Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 13th January

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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.

Comments (240)

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

  • Paul says:

    New white IHG card activated and added to Curve today. Trying to purchase premium bonds for £2500 (card limit £7500) but keeps failing on NS&I as a card declined – anyone else having these issues too?

    • Paul says:

      Works if underlying is HSBC no problem as that just went through now?

    • Genghis says:

      You need to break in the card a bit.

    • mark2 says:

      IHG tend to limit financial transactions to £700 per week IME.

      • Aston100 says:

        “IHG tend to limit financial transactions to £700 per week IME.”
        Not in the scenario that Paul is attempting to use it for.

    • Lula says:

      I had this recently. It was because Curve had blocked my card. Took a few days but it got sorted out in the end. Have you called Creation?

    • Paul says:

      Thanks for the tips guys – £500 worked so will work on that basis when purchasing these again.

    • Alan says:

      I have a new IHG card, same limit, and the most I can get through in 1 transaction is £1000.
      Trying to pay other CCs I am hitting a lower limit of £300 per day and a rolling £700 over 3 days (Ghengis, kindly explained this one).

    • babyg says:

      hmmm AKA im trying to do MS though curve and my MS attempt its not working.. lets talk about our NS&I gift horse here… few more should get it blocked…

    • BuildBackBetter says:

      Have you changed addresses before? The post code in curve has to match with NS&I.

  • Liam says:

    CNN is pulling the plug on CNN Airport Network. If you’ve ever been in a US airport and seen CNN on a TV, it will almost certainly have been a different version to the regular channel: no coverage of air disasters, nothing inappropriate for children, and some content from other Turner-owned channels. But now it’s apparently not making any money so after 31 years in existence it’s getting shut down.

    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-01-12/cnn-is-shutting-down-its-airport-network-on-mar-31

    • Chrisasaurus says:

      What a comprehensively interesting post, I hadn’t even considered there was such a thing let alone know of its existence!

      Anyone know of any other like products? I wonder often about relationships with hotel, bar and other leisure locations and whether there are quid pro quo’s into play

  • Dave says:

    Is the IHG Rewards Club Premium credit card likely to reappear now there’s light at the end of the covid tunnel?

    • Rob says:

      Given that Creation seems to be doing all it can to leave the UK market – look at how many cards it now offers – I doubt it.

  • Ming The Merciless says:

    Miles and More question.

    How long do points take to post. 13 days and counting so far for me.

  • George K says:

    Hey everyone. What would be people’s recommendation for personal flight logbook apps or sites? Thinking of going with flightradar24 but keen to hear any others.

    • Liam says:

      I use the Flighty app on my iPhone and iPad (I don’t think they have a website). It’s not just for logging flights—its primary purpose is for live updates to expected departure/landing times etc.—but does a good job of it. There’s a premium service but the free one will work for this purpose.

    • The real John says:

      I use flightmemory as it’s easy.

      I want to use openflights as it is more “open” but there is a bit of a learning curve

    • Rhys says:

      I use myflightradar24 but I do wish they’d add a social element to it!

      Very easy for tracking flights, though. A lot of apps try and be clever by asking for access to your emails to automatically draw out old and new bookings, but I never find that works consistently and always end up DIYing. Don’t have that problem with myflightradar24 – I just tap in the dates and flight numbers and it works out the rest.

  • HuThUn says:

    I have a tax bill due before end of Jan c. £4k. I haven’t got any UK points earning visa/mastercard, as all is Amex. I’ve got some US cards but don’t think I can use them to pay.

    Realistically is there a window to generate points off of this? I know Curve metal subscription isn’t worth it, and am unsure if applying for any UK Mastercard/Visa right now would get approved prior to the deadline.

    Should I just bite the bullet and pay with a debit card?

    • Craig says:

      Tesco debit card.

      • Genghis says:

        Given OP doesn’t have any UK points earning visa / MasterCards and the Tesco debit card is closed to new applicants, I don’t think this is an option.

        OP asked the other day. Just pay by debit card.

    • Dan says:

      Billhop is another points earning option.

  • Russel says:

    yes. debit card is best for you

  • Tony says:

    I have a datapoint on a ba holidays booking where the flight route (Osaka) was cancelled in case of interest to others…

    Spoke to them tonight. The only option was to take a rebooking to Tokyo then make my own way to Osaka. Nothing under the JV presumably as a result of it being a holiday booking.

    Chance of being able to travel in August seemed slim anyway so have taken the refund. Avios (had UUA’d) back on the account already.

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