The HfP chat thread – Monday 21st December

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• Mouse says:

  21 Dec21 December 04:27

  Following on from George K’s post last night, I’d be interested to hear if anyone else has been successful in getting a second MR retention bonus on Amex Plat after receiving one in spring/summer. I asked Brighton call centre for a second one about a month ago and only got options to go to monthly billing or downgrade to gold (accepted the former).

  • Olly says:

    21 Dec21 December 08:19

    I rang Brighton about 5 days ago querying the value of keeping the Platinum. A very nice lady on the retention team I was transferred to explained that because I was given 40k points (I think it was that amount) early on in the pandemic looking at her computer screen I didn’t qualify for anymore. “The computer says nooooo” I was quite surprised to read of them giving a second bunch of points. Perhaps a few of us called and made them re-evaluate their position on retention. She did explain if I were to cancel the Platinum I could change to the fee card to keep my points safe. I asked if there were any other incentives such at the John Lewis/ Marriott Hotel “gifts ” but she said she didn’t have any info on that but they were continually looking at ways to keep customers.

    • Andrew says:

      21 Dec21 December 08:24

      I got a very similar response Olly. I rang up over the whole Marriott fiasco and not being one of the “chosen few”. At that time she did hint at a “very good retail offer” coming soon – which turned out to be the Harrods £100. I think a few people have got a double retention bonus but from what I’m reading our experience is more usual.

    • Dave says:

      21 Dec21 December 09:38

      Yeah same here. I was told you’re only allowed one retention offer a year and because I’d had one back in May that was it. I did say it was a separate card year but still no luck.

      I guess in the new year with the impending lockdown of everything it might be worth a go again. I have just benefited from the Etihad spend £500 get £250 back on my and my wife’s supplemental card so at least there is still some value for me in keeping it…

• Michael C says:

  21 Dec21 December 04:27

  So Heathrow advice says “You can still pick passengers up, but can’t enter the terminal”: guess for T5 this just means any congregating will be outside by the coach stops, instead of in Arrivals?!

  Also, I believe someone (TG?) mentioned that it was possible to stay in a (in this case, airport) hotel as from the night of 22 Dec: does anyone have a link to where this is stated? We are in Tier 2.

  Thanks!

  • Rob says:

    21 Dec21 December 06:43

    Terminal has banned non passengers since March.

    • Michael C says:

      21 Dec21 December 07:08

      Thanks, Rob – shows how much we’ve travelled!!!!

    • TGLoyalty says:

      21 Dec21 December 07:58

      It wasn’t really enforced I saw lots of non travellers dropping off people the few times I was there.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    21 Dec21 December 07:35

    Gov.uk page about Christmas bubbles but as bubbles are now 25th only you can only stay in a hotel in T3 on the 24-26. T4 has no Xmas bubble provision so there’s no exemptions

    • Michael C says:

      21 Dec21 December 09:27

      Of course, cheers TG.

• Carl says:

  21 Dec21 December 04:39

  Looks like I’m stranded in Switzerland, was due to fly back to the UK today after dropping my son off at his mums for Christmas. Luckily I have somewhere to stay, although I don’t really have much in the way of spare clothes or toiletries.

  I was due to fly back to Bournemouth, EasyJet have flights back to Gatwick tomorrow available at the moment, if I book this then will EasyJet cover the cost to get me back to Bournemouth? If I can the flight to fly in to Bournemouth then have I waived my rights for getting back to Bournemouth?

  Presumably EC261 isn’t available for this type of disruption?

  TIA

  • Carl says:

    21 Dec21 December 04:40

    That was meant to say: If I Change the flights to Gatwick instead of Bournemouth then have I waived my rights?

    • Anna says:

      21 Dec21 December 06:50

      Can you give a bit more detail – are you saying you were booked on EJ to Bournemouth and now this has been cancelled?

      • Carl says:

        21 Dec21 December 07:20

        Yes EJ Geneva to Bournemouth which has now been cancelled due to Switzerland banning flights to and from the UK. There were still flights available to the uk tomorrow but only to LGW, I have booked this for now, although half expecting that to be cancelled too, but I then have the problem of getting home from Gatwick

        • Lady London says:

          21 Dec21 December 10:54

          Get on the Gatwick flight and sort it out from there.

