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The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 5th January

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We have decided to run this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

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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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General

Comments (384)

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

  • Louie says:
    5 Jan5 January 03:26

    A couple of day ago, I asked if anyone knew how to tell which award flights showing on Etihad’s website could be booked using AAdvantage miles. A not unreasonable response was to ask if I had tried looking on the AAdvantage website.

    The short answer was that I had, albeit briefly, without success but the Flyertalk thread on the subject (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1738929-booking-aa-award-travel-etihad-ey-master-thread-july-2017-onwards.html) says they don’t show and you have to ring.

    I’m trying to get to Australia from London in late August/early September, two in business. Previous experience, including as recently as last June (so post Covid), is that two seats in business on those routes have been pretty easy to find, with Etihad’s guest seat availability matching what AA see. But now I can’t work out how to identify guest seat availability as Etihad have changed their website.

    Anyway, AA don’t show a single seat in any class, in either direction, from LHR to AUH or AUH to SYD or MEL, for the entire year. So either Etihad have changed their policy regarding making award seats available to AA or they simply don’t appear on the AAdvantage website.

    • Baji Nahid says:
      5 Jan5 January 05:00

      Did AA not some time ago terminate its code share agreements and FF ties with Etihad? Maybe that might be the reason as to why you cant see anything from AA?

      • meta says:
        5 Jan5 January 08:19

        No, they haven’t cut ties.

        The problem is that Etihad recently changed to dynamic pricing for Guest tickets, so it’s hard to find dates via Etihad website. It might be a question of calling AA and enquiring about desired dates.

        I can see on the AA app indirect routes with Etihad and BA. For example BA to Tel Aviv and then Etihad to Abu Dhabi.

        In terms of Australia, there is a also government restriction on the number of passengers per flight, so I presume all award tickets are taken off the sale.

        • Louie says:
          5 Jan5 January 08:49

          I guess I’ll have to ring. I was hoping to avoid wasting their time and mine by finding some other way to identify availability. I’m not willing to risk indirect flights in the current environment and in any case, I think AA would charge two awards for them, instead of one if direct from Europe.

          As far as flights to Australia, Qatar, Cathay and Qantas all have award flights available in the timeframe I am looking at. Also, as far as I know there’s no restriction on numbers leaving per flight (with a permit) yet there’s still no availability showing on AA, so I think (hope!) it’s more likely that AA simply don’t show the flights.

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      5 Jan5 January 09:50

      You probably have seen this
      https://onemileatatime.com/redeeming-american-miles-on-etihad-trick/

      • Louie says:
        5 Jan5 January 13:21

        Thanks for that. Yes I have. It was helpful at the time it was written but the problem is that Etihad have changed their website so you can’t easily identify what used to be clearly identifiable as GuestSeats.

        At least being based in Australia I shouldn’t have the issue of AA not being able to see flights which actually are available, though that said recent phone calls seem to have been routed to agents in America.

  • Tarmohamed says:
    5 Jan5 January 03:34

    Dubai Sim Cards for Internet. I usually get a DU sim, just want to know if anyone has used “kitmytrip” or “bookmywifi”

    • KP says:
      5 Jan5 January 05:58

      I always use bookmywifi for sim card (du) and never had issues.Virgin counter is next to bookmywifi in T3 terminal if you need more data.

    • Max says:
      5 Jan5 January 06:03

      Get Virgin Mobile, by far the best value and setup took under 5 mins (unlike Du/Etisalat). It’s an MNVO that doesn’t appear to be throttled. Much more expensive than the UK but 20gb/mo is c. £50, other packages obviously cheaper.

    • Not Angry says:
      5 Jan5 January 09:05

      Doesn’t answer your sim question but…

      For regular travellers, GLocalMe mobile wi-fi is fast, easy, economical, reliable, and brilliant if you travel to a lot of different countries.

