The HfP chat thread – Monday 18th January

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• Youllnever says:

  18 Jan18 January 04:00

  Curious thought: does anyone know why most non-amex point-earning credit card seem to be a Mastercard? Weirdly enough this seems to be completely opposite with debit cards, where most that I can think of are with Visa.

  • DT says:

    18 Jan18 January 05:35

    Because there are some things Amex can’t buy, for everything else, there’s MasterCard

    • Andrew Mc says:

      18 Jan18 January 07:14

      Love it 🙂

  • WillPS says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:08

    Mastercard have a much higher share of the UK credit card market than Visa. The only major players in the UK CC market issuing Visa cards are Barclaycard, Co-operative, HSBC and Nationwide – the latter 2 of which are both moving to Mastercard.

    The reverse is true for debit cards (although Mastercard are making inroads there), and there are far more debit cards in use than credit cards.

    • Genghis says:

      18 Jan18 January 09:26

      Yes, but why? Cost?

      • Sina says:

        18 Jan18 January 14:11

        This is job just down to preference, easier implementation and presence of the company at the time they agreed on the deal, and rates/rewards offered at the time.

        I know Mastercard is now more accmmodating with fintechs and provides more support, hence the reason why many fintechs work with mastercard rather than Visa.

• Iris says:

  18 Jan18 January 05:18

  Sorry this posted really late yesterday so posting again. Somehow all my messages aww requiring moderation. Etihad credit question. If someone has about £1k of credit from own ticket, do they allow you to use the credit towards your ticket and your child’s or do you need to use all the credit for your own ticket?

  • Ali M says:

    18 Jan18 January 10:30

    I have used credit towards family members without any problems

    • Iris says:

      18 Jan18 January 18:04

      Thanks

• johnny_c-l says:

  18 Jan18 January 06:29

  A few new Amex offers have been loaded this morning;

  – Google Store £20 wys £100
  – Charles Tyrwhitt £10 wys £60
  – Carzoo £250 wys £1000

  • Andrew says:

    18 Jan18 January 06:56

    Yes a few more popping up, still not of any use to me, but slightly better than the random meal kit e-commerce start ups which we’ve seen of late.

  • Mr. AC says:

    18 Jan18 January 07:28

    Ah, good to see a Google Store offer, sad to see it’s not much… Was hoping to stock up on the new Pixel 4a.

    • Sandra says:

      18 Jan18 January 10:59

      Donald Russell meat spend £50 get £10 back on my gold card is the only one of use to me that has appeared, probably because I never got around to making use of the 10 back on 40 before Christmas.

• Baji Nahid says:

  18 Jan18 January 06:48

  I done a status match last month and got gold for 90 days. Would I be eligible to get hilton diamond if I did 9 stays/nights within the 90 days? just so the App is telling me i need 10 stays to retain gold.

  I would sincerely appreciate any assistance.

  • DT says:

    18 Jan18 January 06:57

    There’s an article posted yesterday that goes into comprehensive detail about the Hilton status match

    • JohnT says:

      18 Jan18 January 08:49

      PS Hilton emails, check your marketing preferences as seems they have all been reset to no contact! Not sure if already mentioned here but thanks to TLFL. Esp for Gold status gifts.

• Baji Nahid says:

  18 Jan18 January 07:53

  Looks like Eurostar are now out with their bowl to ask the government to support them!

  • ChrisC says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:17

    Some context

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/17/eurostar-warns-of-risk-to-survival-without-government-help-covid-pandemic?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

    They’ve lost 95% of their 11 million annual passengers and don’t appear to fall under any existing support scheme.

    “ Eurostar was “not asking for special treatment” they said, but access to the same help as companies in similar positions had received, such as business rates relief and loans.”

    • kitten says:

      18 Jan18 January 12:42

      So long as France helps as well, why not?

    • Tocsin says:

      18 Jan18 January 12:44

      I’m sure the French government will help one of their companies? (French ownership with a little bit of Quebec and others).

      • bafan says:

        18 Jan18 January 16:53

        Right. Why on earth would we help foreign companies? What are they going to do, take the track and leave? If Eurostar went bust we’d find somebody else to run it. They offer no unique service that can’t be replaced.

• Secret Squirrel says:

  18 Jan18 January 08:03

  Any problems with Amex approving new cards at present with anyone or business as normal?
  I’m considering opening a new Gold, have BA Amex already and 3x other MC cards. I thought I read a while ago lenders were now being more stringent on New applicants.

  • Crafty says:

    18 Jan18 January 08:17

    Well it’s only one data point, but I got a new PRG last week and have been given by *far* the highest limit I’ve ever had on a credit card.

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    18 Jan18 January 11:53

    It is a wide spectrum, they are being harsher to riskier applicants and risky activity (to avoid rising levels of bad debt). For everyone else they *appear* to be operating as usual, and dishing out generous credit limits where safe to do so (probably so there overall spending doesn’t drop too much)

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      18 Jan18 January 11:55

      They doubled mine just before Christmas

• Mo says:

  18 Jan18 January 08:59

  Somewhat related to the earn and burn article but wanted to know what people thought would be happening to loyalty schemes in the longer term given they seem to always have devaluations, whether that’s through new categories, hotels going up categories, or worse promotions etc

  Do people think points will eventually become entirely revenue based? Or removed entirely and there will just be elite benefits?

  • Doug M says:

    18 Jan18 January 10:51

    Once a scheme becomes entirely revenue based the value is gutted from it. So I’d say it depends on how much the organisation values their loyalty scheme as a means of gaining and holding customers.

  • bafan says:

    18 Jan18 January 16:55

    Delta have done this, made it entirely revenue based, and the consensus from their FFers is that it sucks – didn’t affect passenger numbers or anything though.

    Difference in Europe is that we have real low cost competition and for a lot of people the only difference between EZ and BA is the ability to earn and spend Avios. Take that away or make it useless and a lot more people would be off to LGW / STN IMHO.

    • kitten says:

      18 Jan18 January 22:42

      the worse thing Delta did is not publishing their award chart

      • Louie says:

        18 Jan18 January 23:30

        Just like BA

• Matt says:

  18 Jan18 January 09:03

  Anyone know what the score with Mr and Mrs Smith and IHG. Is there any intention to load all the properties or will it just be selective? (I wouldn’t blame them if the high end properties like chewton glen weren’t bookable on points but good to know either way so can make a plan for my points).

  • meta says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:22

    Only certain countries. All properties have been loaded on the system though some really expensive ones can’t be booked on points. I was hoping Mozambique property would be available on points, but I guess the system can’t handle it given that a night is $1300+.

    • Genghis says:

      18 Jan18 January 11:46

      That Mozambique property looks v nice. Didn’t realise it existed. Helicopter transfer from the mainland at $590pp return… At least it seems not “plus plus”.

  • ChrisC says:

    18 Jan18 January 09:36

    Only around 1/3rd of the hotels under the Mr & Mrs brand have signed up with IHG and that’s about it.

    See Robs last comment in this article.

    https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2019/09/23/ihg-rewards-club-new-mr-mrs-smith-deal/comment-page-2/#comments

    I’d assume if they aren’t on the IHG website by now then they aren’t going to be available.

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