Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 17th 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 (342)

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

  • David says:
    17 Mar17 March 09:52

    Apologies as probably covered elsewhere (and maybe I am being a bit dim reading the BA rules). But am I able to cancel an Avios booking (made in March 21 for travel in July 21) for free? Or the usual £35 pp?

    • ChrisC says:
      17 Mar17 March 10:11

      If they have cancelled the flight then full refund.

      If you just don’t want to go then you pay the fee – but easily avoided if you take the future travel voucher instead,

  • mutley says:
    17 Mar17 March 09:55

    Maybe already covered, IHG buy points at 100% extended until 21st March.

  • gareth says:
    17 Mar17 March 10:10

    Just received an email from IHG which seems to indicate a 10k bonus for one stay if paid using IHG CC… I think that’s what it means not 100%

    • Swiss Jim says:
      17 Mar17 March 10:14

      +1 for a sub £50 stay very generous….

      • Rob says:
        17 Mar17 March 10:57

        That would be £50 per night for the 3 nights required.

        • Tiff says:
          17 Mar17 March 16:49

          I had 3 nights at Holiday Inn Express Bradford last year for the princely total of £51. Last of the big spenders, me.

    • Andrew says:
      17 Mar17 March 10:22

      Yes the T&Cs state it’s a 10k bonus on your first stay between 17 May and 5 September when booked by 11 May and paid for with your IHG card. That’s in addition to the base credit card points and hotel earning.

    • BrianKL says:
      17 Mar17 March 10:35

      Hi yes I have this as well. However to get the 10k bonus points using the credit card, do you think the stay has to be a minimum of eg 3 nights booked under the ‘Stay Longer, Pay Less with Breakfast Included’ rate or is it for any stay under any rate of any length? Thanks

      • Andrew says:
        17 Mar17 March 10:45

        I was wondering the same – not overly clear, as it does mention it needs to be the ‘spring promotion’ to qualify, but not sure if that’s just the date range. I’m sure Rob will get us the definitive answer.

      • Blindman says:
        17 Mar17 March 10:47

        I read it as this is tied to the 3 night promo .

        Cardholders of the IHG Rewards Club UK Credit Card or IHG Rewards Club Premium UK Credit Card from Creation Financial Services that use their IHG Rewards Credit Card to book their qualifying stay at participating IHG® Hotel and Resorts in the Europe Spring 2021 Promotion will receive an additional 10,000 IHG Rewards Bonus Points.

        • Rob says:
          17 Mar17 March 10:51

          My reading is that you do need to book a 3-night sale rate, yes. As it is IHG and not Creation giving the bonus, they see what you book.

      • Anna says:
        17 Mar17 March 10:52

        It does look as though it only applies to the Stay Longer, Pay Less rate – and as I recall there’s a non-refundable charge for the first night which makes it slightly risky.
        Not impressed with IHG just now trying to use stunts like this to deflect their ignoring of requests to extend status and free night certificates which simply can’t be benefited from before they expire.

        • kitten says:
          17 Mar17 March 11:03

          Yes, both Accor and IHG are wanting 3 days notice to change dates at the moment otherwise you end up paying 1 of the 3 nights.

          In these times that’s worthless. 24 hours max or even p.m. on day of checkin. There are just too many of lastminute changes to travel rules being made by governments everywhere.

          • Anna says:
            17 Mar17 March 11:24

            I think it’s actually non-refundable from the time you make the booking!

          • Rob says:
            17 Mar17 March 11:36

            Non-refundable but changeable ‘subject to individual hotel policies’.

        • Jayne says:
          17 Mar17 March 11:10

          It’s hardly related to your calls and emails about the free Ambassador night certificates, Anna. Its a promotion (not a “stunt”) to encoursge stays. I know you’re not impressed with IHG right now, and I share this with regard to the certificates, but that’s a pretty big conflation you make there.

          • Anna says:
            17 Mar17 March 11:22

            The last time I spoke to them the CSA said they are getting calls from frustrated members on a daily basis about this and that call centre staff are beyond exasperated with the lack of response from management, so I feel entirely justified in my assertion, Jayne!

          • NHS hero says:
            17 Mar17 March 11:36

            The last time I spoke to them the CSA said they are getting calls from frustrated members on a daily basis about this and that call centre staff are beyond exasperated

            A bit like us on here with your constant whinning about the one time you bought Amb status. Move on.

          • Jayne says:
            17 Mar17 March 11:45

            Nobody is disputing that Anna. But the offer is not a stunt to deflect from the issue, is it, and that’s what you said.

          • WaynedP says:
            17 Mar17 March 12:52

            I’m grateful to Anna for pointing out the risks of signing up to offers with this provider.

            Puts me off if that’s the way they treat existing customers who signed up to earlier offers in good faith, and they really should put their house in order on that score before risking sign up hesitancy with new offers.

        • BrianKL says:
          17 Mar17 March 11:17

          I still don’t have my free night certificate and my card year ended in September…..

          • Lady London says:
            17 Mar17 March 15:01

            Only September? There are posters here who said not received when due last March…

            Someone was thinking of taking them to the FOS over it. Meanwhile a couple of people said they got a payment of £150 whilst they are apparently makiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing efforts to sort it.