        • Lady London says:

          21 Dec21 December 11:04

          While you’re en route call essyjet and get them to rebook your cancelled flight to the one to Gatwick. Highly likely you can do it yourself on your phone. app or website click flight disruption button which will in Manage My Booking showing to the right of your flight. Deal with the duplicate this will cause later – you’ll get no support for reaching Bmth from LGW unless you trav to LGW on your cancelled Bournemouth flight booking ref

          Once you or Easyjet has moved your Bmth flight to the Gatwick one either ask them or look om website re disruotion support. You are entitled to hotel if needed, plus, say, bus or train from Gatwick to Bournrmouth but practically you will haveto pay out, claim from Easyjet, anf chase.

          The flight to Gatwick you already booked they wont refund – talk to them see if they can move it for free instead of £49 for move of close-in flight as you booked it in a disruption panic.

          If you need to be back then just get yourself on the Gatwick flight and sort it out from there as later flights may be cancelled.

        • Carl says:

          21 Dec21 December 11:22

          Thank you Lady London, the flight I booked to Gatwick was using the manage disruption function, so it’s all on the same booking ref.

          I guess I’ll just have to see what happens, and try to claim my costs of getting back from the airport.

        • Lady London says:

          21 Dec21 December 12:40

          checked and train looks your best bet, various services through the day mostly via SOU or Reading allow about 3hrs. National Express bus 2x as long changing at Victoria I wouldn’t.

          I would hope the GVA to Bristol Easyjet flight tomorrow stays and would work for you.

  • abc says:

    21 Dec21 December 07:24

    You shouldn’t be stranded as flights to the UK are still allowed and some should be going. If EasyJet cancels your flight to Bornemouth they’d have to provide alternative transport for you (if possible, which it still seems to be.)

    • Carl says:

      21 Dec21 December 07:41

      There are no flights to the UK from Switzerland today, the UK government website says Switzerland has banned flights both in and out.

      • Anna says:

        21 Dec21 December 08:58

        EJ has to get you to Bournemouth, howevet they can obviously only re-route you on flights which are actually operating. If you can’t contact the airline via the website it might be worth going to the airport if practicable and asking what they can do for you if you need to get home urgently. You would hope Geneva would have options for re-routing via another EU country as a last resort, travel restrictions permitting.

        • Lady London says:

          21 Dec21 December 11:09

          Half of Geneva airport is in France. I’d reroute by train (very fast route via Paris) or see if Easyjet can do flights gva-par-uk then pick up train or bus

        • Lady London says:

          21 Dec21 December 11:18

          PS tomorrow Easyjet shows Geneva-Gatwick 7am and 5pm. A 4pm Geneva to Bristol is also showing.

          I would try for the Bristol flight as it lands e closer but would be at the airport early on tge spot in case Bristol gets canned at the last minute to be at the sales desk to immediaely ask them to reroute you onto the 5pm Gatwick.

          Or take the 7am to Gatwick as you then have the whole day availavble to sort bus or train to Bmth

  • Zoe says:

    21 Dec21 December 09:37

    Can’t help much Carl but my daughters BA flight tomorrow hasn’t been cancelled yet. She is obviously not going to get home but her flight was very cheap so I’m hoping they cancel and she can move it to the summer.

  • Zoe says:

    21 Dec21 December 10:04

    BA have currently cancelled all Zurich to Heathrow today but only half from tomorrow onwards.

• Ali says:

  21 Dec21 December 05:42

  With the current Hilton 100% points bonus, can you trigger the amex £50 off £200 spend by buying points? I presume not, but doesn’t seem definitive in annex t and c.

  • Frankie says:

    21 Dec21 December 05:50

    Offer valid on checkout spend only at participating locations.

    • DT says:

      21 Dec21 December 05:57

      If you prepay the rate it still works as it’s charged as Hilton, Amex can’t tell if the charge went through at check out or not, all it sees is the merchant name

  • DT says:

    21 Dec21 December 05:55

    Buying points is charged as points.com, not as Hilton. Amex offers only ever work if the correct merchant name appears on your statement.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      21 Dec21 December 07:37

      Correct so buying points doesn’t work.

  • ChrisC says:

    21 Dec21 December 05:56

    You need to check who you are actually buying the points from.

