The HfP chat thread – Friday 12th February

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memesweeper says:

12 Feb12 February 08:19

Anyone paid the Revenue with S-Bury’s orangey-yellow card via Bendy? I realise the points kickback is minimal, but I have a 0% on spending allowance I’m looking to fill up…
Andy says:

12 Feb12 February 09:23

Qatar voucher question – I need to change a booking and struggling to get a hold of anyone on the phone, so thinking of getting a voucher and rebooking directly myself given the fare on the outbound is the same still. Is the voucher immediate? Also they claim to add an additional 10% of the unused far, however it shows me the same amount as my original fare (including taxes). I assume the 10% doesn’t show but will be credit anyways?
Charlie says:

12 Feb12 February 09:32

Anyone ever purchased avios from sellers on eBay?
- Anna says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 09:34
  
  It’s strictly against BA rules and could get your BAEC account closed down, to be honest. But I would recommend even trying it. you’d have to share your account details with a stranger and I suspect a lot of these offers are scams. You’d have no comeback if you got burned.
  - Anna says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 09:35
    
    *NOT recommend!
- ChrisC says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 09:43
  
  Just don’t.
  
  It’s against the rules of BAEC and you open yourself up to being defrauded and possibly losing all your avios and BA status if BA close your account.
  - Charlie says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 09:54
    
    Thanks
- Navara says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 10:09
  
  Much easier now with Nectar but Don’t risk it.
- John says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:34
  
  I think many of them just book a ticket for you by putting you on their f&f list.
  - kitten says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 12:01
    
    A nightmare if you need to change or get a refund then even if legit.
    
    Better to watch and learn and devise your own methods of increasing your own balances.
  - Anna says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 12:33
    
    There’s the famous case of the lady whose return flight was cancelled while she was on holiday because she’s done something similar for her tenant in lieu of rent. No one seems to know how that worked out in the end!
    - ChrisC says:
      
      12 Feb12 February 13:24
      
      Ah yes I remember that one from Flyer Talk
      
      Started out as ‘I did nothing wrong’ before morphing into ‘I let one of my tennants use my garden in return for them using their avios to book my flights’ and that morped into involving anothet one and then wondering why BA cancelled her tickets and closed her BAEC.
      
      LIke most of those posts once they realise they aren’t getting much sympathy (even thought here was lots of advice on other airlines to get back home) they just dissapear.
      - Tiff says:
        
        12 Feb12 February 15:14
        
        Not really true. The OP put all the details (including the deals with the two tenants) in the first post, and came back two days later with an update.
C says:

12 Feb12 February 09:43

I’ve recently got HSBC Premier and wondering if anyone knows if they keep tabs on the salary amount going in to remain eligible? I’ll be going on maternity leave this summer so income will drop below the threshold and I’m wondering how much attention they pay to this in order for the travel insurance and other account benefits to remain valid. Don’t want to ask them and then have this flagged as I’m intending to return to work again full time afterwards. Would moving an amount equivalent to my usual salary from another account be sufficient for the time that I’m off?
- Craig says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 10:13
  
  From what I understand they talk to you before doing anything and are very understanding, I’m sure with maternity leave it will be OK. I have had the income but nothing else since I paid off the mortgage two years ago and haven’t heard a peep.
  - BuildBackBetter says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 11:23
    
    Do they ask or check your income credit in current account when upgrading or downgrading the premier credit card?
    - Craig says:
      
      12 Feb12 February 15:32
      
      Never have but my salary is paid in.
- Anna says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 10:22
  
  Different account (First Direct) but I have previously been on maternity leave, then gone back to work part time, then retired and not been asked a single question about change of income etc, even when I moved my own salary to be paid into an M & S account! I think they will be understanding as there are equality issues around pregnancy/maternity which are legally protected. Enjoy your maternity leave!
- the_real_a says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:16
  
  Not for 4 years…
- Jon G says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:29
  
  I managed to get a Premier account while below the usual income threshold (on a high income career trajectory), left my job a few months after, then joined another company after a 2 month unpaid break. No issues at all even for the months where I had no incoming salary into my Premier account.
  
  Think the stricter requirement is the product bit (mortgage or investment product), which I continued to do at a £100/month regular investment.
  - Harry T says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 12:02
    
    Could you please elaborate? I’m a bit below the income threshold but will be above it within the next three years due to essentially guaranteed career and pay progression. Was wondering if I could talk them into giving me Premier on that basis.
    - Matthew says:
      
      12 Feb12 February 12:48
      
      They still won’t let me upgrade to Premier due to COVID. Only taking new applications online. So frustrating…
      - sloth says:
        
        12 Feb12 February 12:59
        
        why not shut the account you have then reapply for premier in a month?
      - C says:
        
        12 Feb12 February 13:14
        
        I was told this on the phone too a few weeks ago (had an Advance account) but then the agent said to try applying online for Premier anyway and it would recognize me as an existing customer and I would get a letter or email outlining ‘next steps’. A Premier account then appeared in my app after a few days, and then a few days later my Advance account became a Premier (so currently have 2, not sure if the second will disappear). Got an email saying a new debit card is on the way. Will see which account that corresponds to when it arrives. Hopefully hasn’t confused things! Still need to set up my ‘investment product’ as I didn’t have that at the time of application
      - Bigmaggot says:
        
        13 Feb13 February 00:13
        
        I upgraded on December, if you are told no hang up and phone again!
- 747_Brat says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 16:57
  
  On a similar note, do they check if the “investment” or “savings” are still maintained at the required level after the upgrade?
  
