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The HfP chat thread – Saturday 30th 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.

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General

Comments (324)

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

  • Genghis says:
    30 Jan30 January 09:33

    Can two BA FTVs (with avios bookings) be redeemed on one booking?

    Eg. I have a RFS 9k avios + £35
    I also have a RFS 15k avios + £35

    If I bundle these into two FTVs can they then later be redeemed (+ any difference) on say a J avios ticket 100k + £500?

    • Nick says:
      30 Jan30 January 09:44

      Policy-wise I don’t think you can combine two Avios FTVs into a single new booking, but stand to be corrected if others have achieved it in practice.

      There’s a big change coming soon though that will make it much easier to achieve what you ultimately want, so if it’s not urgent you might want to wait a bit.

    • BJ says:
      30 Jan30 January 10:37

      I cannot see why not but just call and ask, getting through has been painless IME this week.

  • pigeon says:
    30 Jan30 January 10:00

    I’ve spent £10k on my VS Rewards+ card. The voucher hasn’t appeared and both Virgin Money and Virgin Atlantic say call the other one up. Does anyone know how to fix this?

    • Jonathan says:
      30 Jan30 January 10:06

      Give it a bit of time, when they had the promotion going where you need to spend £500 directly with Virgin Atlantic / Virgin holidays, I did what was required, and the voucher didn’t show until about 2-3 weeks later. I once called up (on a unrelated matter) and asked about the voucher while I was on the call, and I think I remember them having virtually no clue about when the voucher shows, and told me that I’d need to ask Flying Club team!

    • Rob says:
      30 Jan30 January 10:52

      Do you know what you are looking for, eg one line on your statement?

      • pigeon says:
        30 Jan30 January 15:11

        Yes, looking for the line on my flying club statement, have received a voucher before so know exactly what I’m looking for.

        One possibility is that as all vouchers have been extended by 6 months, a technical bug means the vouchers only show as earned on my statement in 6 months time.

    • James. says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:48

      I have had the same issue. Mentioned it on the threads for the last month that I breached the spent limit back in October. I am waiting until February to then call up Virgin Money as January is my card anniversary. I will be asking them to confirm when they sent across confirmation of voucher and then will call Virgin Atlantic asking me where the voucher is.

      • pigeon says:
        30 Jan30 January 15:22

        I’m waiting for the voucher to hit and then I’m closing my account down. I’ve just had too many issues with Virgin, so I’m not getting value for money on the Rewards+ card.

  • William R B says:
    30 Jan30 January 10:06

    Easyjet back in favour!

    Refunded 36hours after phone call (which was answered immediately too).

  • Buxton says:
    30 Jan30 January 10:23

    Just got my Priority Pass from Amex Gold, can’t register it as the site says it’s already registered! Oh well, not like I can use it anytime soon anyway

    • BJ says:
      30 Jan30 January 10:39

      Call them, they were very helpful the two times I had csuse to do so.

    • TJ says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:25

      A quick call to Priority Pass will sort it (they will reset your password). I was told that the problem arose because I had previously registered my Lounge Club card which has now been converted to a PP account.

    • Hakuna Matata says:
      30 Jan30 January 12:20

      I received the priority pass for an Amex Gold I cancelled ages ago. Not sure if it will work though!

    • Hakuna Matata says:
      30 Jan30 January 12:39

      Long time lurker but first time poster!

      Not sure why my comment about receiving a Priority Pass for a cancelled Amex Gold was deleted. Was it against the community guidelines?

    • the_real_a says:
      30 Jan30 January 13:52

      Do we need to request it or they being sent automtically?

  • Lady London says:
    30 Jan30 January 11:08

    Xiaomi, OnePlus,Oppo fit that definition but I believe Samsung pays the major network’s buying divisions in the UK to keep the higher-spec phones of those manufacturers out.

    Plenty of other reliable sources though.

    Did you know some websites are programmed to charge you more if you are using an i-thing? Travel sites included. For some reason they must think i-people have more money than sense which shurely could not be true.

    • Lady London says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:11

      *above is response to @BJ’s suggestion that mid-range Android can be better value than iphone.

      WordPress comment lost sequencing again

      • Nick says:
        30 Jan30 January 11:31

        If you have any evidence for your stinging allegation against Samsung, you should present it to the CMA, who would be very interested. If you don’t, perhaps think about whether it’s right to spread malicious comments about them.

