The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 10th February

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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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Doug M says:

10 Feb10 February 11:46

The site seems to have gone super slow again today.
- Rhys says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 12:03
  
  Yes, a sudden onset. We’re looking into it.
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 12:16
    
    Fine for me
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 12:28
      
      Fine now was playing up earlier
  - KS says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 12:29
    
    I keep hitting 403 from mobile but works fine on desktop.
    - Rob says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 12:35
      
      Looking at the server response times it is now fully back to normal (average PHP + MySQL response time of 0.25 for those who understand these things).
      
      It seems our own server was trying to bring us down, looking at the number of requests it was making of itself.
      - KS says:
        
        10 Feb10 February 13:20
        
        I figured my error had nothing to do with server response times. I was using a VPN on mobile which I suspect is blocked. Routing it through another VPN worked.
Anna says:

10 Feb10 February 12:26

So – back to (potential) travel … Has anyone stayed at the IC Bordeaux? I found Anika’s review from 2016 which made it sound very nice. I’ve booked a weekend break there in the autumn, mainly as Easyjet flies there from MAN on the dates I want to go! But it looks a good deal on points plus the Ambassador free night price isn’t crazily higher than the lowest price which isn’t the case for a lot of ICs. Thought I would use this plus free night certificates plus some of my points stash to treat a couple of friends to a spa weekend. How are Ambassador/spires generally treated?
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 12:33
  
  I have not stayed but I have visited, I was meant to stay for a few nights but turned it into a nested TP run with a full day plus a back to back to hit BA Gold.
  
  It looked very nice in a lovely location near the river.
  - David says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 18:19
    
    I stayed there over New Year a few years ago on an Ambassador free night voucher and we treated ourselves to a swanky meal in the Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsey restaurant next door on New Year’s Eve (I recall a lot of truffles being shaved). The hotel is lovely with nicely furnished and comfortable rooms. I don’t recall getting any additional special service as an Ambassador, though.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 23:15
      
      Didn’t go quite so fancy just had a couple cocktails out the front and grabbed some sweet treats from Maison Larnicol (They have a Bath store which is actually on small shop)
John says:

10 Feb10 February 12:32

Do you know why Etihad flights are not being cancelled?
- Andrew says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 12:36
  
  Flights will arrive in the UK empty, and then take people ‘home’ full.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 12:47
    
    Probably arrive in the UK with air freight rather than empty.
  - blenz101 says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 12:48
    
    Same for Emirates. Don’t just need them to use them to go ‘home’, getting out of the UK for an extended period looks pretty good to me right now.
    
    Huge cargo routes as well.
Kevin D says:

10 Feb10 February 13:06

Now that you can get Avios from Nectar points I’ve opened a Nectar account for the first time….Quick question. If I buy gift cards from Sainsburys worth £400 and pay with Amex Platinum, do I get 400 MR points = 400 Avios, PLUS 400 Nectar which can be converted to 250 Avios??
Thanks
- stevenhp1987 says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 13:39
  
  No, because you don’t get Nectar Points on gift card purchases.
  
  If you spent £400 on shopping you would get the 400 MR plus 400 Nectar Points.
- The cyclist says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 13:45
  
  Nectar points are not available on the following limited range of Sainsbury’s goods and services: savings stamps, car park tickets, vending machines, cash back, postage stamps, gift vouchers, baby milk products, lottery tickets, tobacco kiosk, proprietary medicine, spirits and liqueurs, mobile phone cards and mobile phone vouchers. Points are also not available in Sainsbury’s concessions.
  - Kevin D says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 14:03
    
    OK. Thanks guys.
- BuildBackBetter says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 13:57
  
  Oops, ignore me.
- Rich says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 15:59
  
  No Nectar points, but gift cards work towards spend targets – eg £3 off when you spend £20. I tend to chuck a card in if I’m only buying a few things.
John says:

10 Feb10 February 13:12

I know this has been answered many times but can’t find answer.
Looking to find details of used 241 on current bookings – cannot find details on my account which has no current 241 available ( very easy to find on partners account that had an available 241!
Talks about manage my account and then e vouchers- this option is not available on my account.
Thanks
- Alex D says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 13:32
  
  where you normally see your 241 vocuher there is “more voucher information” on the right hand side. Click this and it’ll show expired and used vouchers with the booking ref and expiry date etc
- Genghis says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 14:07
  
  Look on a computer, not the app. On the left hand side, it’s something like manage my account -> manage my account in the dropdown (first one from memory) then evouchers towards the bottom. If not, then no idea.
ken says:

10 Feb10 February 13:23

Buying a house or investing in a pension, then miles or points should be way, way, way down on list of priorities.
Tarmohamed says:

10 Feb10 February 14:53

Urgent clarification. I am right to understand that direct flights from red list countries are banned. I.e if they add Qatar to the list, my booking from DOH-LHR will get cancelled.
- Andrew says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 15:01
  
  Qatar may still fly the aircraft empty to the UK and then take people out of the UK
- Sean says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 15:03
  
  Flights are not banned – passengers travelling from those Countries are banned from entering. As noted above some flights may operate for freight purposes.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 15:36
    
    Incorrect
    
    direct flights to the UK carrying passengers are banned from red list countries. UK citizens/residents have to make use of indirect routings.
    - Tarmohamed says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 15:46
      
      Thank you TG. Just what I thought
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 15:56
      
      btw on reflection using ‘incorrect’ was hasty
      
      but for all intents and purposes to answer Tarmohamed’s question flights are banned as he nor any other passenger will be able to board it as a passenger flight.
747_Brat says:

10 Feb10 February 15:19

Received an email from Miles & More FF program regarding the credit card cancellation. They haven’t done much for the expiring miles, but some may find this useful:

Dear Mr. XX,

Up until now, you’ve been able to earn award miles using your Miles & More Credit Card. However, as you’ve already been informed, Affiniture Cards Limited (the credit card issuer, trading as Diners Club International) will no longer be participating in the Miles & More programme from early April 2021.

