Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 16th March

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

We are running 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.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page.  If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here.  This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

Category

General

Comments (415)

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

  • rams1981 says:
    16 Mar16 March 14:36

    Lloyds upgrade voucher – as mentioned before by some others, calling extended voucher to 31st October.

  • Hotelier says:
    16 Mar16 March 14:49

    Question about IHG card: Does the credit limit on the card represent the max amount of points I can earn in a month or if I pay it with debit card before I can continue to spend over that amount and earn points on that. Think I read about it not long ago but not sure if it was on this card or other. Thank you!

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      16 Mar16 March 14:51

      It’s on the Virgin card. Not this one.

      • Hotelier says:
        16 Mar16 March 14:54

        Thanks. Have been using it to buy Morris’s GC and only have £3k monthly limit so going over it quite quickly.

        • mark2 says:
          16 Mar16 March 15:56

          So what is the benefit of buying Morrison’s gift cards with IHG card then please?

          • Hotelier says:
            16 Mar16 March 16:05

            It is the only MC/Visa I have earning rewards – Registered to 10% Airtime rewards + Virgin points through their portal.

          • mark2 says:
            16 Mar16 March 17:07

            Thanks; I never get Morrison’s on airtime.

          • Chrisasaurus says:
            16 Mar16 March 17:07

            Yes you realise they take Amex!

          • Hotelier says:
            16 Mar16 March 17:46

            @ Chrisasaurus Sadly non of our AX cards got the offer for 10% off Morrison’s that’s why using the IHG card… wish it would show up in the Business Plat!! Has someone got it there? or only personal cards?

    • Steve says:
      16 Mar16 March 19:22

      Why pay with a debit card? Can pay with a credit card and double dip on rewards

    • Si says:
      16 Mar16 March 19:22

      I’ve been front loading my IHG recently to make a couple of large purchases (card has £10k limit on it). Card had no issue being in credit.

      My points tally for this month is currently 72k so looks like you can spend what

    • Guernsey Globetrotter says:
      16 Mar16 March 21:47

      We got the Morrison’s 10% offer on our AMEX Bus Plat cards (main & supplementary)

  • 747_Brat says:
    16 Mar16 March 15:04

    Has anyone had incorrect miles posted from soon to be closed M&M card? I reckon the miles are earned @ 1.25 miles per £1 spend. At this rate, I just noted that I am short of 1750 miles that should have been credited for the spend on my monthly card statement. I didn’t have any refunds coming back to the card last month, so clearly they haven’t calculated it correctly.

    Planning to give them a call to check, but has anyone faced it before from the M&M card?
    Thanks.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      16 Mar16 March 15:41

      The miles you’ve earned is on the Statement. No issues here.

      • 747_Brat says:
        16 Mar16 March 15:54

        Thanks TGL.
        I just gave them a quick call. It turned out that they flagged one of the transactions as a cash advance transaction, which actually wasn’t one. So they have arranged to credit the missing miles to my M&M FF account.

        You can’t fault M&M card’s customer service. I have always found them to genuinely go out of their way to help customers. And I have never waited for than a minute to speak to an agent. I will miss their customer service after they will close my account next month. 🙁

  • Dave says:
    16 Mar16 March 15:07

    Sturgeon has announced Scottish tourist accommodation can open from the 26th April. Looks like Marriott’s double night promo will be useless for us up here as it finishes on the 27th. Any chance they’ll extend it or run it again?

    • Rhys says:
      16 Mar16 March 15:10

      I doubt it will be the last Marriott promotion we see 🙂

    • Anna says:
      16 Mar16 March 15:14

      Is that for everyone, or just Scots?

      • Aston100 says:
        16 Mar16 March 15:29

        And how will they know?
        Obviously I’m practicing my weegie slang and will be wearing a kilt just in case.

        • Anna says:
          16 Mar16 March 15:58

          She’ll presumably be using the same intelligence service as Mark Drakeford, who has said that if English people are allowed to go abroad this year, they won’t be allowed into Wales. Though if the choice is between a beach on the Med or one in Llandudno, it’s not going to be a difficult choice TBH 🤣

          • Rupert says:
            16 Mar16 March 16:50

            Once the Wales “stay local rules” have gone, probably in 2 weeks, then this won’t be an issue. I don’t know where this information comes from. Wales is opening up quicker than England.

      • E says:
        16 Mar16 March 15:56

        Within Scotland at this point. Hopefully for others too but they can’t confirm that at this point.

  • 747_Brat says:
    16 Mar16 March 15:08

    Qatar Airways to soon give out Diptyque amenity kits onboard:

    https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2021/03/16/qatar-airways-partners-with-diptyque-for-airport-lounges-and-onboard-toiletries/

    • Rhys says:
      16 Mar16 March 15:13

      Not quite as exciting – not for amenity kits but for onboard toiletries (ie. handwash in the toilets etc)

      • 747_Brat says:
        16 Mar16 March 15:19

        The handwash they are offering onboard retails for $62!

