airport lounges as they are closed; countries are banning UK travellers; Amex FHR and hotel status is irrelevant when you can’t go anywhere, even domestically; lockdowns look set to continue across the UK and europe.

    • Harry T says:
      20 Dec20 December 15:35

      I should also add that most of the time I have the same or better offers on my Amex Gold and my gf’s free cashb@ck card.

      • Andrew says:
        20 Dec20 December 15:40

        I’m thinking the same Harry. Amex need to come up with more reasons for us to keep paying, like double points double value again and zero outlay credits like the £100 Waitrose etc. The gold card gives the same other offers and a higher cash burn rate on points. I asked about another retention offer of points (after getting 20k at double value, so effectively 40k in April) when the whole Marriott £400 fiasco happened but was only offered a downgrade or pay monthly fee option.

      • Anna says:
        20 Dec20 December 15:41

        Someone posted yesterday that they’d managed 70k points from “retention” offers, I think plus possible even had some fees refunded (or at least recouped some other way)! So it might be worth ringing them again.
        OH’s 2 year break from Plat is up in March. Could be the most exciting thing that happens to us in Q1 next year 🤣

        • Andrew says:
          20 Dec20 December 15:50

          Yeah I’ll give it another go before my renewal in March, I’ve been spending a few grand on the card each month for a number of years and been a cardmember since ‘98 so I’m hoping I’m of some value to them to retain.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          20 Dec20 December 16:38

          70k was a retention, cancel, then an upgrade, then another retention. 2 against the same card number might not happen.

    • Anne says:
      20 Dec20 December 19:28

      I managed to get 50k earlier this month. Had Plat via Green upgrade and had only acquired it in early Oct, so was pretty happy with that.

    • George K says:
      20 Dec20 December 22:53

      Hey Harry – got 50k just last week. Also had 20k over the summer, so can’t complain. I agree that the overall package needs a rethink though. I once even called to ask that the Gold benefits (x2 points on airline/forex) be rolled into the Platinum card to save me having to have another MR card, but the agent was happy for me to keep taking the gold card out and cancelling just before the fee was due (!).

      The waitrose offers offered genuine value. So did Marriott and Harrods, but obviously not everyone got those… (I didn’t get the latter). I’d say give Amex a call and see whether they offer you anything to further offset your loss of value for the card. I thought 70k was reasonable, but not everyone will agree… Let us know!

      • Harry T says:
        20 Dec20 December 23:13

        Thanks, George. I appreciate the data point. I will let you know what they offer. I think you’re right and they need to rethink the benefits of the card with the ongoing covid situation.

      • KBuffett says:
        20 Dec20 December 23:43

        Did you get the 50k over the phone to Brighton, or by live chat?

  • John says:
    20 Dec20 December 15:41

    Ireland to block also. Excludes NI, obviously.

    https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1220/1185542-covid-19/

    • Andrew says:
      20 Dec20 December 15:51

      I think by mid-week the U.K. will he treated like China was in March with no flights from the U.K. allowed to land in the majority of countries.

      • Anna says:
        20 Dec20 December 16:03

        I can’t see that this is any different from when Denmark had the strain in the mink and there was a travel ban (though of course we can’t deal with southerners in the same way that they dealt with the mink).

        • Anna says:
          20 Dec20 December 16:05

          And the mutant strain is already in the rest of the EU, it’s just not been identified yet in some countries.

        • marcw says:
          20 Dec20 December 16:06

          Totally different. The mutation is already circulating in humans. The worry with the mink was whether the virus “jumped” back to humans mutated – it seems not. What we want to avoid is having a “reservoir” where the virus can “hide” and eventually mutate and infect humans again – that’s why all the minks were killed, to make sure this does not happen.

          • Anna says:
            20 Dec20 December 16:11

            No, I mean I think the travel ban is genuinely on health grounds and not any kind of conspiracy! But it will turn out to be way too late.

          • Aston100 says:
            20 Dec20 December 16:18

            What did they do with all the mink fur?