        • kitten says:
          30 Jan30 January 12:13

          Nick : I said “I believe”. It is my personal belief. The market blocking doesn’t have to be done by direct cash phone buying negotiations for resale by the networks have many factors that are negotiated.

          Oh, and I worked in the mobile phone buying department of a major UK mobile network for 3 years. It was a while back but commercial realities probably haven’t changed much.

          • A says:
            30 Jan30 January 12:45

            Again – if you have evidence of this, whether direct cash or not, please can you pass it to the CMA? They will be interested either way.

          • kitten says:
            30 Jan30 January 14:17

            A : just the fact that Xiaomi phones alone have not made much progress generally in the major UK networks, particularly towards the upper levels when the price/spec relationship is by a very noticeable chunk superior to Samsung and the quality has bern getting good enough, for a few years now, would indicate even to an outsider something is being done to keep them out.

            Dealing to some extent with a rival manufacturer – although not Xiaomi at the time – they are much more competition than the ‘foil’ we used – is one way to ensure prices/dealings from a dominant supplier remained more competitive than they otherwise would be. Retail is full of ways of structuring this – it’s business as usual. Xiaomi would be much more of a threat than the one we used at the time.

            So you have to consider options for why is progress not being made – or being made much, much more slowly now than objectively you could expect – over a few years.

            And naturally this is all in the negotiations. But I still remember one particular ‘blocking’ incident that I heard about at the water cooler (water cooler is sadly less available now we are all working at home) plus a few other comments and I do not doubt that what is necessary is being done as far as possible to keep the advantage of established suppliers.

          • Callum says:
            30 Jan30 January 16:32

            Oppo made a big push in New Zealand while I was there and got listed in all the major electronic stores and with some of the networks along with a big marketing campaign. It completely fizzled out.

            I suspect it’s much more to do with consumer apathy than Samsung forcing networks to not sell Xiaomi. Virtually no one knows who they are and consumers are, by and large, ignorant sheep. I can’t recall a single person asking what my phone is responding with anything other than “huh?” when I say Xiaomi. Nor has a single person shown any interest in buying one on their next upgrade when I explain the quality, speed and features virtually match top of the range flagships at half the price.

            These are also often the same people who genuinely believe their contract phone is “free” though!

        • KBuffett says:
          30 Jan30 January 13:53

          Many retailers charge for shelf space. There is only a finite amount. No retailer has to stock any particular brand or model. In principle you are right, but in practise it’s very easy to work around.

          • kitten says:
            30 Jan30 January 14:36

            Exactly.
            For example, without thinking too hard I’ve worked for companies that have had as major accounts Tesco, Argos and Boots.

            And in the phone business, in major UK mobile network buying department of phones for resale across UK and other countries. So interface with all major phone manufacturers and constantly keeping up with newer ones that might bring something.

            Heard the same comment, word for word, years apart, in 2 separate companies returning from a selling meeting with the same one of the 3 companies above “Well, we came out with our b*lls intact [implied : not much else], so it’s a good day”.

            UK retail is some of the cleverest in the world to sell to. So if you want to be a major supplier, especially as your competition gets closer to offering same or better for less, then the retailer that’s buying from you will work with you but you will pay. That’s BAU. It’s much more sophisticated than direct payments (although on and off the books incentives go on as everywhere) and has grown to many different aspects to be negotiated.

      • Harrier25 says:
        30 Jan30 January 11:46

        I had my new Samsung Galaxy S21 delivered yesterday morning and its a fantastic piece of kit. I brought it to replace the OnePlus 8 which was truly awful. Some people couldn’t call me and it kept dropping calls!

    • Callum says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:52

      Which websites? Is this the new “websites track your cookies and put the price up if you don’t buy straight away” thing?

      It’s been a while but I’ve seen that claimed literally hundreds of times, yet not one single person was ever able to demonstrate it to me!

      • kitten says:
        30 Jan30 January 12:16

        No websites can detect exactly what kit you’re using and price accordingly.

        • kitten says:
          30 Jan30 January 12:19

          * that should be “No, websites can detect…” comma is important

          You would be correct in saying I havent personally tested iphone pricing on travel websites as I wouldn’t be an iphone customer

          • Callum says:
            30 Jan30 January 13:32

            Obviously websites CAN do that, I’m asking for proof that they DO. A very different thing.

