The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 16th March

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• Rhys says:

  16 Mar16 March 17:14

  We wrote about Midpoint last week: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/03/09/earn-avios-on-foreign-currency-with-midpoint/

• Oh Matron! says:

  16 Mar16 March 17:30

  Yay! https://news.sky.com/story/visa-to-hike-interchange-fees-for-uk-customers-in-post-brexit-move-12247818

  Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving…

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    16 Mar16 March 17:43

    The hike would only apply to online purchases from European merchants.
    Good, more people will buy from local merchants.

    • bafan says:

      16 Mar16 March 17:44

      At the usual outrageous prices and markups.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      16 Mar16 March 18:14

      You’re in cloud cookoo land. Do you think the price difference is 1.5%?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:14

    Will be a loophole in the way the SI is written. Since UK championed the interchange fee cap imagine there will be changes in the future

    • kitten says:

      16 Mar16 March 22:12

      ? do you think UK gov will just let this happen then? did we not take most European legislation into UK law as a starting point?

• StuR says:

  16 Mar16 March 17:51

  Just been trying to make Hilton bookings for Sept and Oct but the 5 nights for 4 is not showing. I have taken it to the payment page but it just shows the full amount. Has that perk been removed or am I doing something wrong? Its been such a long time since I booked a room .

  • Rob says:

    16 Mar16 March 17:57

    1. Do you have status?
    2. Are you booking a ‘standard’ rather than a ‘premium’ redemption?

    • BuildBackBetter says:

      16 Mar16 March 18:01

      On a slightly related note, what happens if I book 5-for-4 as a Gold and then lose the status before checking in? Is the booking still valid?

      • Rob says:

        16 Mar16 March 19:12

        Guess so, never heard of it being an issue.

  • Harry T says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:34

    Is this a cash or points booking? You can only use 5 for 4 on a points booking with standard redemption pricing.

• Aston100 says:

  16 Mar16 March 18:10

  Quick question: LHR to HKG. Which airline has the better premium economy, Virgin or BA? specifically that route and those two airlines only please.
  Assume no status with either.

  Thanks.

  • Anon says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:13

    Depends on aircraft model?

    • memesweeper says:

      16 Mar16 March 18:15

      … and what’s important to you — the seat, the food, the wine, the entertainment.

      • Anon says:

        16 Mar16 March 18:39

        Heard BA service is naff. All they are doing are strikes

      • cabal of rabid baboons says:

        16 Mar16 March 19:35

        Surely, the wine every time?

  • David says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:18

    Virgin on all counts

    • Anon says:

      16 Mar16 March 18:40

      Can you elaborate what makes Virgin better? Also considering the two airlines for a long haul

      • WaynedP says:

        16 Mar16 March 21:48

        I received better service on both legs of VA Prem Econ flights to SA last Feb than I did on both legs of CW on BA last Dec (LHR – JNB).

        Departure drink and night cap on VA PE, nothing other than wine with box meal on BA. Admittedly Covid affected BA flight, which also explains why only one single stewardess in CW cabin (only four of us “paying pax”, rest were boisterous young BA staff being repositioned).

        But Covid doesn’t explain why no request seemed too much trouble for VA staff, whereas all requests seemed inconvenient to BA staff.

        Other than for the flat bed in CW, the two experiences were incomparable, but not in the way you would expect.

        • Aston100 says:

          16 Mar16 March 22:22

          Thanks for the feedback WaynedP

  • Andrew says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:18

    Cathay Pacific also offers premium economy on that route and could be better than both BA or Virgin and is also in One World with BA.

    • kitten says:

      16 Mar16 March 22:10

      If CX has managed to maintain their standards with all the struggles they have been having, then CX was regarded as one of the few in airlines where there is a real quality differentiation in PY as compared to Y so would be the best of the three.

      • Aston100 says:

        16 Mar16 March 22:21

        Thanks but it’s between Virgin and BA on this occasion.
        Unsurprisingly, sounds like Virgin would be the best choice, assuming they are still alive at the time.

        Thanks

• Anuj says:

  16 Mar16 March 18:13

  Go on wise (formerly TransferWise) then get a quick quote, scroll down to see the comparison then go down the list of competitors and see if any are offering a new customer incentive. You can also have a look on cashb sites

• Anon says:

  16 Mar16 March 18:15

  You may earn avios but it will cost 2.99% generally wherever you go

• Russ says:

  16 Mar16 March 18:20

  There is a BA A380 coming into LHR now. Very nice seeing the heavy brigade back in the skies.

