The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 7th April

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pauldb says:

7 Apr7 April 08:52

Posted last night BA seem to be adding short haul flights and/or avios availability if you want a May half term gamble. Today a few more options available including TFS, ACE, CFU, ATH, JTR, AGP, FAO, IBZ, PMI.
Chris Heyes says:

7 Apr7 April 09:13

I’m I CRAZY or Prudent ?
I’ve just booked our flights from Peoenix az to Page az return with Contour Airlines
for Friday 27th Aug for $49 each way 3 of us. unchangeable rate.
I know when flight schedule’s are first published April there are bargain’s to be had,
So jumped in. could have booked changeable/cancellable rate at $150 each way, I always book non-refundable and its always worked for us, got refunded or date change even on non-refundable Hotels.
Of course there will be a first, when I don’t
My partner says I’m Crazy (she thinks I am anyhow) when we don’t even know we can leave UK
- Paul says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:26
  
  You could always drive, it’s just over 4 hours, and by the time you’ve done the airport thing at both ends, is there much difference…?
  - Chris Heyes says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 13:10
    
    Paul Three of us and unfortunatly none of us drives, yes i think your right about no date change or refund got the price cheap though so can take a hit.
    Although its $147 each way so the hit is double.
    Done the trip before with Great Lakes Air lines 12 seater but just from Page az to Phoenix
    I think Contour is a 30 seater
    Paul I take it you’ve done a similar trip.
    Last time we did Phoenix Sedona, Grand Canyon South Rim, North, Lake Powell Phoenix.
    This Time Denver, Boulder, Phoenix, Sedona Phoenix Page, Lake Powell Phoenix
    Not bad for 3 old codgers who can’t drive lol
- Phil says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 12:02
  
  If the flight goes as scheduled, as I would expect to happen with a US domestic flight, I doubt you’ll get a refund or date change should you (or your group) be unable to personally travel.
  
  Personally I don’t think you are crazy, $147.00 is not a huge sum to put at risk.
Michael_s says:

7 Apr7 April 09:19

Just a heads up to everyone who wants to book the Qured test for pre-arrival to UK that Rhys tried a few weeks ago. I did this last week in mexico. The test itself was indeed seamless, everything was pretty smooth as Rhys explained. However, the check-in staff didn’t recognise the test and gave us a very hard time accepting it. When they asked us how we did the test and we told them it was virtual consultation, they were even more suspicious! It took us a LOT of time to convince them that this is a BA proposed alternative. In the end they called BA and let us check-in but the whole process took more than 40 minutes… while I still recommend the test as it’s a very quick process from your hotel room, budget some time for the check-in
- Anna says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 09:49
  
  Was it a BA flight?! If so there are some serious communication issues.
  - Phil says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 12:04
    
    *** BA in communications breakdown with outsourced ground handling company shocker ***
    - Pete M says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 13:53
      
      That’s very useful info, thank you. I failed at even buying them yesterday, as they’d removed the free Royal Mail postage option for Easter and the only option was courier delivery at £29! By the time they replaced it in the afternoon it was too late for me…
  - Michael_s says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 21:25
    
    Yes it was a BA flight. The check in agent said that’s the first time they saw this company Qured, or even heard of the virtual tests. Ultimately it’s hard for a check in agent to disapprove if you show them BA website. But if flying during covid taught me one thing: even if you follow all rules and do everything by the book, you’re always at the mercy of ground staff ahead of boarding. There’s a good chance they dont know all rules that apply in your situation and it might take time to point them to the actual rule. So I now go to the airport way earlier than usual
- Asim says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 18:27
  
  I just used them for a BA flight from BAH. No issues even though the certificate only states the date of test; not the time, so could be difficult to prove it was taken within 72hrs, if challenged
Lee says:

7 Apr7 April 09:28

Incredible offer showing on my Platinum card, shame I am not far from 90k limit

Invite Friends. Get Rewarded.
You’ll earn 24,000 Membership Rewards® points for each approved friend.
- andy says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 09:44
  
  Got the same offer Lee. Anyone know if it works if i refer for a non platinum card i.e gold card or nectar amex etc?
  - Lee says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 09:55
    
    I always got the bonus points for different cards. However, it looks like AMEX has redesigned program with clear end date this time. So not 100% sure now.
  - Craig says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:41
    
    Seems to, shows increased sign up bonuses for most cards when you follow the link.
- Craig says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 09:48
  