    Many airlines and hotel chains don’t sell you them direct but via a 3rd party like points.com in which case the AMEX offer won’t apply because points.com would be the retailer not Hilton

    • Rob says:

      21 Dec21 December 06:42

      It is points.com with Hilton

• Nick_C says:

  21 Dec21 December 06:46

  Canada has suspended flights from the UK for 72 hours.

  https://globalnews.ca/news/7533898/feds-meeting-to-discuss-new-coronavirus-variant-spreading-in-u-k/

• Baji Nahid says:

  21 Dec21 December 06:46

  Anyone that has spare miles in obscure accounts who find it difficult to use them then please do have a look on the website. miles4Migrants. Its a charity organisation accepting donations of miles that are no longer needed to help those in need get home for Christmas etc.

  If of any interest to anyone who may have expiring miles, may be of some use to you to give them?

  https://linktr.ee/miles4migrants

  Sorry i hope its okay me posting here about this.

  • Zoe says:

    21 Dec21 December 11:04

    Rob maybe this is worth an article at some point? I’m sure some of your readership have orphaned miles they would be happy to see used

    • Rob says:

      21 Dec21 December 11:16

      Noted

  • Oh Matron! says:

    21 Dec21 December 12:42

    I think this is an amazing idea!

    • The Savage Squirrel says:

      21 Dec21 December 13:25

      +1 – great idea. Had a couple of obscure miles pools expire that would have been happy to see go to a good cause.

    • Rob says:

      21 Dec21 December 14:40

      Problem is, it doesn’t really work for small numbers. The average ticket they issue costs 17,000 miles and logically from the UK most will be higher. In most cases you’d do more good using such a large pool of miles on yourself and donating, with the tax benefits, a sum to charity.

• Asim says:

  21 Dec21 December 06:47

  I recently noticed that BA is offering Avios (with a 100% bonus) if a BA flight is cancelled (as well as the rebooking/voucher options).

  I know rebooking is probably best in most cases but have I missed an article talking about the pros/cons of taking the Avios option?

  • KP says:

    21 Dec21 December 07:04

    Yes Rob had covered it a while ago

  • Rhys says:

    21 Dec21 December 08:50

    I wrote about this in May! https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/05/20/british-airways-offering-avios-instead-of-cash-refunds/

    • Asim says:

      21 Dec21 December 09:36

      Thanks for the link!
      I did a quick search but couldn’t find it.

• Baji Nahid says:

  21 Dec21 December 06:48

  Also looks like we’re about to be boxed in on the island very soon as countries continue their temporary bans! 👀🙃

  • Nick_C says:

    21 Dec21 December 07:01

    The Venetians understood the importance and effectiveness of quarantine in the 14th Century.

    The villagers of Eyem famously prevented the spread of Bubonic Plague in England by quarantining themselves in the 17th Century.

    In the 21st Century, we seem to have forgotten the lessons of history.

    Good to see this may finally be changing.

    I hope those people currently viewing properties abroad have the means to support themselves if they are stranded, and don’t start begging the Government for repatriation.

    • Anna says:

      21 Dec21 December 07:16

      There are statutory powers to impose quarantine and other restorctions, it’s just that we have many people who wouldn’t comply with them, insufficient resources to enforce them and an army of human rights lawyers to oppose them!

      • Anna says:

        21 Dec21 December 07:17

        *restrictions.

      • Nick says:

        21 Dec21 December 09:19

        spot on Anna

      • Lady London says:

        21 Dec21 December 11:26

        It goes deeper to lack of unity of the country and the me-me-me in the Western world since the 80’s. Not that it’s not a part of human nature sadly. It’s just that the ‘mass wealthy’ emergence made it more widespread.

        Our grandparents have much to teach us.

    • Lady London says:

      21 Dec21 December 11:21

      Well said @Nick_C

      • Cat says:

        21 Dec21 December 17:11

        Agreed @Nick_C, we seem to have lost the ability to think about what’s the best thing for us all, collectively and to think long term.
        I do wish people would stop thinking that their non-essential travel was more important than the lives of others. It can wait.

  • Dave says:

    21 Dec21 December 09:02

    It would appear someone else has control of our borders even after brexit

    • Nick_C says:

      21 Dec21 December 09:36

      No. We have control of our borders. Holland, France, Canada etc have control of theirs. Thats as it should be.

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