  • Anon says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:40

    When and which route?

    • kitten says:

      16 Mar16 March 22:16

      flightradar24 would tell you which flight it is

      Maybe containing loadsa people rushing back from Dubai before they get copped for 2 weeks of a n*ff hotel on their return?

  • Paul says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:42

    Just seen it overhead on the evening dog walk, not in any hurry….

• Tracey says:

  16 Mar16 March 18:22

  Can you settle a debate?
  Friends emigrated a few years ago and now live overseas. They have their British passports and now also have citizenship and residency overseas. They have flown to England and are currently isolating in the home of family (having flown from the non- Red country).
  My understanding was that leisure/ visiting family was not allowed under current lockdown rules in England and so they shouldn’t have travelled here. They claim they are British passport holders and citizens and so have a right of entry. Obviously while here they will follow lockdown rules, but I’m not sure they should have travelled here at all. Seems ludicrous that you can fly in from abroad to see family, but you aren’t allowed to drive within the country to do the same. Views?

  • Anna says:

    16 Mar16 March 18:28

    There’s nothing barring them from travelling here, but until the end of March the current rules on leaving home will apply to them (notwithstanding the quarantine period). There’s nothing to say either that they can’t do their quarantine in the family home. It’s one of the current anomalies of the system. They have as much right as any other UK citizen to be here, but of course are subject to any covid regulations while they are here. So currently they can obviously interact with the family they are staying with, but only meet up with other people as per the current and soon to be implemented rules.

  • Pete M says:

    16 Mar16 March 19:03

    Does it affect you? I am a firm believer people should live and let live…

    • BuildBackBetter says:

      16 Mar16 March 22:24

      The irony of people unable to live if they keep passing the virus around… who cares anyway?

  • Harry T says:

    16 Mar16 March 19:09

    Probably allowed despite being morally foolish from some perspectives.

  • Travel Strong says:

    16 Mar16 March 19:26

    Sounds like they are residing in that UK property now and not affecting you. Also sounds like you are not really friends, or not friendly enough to refrain from passing judgement on their decisions.

    • kitten says:

      16 Mar16 March 22:19

      unfair

  • The real John says:

    16 Mar16 March 20:49

    1. British citizens cannot be refused entry to the UK.

    2. The current legislation uses the “Tier” system in place at the end of last year. All of England is in Tier 4.

    The restrictions in place apply to residents of Tier 4 areas. Currently these are “stay at home” unless you have a reasonable excuse.

    3. I cannot see how one could argue that they live in the home of their family where they are currently visiting, unless they really arranged for the centre of their lives to be moved to that address.

    Therefore, legally no restrictions apply to them and they can travel anywhere in England and meet anybody they like, indoors or outdoors (but if the people they meet live in England, those people would be committing an offence by meeting up unless in line with the current regulations).

    4. Morally they should not have travelled, but that is irrelevant.

    If their travel was illegal, they should have been fixed penaltied at the border, but presumably they were not.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      16 Mar16 March 21:18

      Re 3. Believe the government advice says that you’ve formed a household with anyone you’ve elected to visit.

      Can you chop and change the household? Can you leave and form your own in a hotel or Airbnb?

      They would be permitted to stay in a hotel or Airbnb too since they have no other place of residence.

      It’s a grey area for sure.

      • Tracey says:

        16 Mar16 March 21:50

        Seems very strange that they can travel in from overseas to see relatives, yet anyone living here can’t travel to see relatives, that’s why I was querying it. I’ve no problem if they can get away with it then good luck to them. They’ve had covid and their first vaccine, so doubt there is a significant risk of them transmitting it.

    • Aston100 says:

      16 Mar16 March 22:24

      ***British citizens cannot be refused entry to the UK.***
      Shamima Begum would like a word.

      • AJA says:

        16 Mar16 March 23:13

        Don’t want to get into an argument but the government revoked her British citizenship because she apparently is entitled to Bangladeshi citizenship through her parents. It’s a controversial decision also related to her voluntarily travelling to Iraq to join Isis.

      • John says:

        17 Mar17 March 06:34

        She hasn’t tried to enter the UK (because she has no way to get here) since the time the government claimed she was no longer a citizen.

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