The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 26th January

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

• Phil says:

  26 Jan26 January 14:35

  Apologies if this has been asked before. With the Amex Plat £175 Offer, can I buy JLP vouchers at Waitrose and will this trigger the Offer?

  • Rob says:

    26 Jan26 January 14:47

    Yes, if you do it in store.

    • Phil says:

      26 Jan26 January 15:02

      Smashing, thanks

      • Harrier25 says:

        26 Jan26 January 20:22

        Remember….no trainers or jeans allowed if shopping in Waitrose.

      • Travel Strong says:

        26 Jan26 January 20:33

        Flip flops only for me.

        The same ones that a german couple ‘tutted’ at me for in a bog standard swissport lounge.

        • Aston100 says:

          26 Jan26 January 22:52

          Was it because you were wearing only flip flops?

        • kitten says:

          27 Jan27 January 02:44

          In the LX First Class lounge in ZRH? That was me.

• Ingrid says:

  26 Jan26 January 14:50

  Any EEA readers that have applied for AMEX cards in the UK? I can’t register for the electoral roll and therefore this gives me a 1.5/10 chance on the AMEX eligibility calculator. Any ideas?

  • David D says:

    26 Jan26 January 19:23

    Do you have an AMEX relationship elsewhere? If so, you may speak to your local representatives for AMEX and explain why you are looking to take out a UK product. If living in the UK you can join the electoral roll even if you are not a UK citizen, as you would be eligible to vote in local council elections. If you do not live in the UK, it would be more difficult.

    • David D says:

      26 Jan26 January 20:04

      I should note, what I have mentioned only applies if you are to live the Scotland or Wales. In England and Northern Ireland you may still be an EU citizen.

    • Ingrid says:

      26 Jan26 January 20:43

      You can register if you are an EU citizen but not if you are an EEA.

  • Mr. AC says:

    26 Jan26 January 19:45

    Yup, non-EEA even. Applied, got a denial in the mail, wrote a physical letter appealing, explaining I can’t be on the electoral roll, included recent bank statement and utility bill. Approved with substantial credit limit.

    • Sina says:

      26 Jan26 January 20:20

      Not sure if this has anything to do with Electoral roll, my wife is Non-EEA and not on register, she always get instantly approved for any amex.

    • Ingrid says:

      26 Jan26 January 20:45

      That’s good to hear, thank you. I am not eligible for the electoral role as non-EU.

  • illuminatus says:

    26 Jan26 January 22:03

    I originally signed up for Amex – first Gold, then upgraded to Platinum, then got a BA Plus – without being on electoral roll, and I am not even from EEA!

• Amar says:

  26 Jan26 January 15:04

  I signed up to igloo energy because there was a way to overpay using AMEX and apparently they give you interest on your credit balance. I can’t remember for the life of me how to do this or how much the interest is but I remember it was decent. Does anyone know?

  My ref is below incase anyone is looking to get a £50 signup bonus (we both do!)

  https://refer.igloo.energy/amard5634

  • Jane says:

    26 Jan26 January 15:04

    3% apparently

    • Harrier25 says:

      26 Jan26 January 15:23

      OVO pay 3% in year 1, 4% in year 2 and the 5% from year 3 on balances up to £1,000, but you can only add funds using MasterCard or Visa unfortunately.

      • Amar says:

        26 Jan26 January 16:15

        I just spoke to igloo energy. The 3% is also on balances only up to £1000 – they would refund any amount back to your direct debit method though. (An easy way to hit the minimum spend?)

        • Harrier25 says:

          26 Jan26 January 20:26

          Yes, perfect. Top up with £2,000 and let them transfer £1,000 back to your current account!

• ashraj says:

  26 Jan26 January 15:05

  Hi can AMEX reward points be converted into Hyatt points? Cannot seem to find it online. Thanks in advance

  • KP says:

    26 Jan26 January 15:41

    No

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    26 Jan26 January 16:04

    I recall reading that the least value destructive way is Amex->Bonvoy->Aeromexico->Hyatt

    • Rob says:

      26 Jan26 January 17:56

      Wow!

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      26 Jan26 January 21:12

      For some strange reason, I think your right

      • Rob says:

        26 Jan26 January 22:39

        Had a dig – couldn’t find any obvious route from Aeromexico.

    • Pangolin says:

      26 Jan26 January 23:11

      You can transfer Hyatt points to 13 airlines, including Aeromexico, but that’s Hyatt->Aeromexico, which is the opposite of what’s written above.

      Least value destructive way is simply keeping your MR intact and buying Hyatt points when there’s a promo!

• r* says:

  26 Jan26 January 15:33

  If money gets paid into curve, what happens to it? Does it go to whichever is the active card or does it automatically go to curve cash?

  If its curve cash, is there any way to move the money out of curve into something else?

  • Dr C says:

    26 Jan26 January 15:54

    Depends is supposed to go back to the card but they seem to put it into Curve cash when they can’t match the transaction

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    26 Jan26 January 16:29

    Goes back to the original card, assuming you mean a refund?