            If it is true it would be incredibly easy to demonstrate, yet to the best of my knowledge, not a single person has been able to.

      • Rob says:
        30 Jan30 January 12:20

        There are two elements – do companies re-order prices (ie show the pricier options first) to iPhone users or based on your customer profile? This is not the same as changing your prices.

        I would assume the former is correct. I would actually prefer if, for example, the IHG website showed me InterContinental options first instead of Holiday Inn Express because that is what I tend to book.

        • Callum says:
          30 Jan30 January 13:29

          Yeah I find that claim pretty believable as well.

          I’m still convinced the original claim they made, that they reprice them, is complete nonsense until it’s able to be demonstrated.

      • kitten says:
        30 Jan30 January 14:58

        Callum : Hertz definitely, a hotel site (forgot which but US) and, I suspect recently, Accor.

        Hotels harder to be sure as it’s possible someone bought the last available room at a lower price point in between two of your searches. But Hertx definitely repriced same up on multiple searches, gone when deleting cookies and loading again. Prices can also differ across browsers.

        • Callum says:
          30 Jan30 January 16:40

          I have never, ever witnessed that. I’m assuming you’re unable to replicate it?

          • Rob says:
            30 Jan30 January 18:06

            You can get Hertz to reprice simply by changing the country you claim to be in! Australia is cheapest usually. Note that you don’t actually need to be living there and indeed Hertz doesn’t ask for your address when booking.

          • kitten says:
            30 Jan30 January 19:19

            Seen a few times now.with Hertz. Stromgly suspect seen with Accor but would need to see a few times more over a longer period to be sure.

            The fact of having resolved it a few times now with Hertz by clearing cookies and reloading kinda proves it though.

            Another good wheeze that.looks to have worked a couple of times on hotel sites is to do a couple of searches on the same country Kayak site first. Found it by accident and replicated it once.

            Just not booking anything at all currently but will certainly experiment when I do.

          • Charlieface says:
            30 Jan30 January 19:59

            Re Hertz: I used to do that a lot, one time the branch manager asked me why I booked through Australia.
            I said: why not, it’s cheaper?
            He says: you have to be resident there.
            I said: no you don’t, it doesn’t say that anywhere and I specifically put in the booking I’m UK resident.
            He says: don’t do it again.
            I said: I won’t
            Yeah right 🙂

          • Doug M says:
            30 Jan30 January 21:45

            Hertz! Here’s a recent Twitter exchange with them,

            Me Can I add a booking into my account made when I wasn’t logged in

            Response Yes you may

            Me Good to know, can you tell me how, it’s not obvious from either the booking or the account

            Response You can do it at the desk when you collect the car

            Me The main benefit of my account is to skip the desk and go start to the garage to collect the car

            Response Thanks for this feedback, Douglas. We will share this with our team

    • Alan says:
      30 Jan30 January 14:33

      My wife recently changed jobs and had to give up her iPhone 11. She bought a Xiaomi Note 9 Pro from Amazon for £175. She swears it is as good as the iPhone 11 and the battery always lasts a full day or even two if she forgets to charge it.

      • kitten says:
        30 Jan30 January 14:49

        I like the Pocophone which is even better.

        I believe the Xiaomi Note 9 may actually be a Redmi (Xiaomi’s midrange) as the Xiaomi Note 5 was – an astounding amount of phone for the money.

        So you gotta go figure when quality has been good enough for many years now – why are these mid-upper phones not making the progress you would think in the UK market.

        I go figured.

      • Pablo says:
        30 Jan30 January 14:50

        Xiaomi’s are top notch. Excellent performance and very favourably priced on aliexpress.

        • kitten says:
          1 Feb1 February 00:14

          Thanks for the tip Pablo I had been going to give Gearbest a try for my next one but Aliexpress feels reliable for that on a quick glance and not over-sales-y so perhaps would avoid having to stop the excessive marketing emails of Gearbest?

    • Magic Mike says:
      30 Jan30 January 14:51

      Buy something running Android One (Nokia’s do, for example). Stock Android updated by Google so secure and without lots of OEM crapware on top.