          • David says:
            20 Dec20 December 19:08

            Aston100 – they burried all the dead mink, then they had to dig them up again, as they burried them in the wrong place.

    • Andrew says:
      20 Dec20 December 16:10

      Yes this is a lot more serious than the mink scare for all those reasons. I think the summer at the earliest might be a reasonable timescale for overseas travel to resume – this second wave is now showing to be far worse than April was.

      • Anna says:
        20 Dec20 December 16:13

        Hopefully the vaccine, if efficiently rolled out, will put a block on a 3rd wave. But we’re not where we were in April yet when there were c.1000 deaths on some days.

        • Ken says:
          20 Dec20 December 17:49

          The NHS has become better at keeping people alive.
          Deaths are a lagging indicator by about 2-3 weeks.
          Hospitalisations approaching April numbers.
          It’s pretty much as bad now as it was then, and it’s winter, a stack of students have traveled home in the last week and there’s no sign infections are levelling off.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        20 Dec20 December 17:42

        For all what reasons?

        • marcw says:
          20 Dec20 December 18:27

          The variant is already circulating in humans. That’s the reason why it’s way more serious than the Danish mink issue.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            21 Dec21 December 00:21

            As per all the other variants already circulating in the human population.

            I’ll wait for some actual facts to emerge before worrying about it.

            Backwards tracing using the genetic evidence suggests this variant emerged in September 2020 and then circulated at very low levels in the population until mid-November.

            Let’s hope it’s mutated to become more infectious and less deadly.

    • John says:
      20 Dec20 December 18:12

      Actually, they’ve decided to keep the ferry routes open (!)

      https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1220/1185542-covid-19/

      Must be serious, though: Michael O’Leary has yet to take to the airwaves, denouncing the ban as rubbish, and saying the police won’t be able to enforce it.

      • Polly says:
        20 Dec20 December 23:31

        Ryan air sale this morning..still time to get back home for Xmas ! Flights at 19.99. Am sure his planes were packed from the U.K. to,Ireland from 6pm onwards yesterday evening…

  • Sam says:
    20 Dec20 December 16:40

    Hi all, I’ve managed to reach a £5 voucher with Morrisons More points – it’s my first one. Just making sure that I can only redeem this in store at Morrison’s and the value of this is £5, I.e. I can’t get 2 or 3x the value like Tesco CC? Thanks!

  • Charlieface says:
    20 Dec20 December 16:46

    No they couldn’t. It’s contractual, plus EC261 if applicable.

    Yes, waiting is a legit tactic.

  • James says:
    20 Dec20 December 17:23

    Evening all. I have a BA flight tomorrow that I’d like to change for a later time in the day (same routing). Am I right in thinking I can change, without fees, from midnight tonight? Thanks.

  • Josh says:
    20 Dec20 December 17:39

    If it’s a plus fare, yes.

    • James says:
      20 Dec20 December 18:28

      It’s Club Europe. Should that cover it?

      • Josh says:
        20 Dec20 December 18:53

        AFAIK any short haul fare that has baggage included should be eligible – so yes Club Europe should be fine

      • Josh says:
        20 Dec20 December 18:55

        But apparently it needs to be a revenue ticket – not one bought with Avios

        • Nick says:
          20 Dec20 December 19:11

          Technically not all Club cash fares allow free change on the day. Most do, but some are still sold without it. Probably won’t help now, but it would have been specified clearly at point of purchase. Mostly does work online though, so can always try and see.

        • James says:
          20 Dec20 December 19:18

          This is my understanding too. Will try and stay awake until midnight to find out.

  • Andrew says:
    20 Dec20 December 21:48

    Here come the food shortages:
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55389505

  • Laura says:
    20 Dec20 December 22:52

    Cyprus is imposing a 14 day quarantine on all arrivals from the UK as of Monday morning, regardless of PCR results.

    Not really seen it in the UK media but it’s in the Cypriot news. I was flying on Tuesday and only booked my accommodation this morning when my PRC result came back negative. Frustratingly, some of my accommodation was non-refundable (I thought I would be ok only a few days in advance!)

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

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