  I got the Premier upgrade based on salary and savings, but I don’t plan to keep my savings with them for a long time. I don’t mind putting my month salary in the Premier account though. If I withdraw my savings but still credit my salary to Premier, would it raise any flags?
  
  Thanks in advance.
  - David D says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 20:55
    
    There are other ways and means to be eligible for HSBC Premier. If you are in a couple, or a mother/father and adult child duo, you can open a joint account whilst saving half the required amount in an investment product each, provided you open a joint account. You do not need to open the same investment product as it should be based on each individual risk profile.
- Louie says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 23:17
  
  Haven’t had any salary for six years and no issues. Still have a mortgage though.
Damien says:

12 Feb12 February 09:48

Hi Guys. Quick question regarding a cancelled BA Avios flight. Do you know if 365 day rule regarding rebooking applies to the completion date of any rebooked flight, or just the outbound flight?
- AJA says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:20
  
  It’s 365 days from date of original ticketing date (date you booked the flight, not the date of the flight) so if you booked 355 days out you are limited to the next 10 days unless you can get BA to override that which they can if they are willing but you have to get a willing customer service agent.
- Harry T says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:21
  
  Outbound
- MKB says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 12:05
  
  When I tried to change my Cancun flight, the BA agent insisted that the return flight had to be completed within 365 days of my ticketing date. But then again, she also said “EU261 does not apply to this booking”, so she clearly had no idea what she was talking about.
Travel Strong says:

12 Feb12 February 10:19

IHG app has updated to new logo. Icon on home screen is now just the black IHG letters … but with transparent background, so no icon visible at all with dark backgrounds 😂 (android)
- Sandra says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 16:06
  
  Updated on my Apple ‘phone and ipad today too. Not as garish but doesn’t stand out as much either when I look for it now, at least the orange made it quick to locate at check in!
Fm says:

12 Feb12 February 10:54

Just got Amex Bonvoy after a 2 year hiatus – I remember there being a spend tracker on the website with regards to how much you need to spend to reach your bonus target – has this been removed?
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 10:59
  
  No but it doesn’t always show
- Harry T says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:21
  
  Doesn’t always show
  - Fm says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 11:34
    
    Great thanks
Anna says:

12 Feb12 February 11:02

Wondering about Mexico as Plan B for August if the US doesn’t open up, no testing requirement prior to entry apparently (I’ve no objection to this, but most Caribbean nations are requiring proof of testing then health visa application within a few days of travel which might not be practically possible flying from the UK. A lot of Americans have been holidaying successfully in Cancun and that area during the pandemic, apparently. We’ve been to Cancun before and enjoyed it, it’s a fantastic destination if you like beaches & watersports plus history and culture.
- Michael C says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:08
  
  My (BA captain!) friend has just booked for Mahahual for this autumn, and I def. trust her choices!
- pointsarb says:
  
  12 Feb12 February 11:18
  
  CUN for us is like GCM for you Anna 🙂 Agree it’s a fantastic destination and we almost decided to spend 3 months there starting Xmas this year but didn’t pull the trigger in the end but now wish we had! Be warned though, a lax attitude to Covid tests upon entry can only mean that cases rise and they have been. If you dig around the Cancun forum on Trip Advisor you’ll read some things about Covid in Cancun that are not widely shared as Cancun is heavily reliant upon tourism. We were due back to CUN over Easter but that’s now a non starter unless Boris gives us all some good news on 22/02, we can hope of course!
  - Anna says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 12:38
    
    Thanks – yes I’ve looked at the Covid situation there but I’m thinking we’ll very likely have had at least first vaccine doses by April/May being 50, we’ll be outdoors a lot and scrupulous about sanitising and mask wearing. Where we live has been one of the worst hit areas of the UK so it’s a way of life now!
    - pointsarb says:
      
      12 Feb12 February 12:57
      
      Yes once you get to GCM or CUN things should be fine, it’s the 11 hours stuck in a flying tin can with 300+ other passengers that probably presents the greater Covid risk!
      - Anna says:
        
        12 Feb12 February 13:36
        
        That’s why I would only go if we’d had our jabs by then. It’s the risk of not getting the PCR test/health visa back in time which is putting me off the likes of Bahamas and Bermuda. Though Bermuda currently also make you wear a tag which would be rather uncomfortable in that heat!
  - Anna says:
    
    12 Feb12 February 12:51
    
    I really enjoyed our trip there, possibly helped by being asked if I was Puerto Rican by some of the locals (could have been flattery though, or they just couldn’t place the accent!).
    Michael C, I had never heard of Mahahual but it looks lovely!