The HfP chat thread – Sunday 28th March

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• Imran says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:20

  Could someone help me understand the expiry rules for HSBC WE points please? I can’t seem to find the expiry information on their website. Not sure if it is buried in the small print in the T&Cs somewhere.
  Thanks.

  • Adam says:

    28 Mar28 March 13:24

    It’s 3 years since the points were earned

  • the_real_a says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:49

    The cheapest method for me.

    Transfer in $ from the US to a UK based HSBC $ account
    Transfer from HSBC to Revolut in $ (£4 fee)
    Transfer to £ in Revolut (Spot rate)
    Transfer from Revolut to your current account. (Free)

• Chris says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:42

  Anyone have an tips on best route to bring money from US back to UK?

  Got a US based share scheme through work previously used Revolut but I think that route has been closed down or curtailed

  • kitten says:

    28 Mar28 March 13:47

    could you indicate expected level and frequency?

    • Chris says:

      28 Mar28 March 14:15

      Sorry, whenever I cash in shares so max 1-2 times a year

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    28 Mar28 March 13:47

    If it’s just a money transfer, Wise is highly recommended

  • Harry T says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:01

    Transferwise, now called Wise for no apparent good reason, has always offered the best rates for me when transferring.

    • Harry T says:

      28 Mar28 March 14:21

      I should say I’ve only done transfers between the UK and Australia. I checked the rate with several competitors every time and Wise was the best. The transfers are very quick too.

      Apparently, you get a fee free transfer up to £500 value if you use my referral link: https://wise.com/invite/i/harryt62

      I should say I probably won’t get anything useful with the referral link, as I need to refer three people (I don’t know anyone else who would want one), so offering the link is just me genuinely trying to see if it helps you get a discount. Their fees are generally very low anyway, and I’d recommend them regardless of whether there was a referral incentive.

      Rob or Rhys, please delete my referral link if you don’t think it’s appropriate for me to add it, or you have your own link you could post.

    • Rob says:

      28 Mar28 March 14:39

      What do you reckon wise.com cost? £1m+?

      • Harry T says:

        28 Mar28 March 16:38

        I hope it cost them a lot because marketing mistakes should be costly!

      • Memesweeper says:

        28 Mar28 March 18:40

        Probably more would be my guess

  • the_real_a says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:50

    The cheapest method for me.

    Transfer in $ from the US to a UK based HSBC $ account
    Transfer from HSBC to Revolut in $ (£4 fee)
    Transfer to £ in Revolut (Spot rate)
    Transfer from Revolut to your current account. (Free)

  • Ryan Gill says:

    28 Mar28 March 15:59

    Sellotaped to your body.

    • Mouse says:

      28 Mar28 March 16:17

      After the cerebral palsy phase

• BA-Flyer says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:42

  BA cancelled my LCY to Glasgow flight and transferred it to LHR. Due to fly on 1 April, but the whole trip is cancelled now anyway. We plan to travel in August instead, but haven’t fixed dates yet. Am I obliged to re-book (or request a refund) before the new flight departs? I don’t want to appear as a ‘no show’ and forfeit the booking?

  • Lady London says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:01

    as they’ve auto-booked you on something else call them and mention you won’t be taking that flight. Mention as your original flight was cancelled you will be erouting to a later date. This will take some time to organise so tell them you will contact them later to rebook it to a new date.

    if anyone is rebooked automatically it makes sense ti call let them know you will be rerouting to a later date instead.

    As you have the right to reroute (rebook to a later date) the whole booking as soon as any flight on it is cancelled, make sure to call to say you won’t be on the outboud flight particularly if it’s not the first flight on the booking that’s been cancelled. That way you avoid being shown as a no-show.

    You are not obliged to choose a new date by the date of the original flight.

    FWIW Easyjet was refusing to note that people wouldn’t be taking a flight Easyjet had moved them to after their booked flight was cancelled and was insisting people nominate a new date before the date of the flight Easyjet had cancelled (saying their system wouldn’t let them so the oerson would be a no-show) but I do not think this would hold up in law just because Easyjet didnt provision it in their systems.

  • Harry T says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:23

    I would probably call them before the date of flying, as otherwise they may rebook you onto new flights and then put you down as a no show. If you don’t have time to call before then, I have no doubt you’d still be legally entitled to a refund or a reroute at a later date, but I feel it may end up being more hassle to sort out.

• trader363 says:

  28 Mar28 March 13:46

  I’ve hit my 10k on the business plat & have referred my wife. I’m looking to cancel mine (although only a month in, as it doesn’t make sense keeping two open). Has anyone had any issues closing it so soon after hitting the bonus & taking the points?

  If it sours my relationship with Amex, I may just keep it open as I’d rather have a long term relationship with them (wouldn’t want it to affect the other cards I have with Amex)

  • Rob says:

    28 Mar28 March 14:41

    Unlikely to be a big issue – do a downgrade first if that worries you. You may want to keep paying to retain flex over the points, or at least swap to Bus Gold.

    • Josh says:

      28 Mar28 March 15:16

      I got told on the phone that they are unable to downgrade business plat to gold. Is that not the case?

      • Rob says:

        28 Mar28 March 15:29

        Not to personal Gold. To Bus Gold can’t be an issue because both are charge cards. If they really get grumpy, just make a fresh application for Business Gold, link it to the same MR account and then cancel Bus Plat.