      Stay away from Xiaomi, I had one once and ran a wireshark network monitor on it, it was regularly connecting back to China…

      • kitten says:
        30 Jan30 January 15:04

        Xiaomi has kept providing me Android and other updates regularly and for far longer than any other manufacturer bothered. I am on the latest version of everything and remember collecting my Xiaomi on Amazon click&collect at a newsagent near The White House hotel, on my way to the HeadforPoints party held there in January 2 years ago. Sob! Sob! 🙂

        • kitten says:
          30 Jan30 January 15:06

          so maybe checking for Android and their own updates could be why my Xiaomi phone could also be connecting back to China… or at least the excuse

          Guessing Doug M might say it’s sharing with China like Huawei?

        • Polly says:
          30 Jan30 January 23:53

          Oh, don’t remind me, a great evening, that one.. so missing catching up..

          • kitten says:
            31 Jan31 January 04:16

            Ummm.. Spice Girls with Cat on the staircase in the Renaissance.. think there were a few looks from the blokes heading to the bar.

  • Kevin says:
    30 Jan30 January 11:24

    Does anyone know if triggered BAPP 241 companion voucher these days would have an additional 6 months extension provided as last year during the lockdown periods

    • Crispr says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:37

      My most recent 241 triggered in December had the usual 24 months expiry, but there are rumours of another extension given the recent FTV extension so I’d imagine a 241 triggered recently would be extended

      • Kevin says:
        30 Jan30 January 15:12

        @Chripr, maybe worth to double check as other appeared to have further 6 months extension

      • Jill ( Kinkell) says:
        30 Jan30 January 18:40

        I got an email from Amex telling me that if I triggered my next 241 before my anniversary date , it would get 30months rather than the usual 24…..which suits me very well for my Future travel plans( here’s hoping we get to travel!)

    • Phil G says:
      30 Jan30 January 12:07

      triggered one last week , expiry was july 2023

  • IF1 says:
    30 Jan30 January 11:34

    Does anyone have a Freetrade link?

    • Crispr says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:36

      Join me and invest commission-free with Freetrade. Get started with a free share worth £3-£200.

      https://magic.freetrade.io/join/henry/f7b5d12f

      Thanks 🙂

      • Matt says:
        30 Jan30 January 15:13

        I’ve just joined using your link – is there a minimum amount to fund the account before you get the free share? I can’t see anything in the T+C, but I’ve topped up £10 and it’s still saying I need to top up.

        • Crispr says:
          30 Jan30 January 16:55

          Hmm can’t see anything in T&Cs either but my other half put in £100 via Apple Pay and it worked, share is pending… don’t think there is a minimum.

  • TheThunderer says:
    30 Jan30 January 11:40

    Morning, we’re been getting emails from a ‘itinerary@amadeus.com’ containing significant detail about our future BA flight bookings (and some utter nonsense, suggesting we are planning to fly somewhere from Redmond, Oregon in March). Anybody else seen similar? Thoughts on what we should do (or not do)?

    • Sam G says:
      30 Jan30 January 11:48

      Are you waiting for a reissue or a refund?

      From what I know, there are some teams processing changes in unusual locations directly into Amadeus, hence the strange from address. Strange looking origins and dates sound like dummy sectors, usually put in to keep the booking “alive” whist a refund is pending

      So probably it’s OK, but you could always call in to double check if you’re worried

    • Lister says:
      30 Jan30 January 12:19

      My BA FTV has me down for Mont-Joli to Nice since I converted to the voucher. There is a thread over at FT which explains in more detail. Just keeps the booking alive in a frozen state for the future. Mine was a cash + Avios booking so I need to call to use it.

    • Nick says:
      30 Jan30 January 12:54

      Don’t need to do anything, these emails are legitimate. BA have lots of small teams around the world processing refund and reticket requests in native systems – originally they weren’t triggering emails but they got complaints so they’ve started pushing these ones out. The standard ba ones aren’t possible for agents working in the systems they have available.

      The weird airport codes are effectively ways of deferring a booking to process a refund or FTV – it’s a quirk of Amadeus that as soon as all flights are removed the PNR becomes inaccessible so something needs to stay until it’s able to be closed completely.

      • Louie says:
        30 Jan30 January 23:28

        Not directly relevant, but I’ve booked a reward flight on Cathay using AA miles recently. The email I got had completely different flights in the little summary at the top, although the flights in the body of the email were correct. A closer look shows that the flights at the top were AA flights with the same numbers (e.g AA161 Athens to Chicago instead of CX161 Hong Kong to Sydney). Whoops!

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