        In the past some people have claimed that they’ve been able to drink their ticket price in Champagne & Cognac! Well, on Qatar Airways you will soon be able to wash away your ticket price with a handwash! :mrgreen:

    • Andrew says:
      16 Mar16 March 15:47

      The Diptyque products have been in the Doha lounges for a few weeks now and a welcome upgrade to Rituals which is a bit down market. From today’s press release it does suggest that this is part of a larger partnership with the brand rolling out, so may well see these in the amenity kits in due course.

  • Anna says:
    16 Mar16 March 15:14

    Following on from earlier posts I’ve managed to get my first jab appointment for Thursday. My GP receptionist told me to try booking via the NHS as they are way behind schedule and have no idea when they will finish doing the clinically vulnerable group. Apparently there’s some glitch on the system which lets you book even if you’re under 55. Before anyone criticises, there was loads of availability at my local centre, all day most days this week! At least some of those appointments probably won’t even be filled.

    • Rhys says:
      16 Mar16 March 15:16

      If it lets you book then it sounds like they want you too. They ask for your NHS number and DOB seem to filter on that.

      • George1976 says:
        16 Mar16 March 15:24

        I think it lets anyone book as “health and social care workers” are on the list but they need to take proof of having that job.

        • Rhys says:
          16 Mar16 March 15:26

          You have to confirm that you are a healthcare/social care worker, though.

        • Travel Strong says:
          16 Mar16 March 15:34

          Unpaid carer has been added as an separate option in the last few days, which opens the door to many partners and family members of vulnerable people (I.e. those who have been offered the jab due to any health reason).

          • Anna says:
            16 Mar16 March 16:01

            I wasn’t asked about occupation. There were literally free appointments from first thing tomorrow for the next 5 days, so there’s no way I’m going to be depriving anyone. I’m 50 so technically fall into one of the vulnerable groups or I would have waited a bit longer.

    • AJA says:
      16 Mar16 March 16:09

      That’s excellent Anna. Thanks to your post I just booked mine for this Friday and second one is 8 June 2021. I went onto the NHS website and entered my NHS no and date of birth as Rhys notes and it all went through. Just got text confirmation too. 🙂

      • Andrew says:
        16 Mar16 March 18:00

        I think the aim is all over 50s by the end of this week and then onto 40s next week.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          16 Mar16 March 20:37

          That’s never happen across England

          Individual primary care areas may differ

    • Doug M says:
      16 Mar16 March 18:05

      Excellent. Get them done is the way to go. Trawling through medical records takes too long. I feel the pile it high approach is the right one.

    • Tracey says:
      16 Mar16 March 18:14

      They are lowering the age by one year more often than they are updating the wording. If it lets you book then take it.

  • SLLee says:
    16 Mar16 March 15:41

    Looking for collective opinion. BA cancelled our return half a few days ago (YVR-LHR-CDG May 2021), cash tickets. They cancelled three times before and we managed to rebook. The original tickets were issued in July 2019. Now, BA decided not to cooperate and refused to change to a new date that is convenient to us (we want a Oct 2021 date), citing out of validity as the reason. Did HUCA three times, no success.

    BA is offering us two options – €605 refund or €5,750 reprice for the new date. Shall we just accept the refund or shall we bring BA to MCOL under EC261? Thanks.

    • memesweeper says:
      16 Mar16 March 18:13

      Personally? I’d book a flexible ticket and MCOL for the price of that. Send a letter before action after buying the tickets and before commencing MCOL setting out what you’re going to claim and why if they don’t rebook you. If they rebook you, cancel the flex ticket. If you loose, cancel the flex ticket. IANAL.

    • Andrew says:
      16 Mar16 March 19:01

      Hm. I had this last week – HUCA did work for me. Pot luck who you get as an agent I think.

      Will it let you rebook online though?

  • Sue says:
    16 Mar16 March 15:50

    BA Exec club Silver status to be extended. Expect you knew this but my Silver was due to expire 8 June this year. Called Exec club (didn’t have to wait long!) and was told that a month before expiry it will be extended to June 2022.

    • Genghis says:
      16 Mar16 March 16:16

      Received an email about it last week I think it was. Mine was due to expire Nov 2021 but has already been extended to Nov 2022.

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

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Learn more on our About page.

VAA

Latest comments

Latest Forum Posts

Get 30,000 points bonus with American Express Platinum

Amex Gold

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.3 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

Get 20,000 bonus points and your first year free with American Express Gold

Amex Gold