            Why not raise an official complaint, which would be required anyway as a prequisite to referring them to the FOS, and see what happens?

            In other news there were reports that IHG lost a set of 130 hotels in the Americas apparently because IHG wasn’t providing payments to the hotels that were contractually guaranteed.

  • peter says:
    17 Mar17 March 10:28

    Sounds like a chance for free Amex points 🙂
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56413991

    • ChrisC says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:23

      How can you get ‘free’ amex points from a refund on your energy bill because your account is in credit?

      But more fool people who don’t check their accounts and allow large balances to build up and those that don’t submit regular readings to get accurate bills.

      • lumma says:
        17 Mar17 March 11:27

        You sign up to an energy company that allows you to make extra payments via credit card, building up a credit balance, they then refund the credit to your bank account under this proposal

        • Rob says:
          17 Mar17 March 11:36

          When we moved house last year I closed my Bulb account at the old place and our credit balance was paid directly into my bank account, which was handy ….

      • John says:
        17 Mar17 March 12:18

        Octopus keeps encouraging me to cash out to bank. Every 2 months I pay £300 in, then on the next monthly statement it says we think you should get a refund by clicking here.

  • G says:
    17 Mar17 March 10:45

    I have taken out a car lease with Arval. Does anyone know if I can pay the monthlies via amex/credit card/curve?

    • Freddy says:
      17 Mar17 March 16:43

      Not sure on payments but watch post-lease. Arval like to invent damage in the report and quietly discount/cancel the charges if disputed

      • G says:
        17 Mar17 March 18:08

        Thanks for the heads up. Will make sure I take good pictures before it goes back

    • Bigmaggot says:
      17 Mar17 March 18:27

      This was their response when I asked the question

      I’m afraid this isn’t possible.

      All payments must be made via direct debit and can cause delays and payment issues for your account.

  • BuildBackBetter says:
    17 Mar17 March 10:50

    Do any of the employer perks websites accept credit cards?
    I know Xexec doesn’t. What about P@W?

  • Simon says:
    17 Mar17 March 11:04

    BA flight ticketing Q • and my apologies if this has been covered recently:

    Roughly how long is it taking BA to ticket flights booked using a FTV (Avios version)?

    I redeemed an Avios 2-4-1 FTV two weeks ago now and part of this FTV included a seat reservation fee which I’d paid for originally.

    Understandably, BA has told me that I cannot reserve seats until my booking has been ticketed, so I was just curious how many weeks this was taking for others at the moment on average?

    BA had told me it should take approximately a week for my flights to be ticketed and to call back then, which I did, but there’s been no ticketing as things stand after two weeks now.

    TIA

    • Jane says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:11

      I’m still waiting from last august ! a return flight added on to an outbound by the call center at on release date.

      • Simon says:
        17 Mar17 March 11:34

        Thanks, Jane. Wow, that is a long time. I hope it gets sorted out for you soon!

    • ChrisC says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:19

      When is your flight?

      The reticketting queue is dealt with in order of flight date not order of reticketting request so depending on demand it can take several weeks

      • Simon says:
        17 Mar17 March 11:36

        Ah, I see, Chris — thanks for the clarification. Flight date is not until Feb ’22, so a while yet, admittedly. It’s just that, without status and it being a 12-hr flight, I wanted to lock in reasonable seats for my wife and I as soon as it became possible to do so.

        • Jill (Kinkell) says:
          17 Mar17 March 13:06

          Our 241 trip next for Jan/Feb was ticketed in full last week. . It’s an open jaw with a subsequent call several days to change a CW leg to F. Very prompt when I wasn’t expecting it .

    • David B says:
      17 Mar17 March 13:04

      I was told up to 3 weeks, but in fact in was done in less than two in my case….

      • Jane says:
        17 Mar17 March 13:12

        I know I need to call but as the flight isn’t till August I wasn’t planning on starting for another few months – the outbound flight is fully ticketed and for some reason I can select seats with no charge and it’s on the new club suite as far as I can see so I’m pretty excited about that 🙂

  • Josh says:
    17 Mar17 March 11:18

    Anyone still not seeing the Barclays premier avios scheme appear in app or browser? Signed up over week ago and still only blue awards

    • Rhys says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:23

      We were told the phased rollout would occur over several weeks, so this is not unsurprising.

    • mutley says:
      17 Mar17 March 11:34

      Yes, I have Premier and Business account with Barclays for a number of years, and still only seeing Blue rewards, I called up Premier last week and got passed to IT, who were ” working on it” I ‘ll probably wait a month until things have settled down before tackling again.

    • Alex says:
      17 Mar17 March 12:19

      Nothing here and I keep checking daily. Wonder whether I need to unsubscribe from Blue Rewards to see the Avios Rewards option.

    • kevbar says:
      17 Mar17 March 13:23

      I did get the option to enrol with Avios Rewards (before I had cancelled Blue Rewards) after a few days of checking. So I then cancelled Blue Rewards and went to sign up in app for Avios Rewards but it throws an error message.

      I waited a week and ensured I was signed up for paperless, but the error still happens. Spoke to their IT who noted the error code and said they would get back to me. Another week and it still fails and they haven’t got back to me. So I wouldn’t be that bothered about it appearing in your app!

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