  Same, is there anything Mrs S can apply for without risking the 24 month gap?
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 09:58
  
  Yes have mine boosted from 18k to 24k which as you say is great but the 90k cap remains!
- Sandgrounder says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:05
  
  I’ve got the 24k deal too. Anyone know if the 2 credit 1 charge limit is still in place?
  - Lev441 says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:07
    
    No, not been in place for a few years now
- Craig says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:11
  
  It’s showing as 50k signup for personal platinum too?
  - Rob says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:26
    
    These offers will appear on virtually all of the personal cards during today. There is an article at some point – Amex is paying for it so we don’t control timing.
    - Craig says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 10:28
      
      Thanks Rob, can you please remind me, are there any cards that don’t affect the 24 month rule?
      - Rob says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 10:43
        
        Depends what you were planning to get after 24 months. Plat and BAPP are not impacted by the ‘all cards’ rule, but all the other cards are.
      - Craig says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 11:54
        
        The plan was Nectar-BAPP-Platinum for Mrs S after 24 months with me referring her foe all of them. If I refer her for the Nectar now she won’t get the 13125 but I will get 12000 extra which almost offsets it. This will allow me to spread things out more for the other cards, obviously there is a chance with Amex IT that the signup bonus will trigger. BAPP was cancelled August 2019 and Platinum November 2019.
      - Craig says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 11:57
        
        At the moment I would have to wait until November 2021 to get follow the Nectar-BAPP-Platinum route. Applying now would mean I could do BAPP in August and Platinum in November and very much spread things out.
    - Josh says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 11:05
      
      Will getting the plat before the BA/Nectar amex screw up the maximum we can get as new card holders?
      
      24 month period nearly up for my sibling but would want to priorities temp offers first!
      - Rob says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 11:46
        
        Yes, once you have Plat you can’t get the Nectar bonus. You can still get the BAPP bonus.
    - Reney says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 11:54
      
      Our BAPP seems to flick between 9k and 12k for referring on a daily basis. It was 12k some point last week, then back to 9k yesterday and now 12k again.
  - Jimmy says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:50
    
    Where are you seeing this sorry? I can only see 30k on the amex site
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 10:57
      
      It’s only available via referral only.
      
      If you don’t know anyone with a Platinum card or Rob can’t offer it then happy to provide mine. 1 left.
    - Travel Strong says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 12:13
      
      and if Rob and TG cap out, I’ve got loads left!
- Joe says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:48
  
  Anyone know how to easily check how many referral bonuses you’ve had in last 12 months ?!
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 10:55
    
    It’s Jan to Dec.
    
    You’ll be able to see them on your points history
    - Joe says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 10:59
      
      Excellent – thank you!
- Louie says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 13:50
  
  12k for a referral from Gold, so double what it was a few days ago.
  - Rob says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 13:53
    
    Note that you get 74k between a couple if an existing Plat refers a new Plat ….
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 14:04
      
      For 4K rather than 10k spend so a pretty damn good deal.
      - AnotherUser says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 14:07
        
        Yeah – I’m also getting 24k on platinum for referrals, with the referee getting 50k points for a plat sign-up. Amex is giving away points worth more than the annual fee for platinum sign-up, then 🙂
Secret Squirrel says:

7 Apr7 April 09:29

So you cannot use Bendy backed with Creat to pay VA? I thought I read on here you could last week so tried today but declined and fee to pay?
- Jonathan says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:56
  
  It’s a dynamic game & the same rules don’t seem to apply to everyone (particularly when Creatives are in the mix) so I’d take any advice here with a large pinch of salt & proceed cautiously & with small sums whenever trying something new.
- Matt says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 11:15
  
  While not disagreeing with anything in Jonathan’s reply, you will in all likelihood have more luck doing things the other way round, paying C with V.
  - Guernsey Globetrotter says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 17:11
    
    Exactly this – and no need to involve Bendy at all…
  - Secret Squirrel says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 18:41
    
    I already do it that way round. Now wanted to go other direction.
- The Urbanite says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 16:21
  
  Creation limit the amount you can transact with MCC 6012 merchants.
  - Secret Squirrel says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 18:42
    
    I tried £10 & declined in curve app with 15p fee but not seen it applied as yet.
Dave says:

7 Apr7 April 10:11

Couple of Amex related questions. I owe my wife a few hundred quid , rather than a bank transfer could I send her money via PayPal using my Amex card?