      Worked really well for me in UAE. And China, Myanmar, Tahiti, New Zealand, Armenia, Argentina…. The only place I’ve needed a local sim was Vanuatu. Even in many European countries it was cheaper than 3 or EE roaming rates.

  • Ali M says:
    5 Jan5 January 04:11

    lockdown 3.0…
    I am in Pakistan and due to fly in in a week.For now – no travel updates from the airline as yet(Etihad) we are due to fly back and I DO have work…is it business as usual?

  • Baji Nahid says:
    5 Jan5 January 05:12

    Hi Rob! Were the Jones shoes winners all announced? Thanks.

    • John says:
      5 Jan5 January 07:01

      Does it really matter? If you didn’t win, any announcement would just be a random name. It’s not like winners have to model the shoes on instagram….

      • Mike says:
        5 Jan5 January 07:41

        Just as well I wouldn’t really want to see anyone wearing those triple Monk shoes

      • Nick says:
        5 Jan5 January 12:12

        Yea it matters. The law says competition winners must be named on request, to avoid abuse.

        • Rob says:
          5 Jan5 January 12:25

          We should have done it by now, I agree. Christmas holidays etc have got in the way of getting all five winners confirmed. Leave it with us.

        • John says:
          5 Jan5 January 13:54

          I see, but how does saying the winner is Rob B or Rhys J prove anything?

          • Rob says:
            5 Jan5 January 14:47

            Legally we are obliged to give you the names (but not contact details) of the winners if you make a request. Don’t ask me though because I have no idea 🙂

      • Baji Nahid says:
        5 Jan5 January 17:22

        lol

  • DJ says:
    5 Jan5 January 05:47

    IHG Status:

    The app is now showing 55000 points required for Spire for 2021, but the website is showing 75000 points. Which ones is correct?

  • Rob says:
    5 Jan5 January 06:47

    Anyone know is Radisson are offering status matches at the moment?

    I emailed them last week but got no reply.

  • John Caribbean says:
    5 Jan5 January 07:04

    Achieved Spire Elite a week before Christmas, but no sign of my 25000 points reward on the app, or the website. Is there somewhere obvious or not obvious I should be looking

    • Andrew says:
      5 Jan5 January 07:40

      Under the “explore my benefits” section – you select between 25k or a Platinum gift membership.

  • Vin says:
    5 Jan5 January 07:06

    Long conversation with M&M CS yesterday over a credit limit that was reduced without prior intimation – turns out it was ‘computer error’ and hence limit reinstated.
    Was told multiple times that M&M CC ‘does not encourage HMRC payments’.
    A sign of things to come ?

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      5 Jan5 January 07:39

      Why would you talk about HMRC payments with them?

      • Chrisasaurus says:
        5 Jan5 January 08:14

        This is only a guess but I would think they may have spotted the transactions themselves. Curve have done so previously…

      • Vin says:
        5 Jan5 January 10:06

        Personal tax and they brought it up

        • BJ says:
          5 Jan5 January 10:44

          I think they were dropping a polite hint that there could be further computer errors…

    • TGLoyalty says:
      5 Jan5 January 09:09

      No Rob has mentioned many times they don’t like commercial hmrc payments (vat, corporation tax, pays etc). Personal tax payments should be ok.

      • Nick says:
        5 Jan5 January 12:16

        Mastercard and Visa don’t like personal cards being used for what they see as commercial transactions. A cynic (me, never?!) would wonder whether they’re upset they’re losing out on the higher scheme fees they would get for business transactions… Anyway, they review card issuers regularly (contractual, so they can), and ‘have words’ with those they deem to be abusing it. This could well be what M&M is afraid of.

        • John says:
          5 Jan5 January 13:56

          But they are happy for curve to publicly advertise Fronted as a benefit?

          • Nick says:
            5 Jan5 January 14:04

            No, Curve skates on very thin ice in many areas. Hence why they send out Commercial cards to many people.

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

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