    If can’t be determined it goes to curve cash, which at one point you could then ask CS to refund to a card. Certainly, can set the app to use curve cash by default first

• Tony says:

  26 Jan26 January 15:43

  Just tried to cancel my BAPP card with Amex. No retention incentives offered which is fine. Advised by agent that I would not be able to use companion vouchers – which are in my BA account – unless I have a main BA Amex card in my name. I said that I have a supplementary BA Amex card so should not be a problem. I asked her to point me to the T&Cs…she then advised it was BA T&Cs not Amex! Not sure this is true.

  She then advised that I would lose my Avios balance of around 7k points if I cancelled immediately and said I would have to wait until the next monthly conversion date before cancelling if I wanted to keep the points. Any truth in this? I thought they could force the transfer?

  • Tom says:

    26 Jan26 January 16:14

    Don’t worry about it, you will be able to use your companion voucher as long as its paid for with any Amex. I think some people have had luck with getting the points transferred after closing the account but wouldn’t be worth the hassle to me and would wait.

  • AJA says:

    26 Jan26 January 16:25

    If you have an Avios balance on your Amex card that is yet to transfer to BAEC you risk losing it if you close the card account before it transfers. They won’t do an immediate transfer and then close the account. Better to wait until next month for it to transfer to BAEC and then cancel.

    • Genghis says:

      26 Jan26 January 16:33

      I normally weigh up potentially forgone points vs card fees saved and then decide. I have had it both ways: that points have turned up after cancellation and that they haven’t. I don’t know the logic.

      • Aston100 says:

        26 Jan26 January 17:50

        Yeah but Genghis, Amex have told me several times that the card fees are pro rata refunded to the day, rather than by month.

        • Chrisasaurus says:

          26 Jan26 January 19:11

          Precisely so you can weight up the value of the points vs cost of the few days card membership

        • Genghis says:

          26 Jan26 January 19:11

          Exactly. Eg If it’s a BAPP with only 100 avios accrued and 10 days to go till the next sweep, which do you value more:
          – 100 avios = £1 or
          – £195 x 10/365 = £5.34?

    • Matt says:

      26 Jan26 January 16:35

      When I was churning both BAPP and SPG if I closed the account with Avios/Star points in it then they would transfer out as normal on the normal date.

      If you have pending transactions on your account where the avios/points haven’t been credited yet then you would might lose those.

      That said, if you’ve got a large balance it’s probably worth waiting just to be safe.

  • FFoxSake says:

    26 Jan26 January 20:25

    Drop down to the free BA card (it was immediate for me on the phone, no change of card number needed) then wait until your Avios transfer out. Obviously don’t use the account further in the meantime.
    That way you get your BAPP fees refunded and get your Avios out safely.
    After that you can close the free card.

  • Charlieface says:

    27 Jan27 January 00:16

    From the T&Cs:

    “What happens if you close your Card Account?

    If you close your Card Account you will no longer earn Avios and any Avios that have not yet appeared on your American Express Avios balance will be forfeited.

    What happens if we close your Card Account?

    If we close your Card Account in accordance with the Card Account Agreement, you will no longer earn Avios and any Avios that have not yet appeared on your American Express Avios balance will be forfeited. Any Avios already in your American Express Avios balance will still be transferred to your British Airways Avios balance”

    So according to the terms any Avios for purchase already showing up in the online account will still transfer

    • Genghis says:

      27 Jan27 January 07:35

      Assuming the card account closure is initiated by Amex? e.g. from terms breach etc.

• aliks says:

  26 Jan26 January 16:30

  Another Lloyds voucher question.

  I booked flights to Sydney using a couple of Lloyds vouchers, but BA cancelled the flights. It looks like avios.com will be very helpful rebooking, but will they be restricted to rebooking on dates with avios availability?

  It looks like Sydney avios flights are still being snapped up at midnight each day, so it could be very tricky if I have to wait until 8am when avios.com open up.

  • Andrew says:

    26 Jan26 January 18:24

    Who’s booking Sydney for travel before 2023 anyway?!

    • kitten says:

      27 Jan27 January 02:50

      Those who take a reroute now to 2022. Then if that’s cancelled they get 2023 and should have a right to it as Australia is a destination which is very seasonal – you are quite likely to only want to go at a particular time of year.

  • kitten says:

    27 Jan27 January 02:53

    If the airline cancelled your flight booked with avios, then if there is any seat available for sale in your class of travel (ie Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First and no more closely defined than that) then you are entitled to a seat in that cabin class on the aircraft free of charge on a date convenient to you even if it wasn’t an avios seat.

    And don’t let them tell you any different. HUACA if you have to.

• 747_Brat says:

  26 Jan26 January 17:21

  Co-op is currently offering couple of codes that discount the online grocery shop which maybe useful for some of us here:

  COOPV015C – gives 15% off £40 spend
  COOPV010C – gives 10% off £30 spend

  And if you have any offers on your LBG & RBS group banks, it might nicely stack up with those offers too! 🙂

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    26 Jan26 January 19:17

    Coop have an online grocery shop??

    • Tony says:

      26 Jan26 January 23:48

      As well as Iceland .. when you just can not get a delivery slot from Sainsburys’ ….

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