What does this mean for your award miles?
▪ You remain a valuable member of the Miles & More programme with access to about 40 airlines and more than 270 global non-air partnerships – giving you the chance to earn miles anytime and anywhere.
▪ You will no longer be able to earn award miles with your Miles & More Global Traveller Account issued by Affiniture Cards Limited.

Good news – extra mileage protection
If you are not a status member, any award miles older than 36 months would start expiring as from 1 July 2021.1 But Miles & More is happy to extend your mileage protection until 31 December 2021. After this date, however, your award miles will start to expire in accordance with the Miles & More Terms & Conditions.

We are currently looking for new options in the UK. This should, of course, comply with the highest standards you would expect from a Miles & More Credit Card. We will keep you informed about any developments on miles-and-more.com and in our regular newsletter. Please visit here for more information.
- Blair says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 15:31
  
  I got same email in the last half hour, bar the final paragraph. Maybe they’re glad to be shot of me and don’t want me anywhere near their new card
  - Blair says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 15:34
    
    Frequent Traveller at 30 flight segments = 8 round trips to Euro cities connecting FRA/MUC/ZRH. Considering the challenges of long haul this year, 8 such trips may not be that implausible.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 15:34
  
  They must be confident that the new card will launch by 31st Dec 21
  
  Perhaps if that doesn’t happen we will receive another extension
  - 747_Brat says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 15:45
    
    Yes, that’s what I thought so too @TGL. While they sort out their new card, which card do you reckon is worth moving the non-Amex spend on?
    
    I am planning to move my non-Amex spending on to WE card (which I am planning to upgrade from Premier near the M&M card cancellation date). But happy to hear any other suggestions.
    
    Thanks in advance.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 15:58
      
      I’m quite happy with IHG Black, Virgin+, MBNA Horizon and Lloyds Avios tbh
      
      I should probably look at the HSBC WE but perhaps only once I’ve cancelled the Virgin+
      - 747_Brat says:
        
        10 Feb10 February 16:11
        
        I have only the free IHG but it is not as generous as the IHG Premium. Never had Lloyds & MBNA cards. And Virgin doesn’t seem to like me and my near perfect credit score with a perfect repayment history. They have rejected my application number of times and have turned down my appeals twice. I have sort of given up on my them now.
        
        So having exhausted all the options you have suggested, looks like WE is my best bet then to put my non-Amex spend on.
        
        Thanks for your help. Cheers.
- Adam says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 16:22
  
  Do I understand correctly that if I have let’s say 20.000 miles that were credited 4 years ago, they will all expire on the 1st of January 2022? This is a pause for expiration but not a fresh start?
  - E says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 16:29
    
    If it works like the last time they changed credit card providers then yes, they will expire on 1/1/22. They are only protected till 31/12/21. As you say, it’s a pause probably till their new credit card comes out, not a fresh start. If you take out their new credit card then I would think it’ll work the same way as the previous ones have, in that if you spend on it every month your miles will be OK again. So if you apply and are accepted for that card before the 31/12/21 your miles wouldn’t expire.
    - Blair says:
      
      10 Feb10 February 17:20
      
      FIFO should apply as you draw down Miles for award flights; so if in such a situation it might help to book sonething short haul speculatively bow for early 2022 in case you get rejected for the new card/no new card launches.
      - 747_Brat says:
        
        10 Feb10 February 17:36
        
        Be careful with any speculative booking. Any cancellation of your flight would mean immediate mileage expiry when the miles were returned to your account.
      - Blair says:
        
        10 Feb10 February 17:39
        
        Good point Brat. Though at present the LH Group don’t seem to want to cancel but reschedule instead, at any cost. They rescheduled my return from DXB via ZRH to MAN such that I arrived into ZRH a day AFTER my connection onwards to MAN. The phone agent said “Yes, I think you would not make this connection sir” XD
      - 747_Brat says:
        
        10 Feb10 February 17:51
        
        I would still be cautious but have a quick question in case I have to definitely redeem my miles: Do they allow change of sectors? If yes, then that gives you a lot more freedom, in case the country you booked initially is still closed.
      - Lady London says:
        
        10 Feb10 February 21:11
        
        That used to work but stopped.
  - Rob says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 19:32
    
    Based on how it worked last time, I think they will all expire on 1 April 2022. But, yes, that is the crux of it.
- Lady London says:
  
  10 Feb10 February 21:08
  
  A miserable 6 months extension by Lufthansa on miles earned on their only miles+earning card in the UK when they close it ? 3 years to use them would be fair in normal times.
  
  With Covid as well….. Once again, unless you’re a very fat cat, DO NOT invest in Lufthansa. The only benefits they offer are First Class plus.
  Anyone else relying on being able to use an investment they’ve made in earning Lufthansa miles is ways going to have it taken away from them.
  - 747_Brat says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 21:45
    
    You mean a “Fat Kitten” (pun intended) 🙂
    Welcome back LL
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 22:08
    
    Don’t disagree but it’s a 9 month extension if Rob is correct and there should be a card by April 2022.
  - Rob says:
    
    10 Feb10 February 22:38
    
    What is worse is that there is no easy way of seeing how many expire each quarter until that quarter starts, at which point the amount appears on your statement.