        • AnotherUser says:

          28 Mar28 March 15:55

          If you make a fresh application for business gold, you also may be able to get an extra referral bonus anyway if e.g. a partner or family member can refer you…

  • Jay says:

    28 Mar28 March 15:10

    Having hit my spend target and MR not posting, contacted CS and they advise that they post at the end of 3 months… ‘bonus Membership Rewards points will be awarded shortly after the end of the three months’. This is unlike personal cards where they post within a day or so of hitting target. Have your point posted already i.e. before 3 months and as soon as you hit £10k?

    • Rob says:

      28 Mar28 March 15:30

      Not true. They post immediately.

      Are you including the fee in your £10k? Are you not deducting any returned purchases? Have you had a personal Gold / Plat card in the last 6 months?

      • Jay says:

        28 Mar28 March 15:45

        Cleared well over £10k, 12 mths since last MR account. Previous bonus MR posted as you state, but on this offer we have 2 plat in the business, both holders well over 6 mths since MR account, both spent well over £10k and no points posted. Even the supp card points seem to be taking forever to post.

        • Rob says:

          28 Mar28 March 18:17

          That’s definitely weird, because I got a supp for my wife a couple of weeks ago on my Bus Plat and the 5k posted within 24 hours.

      • Jay says:

        28 Mar28 March 15:48

        Have you got personal experience on the 100k bonus MR points posting straight away once target hit or just the generic 40k points from previous (which did post immediately)

        • Benilyn says:

          28 Mar28 March 20:55

          On the Biz gold (new promo) the 50k enhanced bonus hit on the spend.

          I mentioned this before, check your points summary by line item, are there any items there called adjustment (where it looks like manual entry of points), these ones have not been included to your bonus spend (has happened on 2 of my accounts!). Someone else mentioned they got them to adjust over the phone and got bonus, I did over chat and said They’ll get back to me in 7-10 days. I suspect it is this.

        • Jay says:

          28 Mar28 March 21:27

          @Benilyn – thanks for the heads up. Amex screwed up linking my MR account to one of the Bus cards so there is a manual adjustment of a few ‘000s points which although they have earned points I guess that could be the issue. We have had nothing but problem with Amex recently – online chat is beyond useless, they don’t read the question before giving a caned response and overall not impressed. Can you confirm that on you got the points on the 50k / 100k promo after reaching spend or are you still waiting for chat to get back with resolution? Thanks

• S879 says:

  28 Mar28 March 14:43

  If anyone is looking to call BA, I got through in less than a minute on the 0800 number.

• AnotherUser says:

  28 Mar28 March 14:56

  Crowne Plaza Edinburgh is planning to close their club lounge by summer, and switch to having a wine/canapes hour at 5pm, as part of a brand update 🙁 Thinking of changing my points booking to the York Place Indigo instead, as it’s more central. The main benefit of the Crowne Plaza over the Indigo seemed to be the lounge (and a wine hour won’t be much use to me) though let me know if I’m missing other attractions!

  • Anna says:

    28 Mar28 March 15:15

    Probably cheaper to bulk order wine & canapes and limit it to an hour, sounds as though it’ll be like the Kimpton social hour. Indigo status recognition tends to be drinks vouchers as well so not huge value if you don’t drink alcohol!

  • BJ says:

    28 Mar28 March 15:57

    I’d rebook to Indigo. One reader (I cannot recall who sorry) booked Indigo and was going to email them and the new Voco to query what status recognition could be expected. Hopefully, they will report back.

    • AnotherUser says:

      28 Mar28 March 16:16

      Thanks! That was me 🙂 Voco were very helpful – said they’d at least upgrade me to a Queen room with a view and would see what else they could do – and I booked them for another stay. The Voco location doesn’t work well for this stay, though – hoping there might be Fringe/International Festival stuff going on in August – so it’s between the Indigo and CP.

      • AnotherUser says:

        28 Mar28 March 16:34

        Changed the booking to Indigo York Place. It’ll be nice to be that bit more central. Can report back about what the Voco is like, if of interest

        • Brian W says:

          28 Mar28 March 17:05

          I’ve driven past the new Voco a number of time’s recently and thought it’s location would be great for my colleagues who travel up to the city fairly often so it would be good to hear what your experience is like. They currently use the Hampton West one opposite the new Moxy.

        • Peggerz says:

          28 Mar28 March 17:07

          If coming in by air, the tram terminus is right beside the Indigo York Place. Some decent resto’s & bars in the Broughton Street area (if they have survived Covid) Fhior, Educated Flea, L’escagot Bleu and new one coming in Forth Street (possibly called Taisteal). Barony Bar, Broughton bar and, hidden away speakeasy Kin.
          I haven’t seen the rooms in the Indigo but had clients staying there and they were happy with it.

• AnotherUser says:

  28 Mar28 March 15:53

  Thanks. Yeah – it does sound like it’ll save money for the hotel.

  Yeah – I’m not expecting much value from status recognition at the Indigo, more that all other things being equal the Indigo is in a nicer location and looks like a similar quality hotel

• Reney says:

  28 Mar28 March 16:31

  Can anyone share experience with increasing their credit limit with their IHG CC pls?

  • Jimbob says:

    28 Mar28 March 16:40

    Never had any joy increasing my limit

  • Genghis says:

    28 Mar28 March 16:47

    When they reduced credit limits across the ball of 20%, I then asked for an increase of 25% and all ok. Then got another £2k on Black when I cancelled a White with a £10k limit.

    • Genghis says:

      28 Mar28 March 16:48

      board

  • DJ says:

    28 Mar28 March 16:49

    Tried to increase my £1000 for months (Black IHG card), no luck.

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    28 Mar28 March 17:12

    Given 5k limit when opened cars and been refused increase every 6 months since

    15k limit on Marriott version, no obvious pattern but not going to waste my time engaging with their CS; life is too short

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