Second one, I’m thinking of cancelling my Amex platinum. I’ve got a few flights booked using it that might get cancelled down the line. If the airline cancels the flight and I ask for a refund what happens if I don’t have my platinum card anymore?
- Harry T says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:17
  
  1) yes but perhaps not a good idea. PayPal are allegedly rather capricious and prone to close accounts for transferring in this manner. Amex also don’t like it.
  
  2) you wait for the refund to hit your cancelled account – you can still log in – and then call Amex or use the chat to ask them to transfer the refund to your bank account. It’s very easy.
- Rob says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:28
  
  1. Yes, they will shut you do own if you go OTT with this but no issue for a few hundred as a one off
  2. It still goes back to your Platinum card account – you need to ring Amex and transfer it to another card or ask for a bank transfer
- Vit says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:38
  
  I and partner did £1k each last year bought stuff off Facebook marketplace — it was fine but like mentioned above one-off is probably fine. Proceed at your own risk, I’d say. 😉
- Chris Heyes says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 13:23
  
  Dave if you owe your wife a few quid, pay her with your paypal linked Amex.
  But not as family and friends
  Use it as buying something off her so there is a charge say £1000, charge around £40
  What that does is make it unlikely that PayPals auto bot will pick up on the transaction (unlikely but not %100)
  I have done £1400 in the past no problem, but normally £1000 or just under plus only once per year, paypals bot picks up on regular payments as it should
- BP says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 14:23
  
  1, Do not do it, they will put a block on all of your Amex Cards for an investigation. You will then have to call to explain why you have done it. Your cards could all be cancelled.
BlueDogz says:

7 Apr7 April 10:39

Tried searching FT but can’t find the answer, how close to departure can you cancel an Avios booking (inc 241 if that matters) and get a refund of all the points and voucher?
Thanks
- Rob says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 10:40
  
  24 hours if you want a direct refund, 1 hour (IIRC) if you want a Future Travel Voucher.
Tracy says:

7 Apr7 April 11:04

Looking at a trip to Malta. Two hotels I’m considering on points are Marriott Malta as platinum or Hilton Malta as gold. I’ll be travelling with older teenagers. Anyone been to these hotels? Any preference?
- Igloo says:
  
  7 Apr7 April 11:23
  
  We stayed at the Hilton a few years ago. It is a nice hotel (room decor is very standard Hilton though). I personally liked the area with some nice bars and restaurants within walking distance but it is a bit of a walk from ‘the main drag’. I think there were 4 swimming pools of which 2 were adults only at that time.
  - Tracy says:
    
    7 Apr7 April 11:38
    
    Thanks igloo, was this before or after the renovation? How far was the walk to the main drag? Good area for teenagers 18 &19?
    - Igloo says:
      
      7 Apr7 April 14:22
      
      It was just after a renovation (as a result we didn’t pay very much!) I seem to remember it being during Euro 2016. It was only a 10-15 minute walk to the main bit where there are lots of bars, clubs and touristy restaurants all packed together and it felt quite safe. I think the IC is more located in the thick of it and the Westin is about halfway between the Hilton and the IC if you want to be nearer to all that.
      
      The area where the hotel is does have a bit going on as well, but it definitely quietens down earlier. There is also a Waitrose next door which turned out to be very helpful lol!
      - Tracy says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 17:49
        
        Waitrose? Decision made then 😂
      - Igloo says:
        
        7 Apr7 April 20:49
        
        😂… I don’t even know why I remembered that!
- Wollhouse says:
  
  8 Apr8 April 10:54
  
  The Marriott is Balluta Bay, whereas the Hilton is St Julians and the complex is part of the Marina. Balluta is central between St Julians and Sliema and the promenade has loads of cafes/restaurants. Sliema is also lively. The nightlife is definitely centred around the clubs in st julians (Hilton is tucked away so you don’t get any noise). You’re central in either hotel but suspect your teenagers will rapidly find the clubs near the Hilton…. they may also like to go Valetta which has smaller bars with music and tapas etc. (Which you might also enjoy). Download Bolt (if you don’t have ) before you go for cheap reliable taxis. And have fun, it’s a beautiful island
  - Tracy says:
    
    8 Apr8 April 18:33
    
    Thanks Wollhouse, very informative. Think the Hilton looks better just due to the outside space/pools etc. Only gold with Hilton so no upgrade to lounge etc but I can accept that.