The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 21st April

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• TedL says:

  21 Apr21 April 10:33

  My 2 yr clock has just expired and have been referred by the wife from her PRG and just successfully applied for Nectar card. A few questions, is there any bonus for applying for Supp card on Nectar. My next card will be Platinum, as I am a bit tight for time, have a £2.6k bill to be paid before 1/5/21, should I wait for Nectar to be received before I apply for Plat or is it safe to apply tomorrow, if not when? Was hoping to get the Plat card SUP and card cancelled possibly before tackling the Nectar SUP and cancellation before moving onto BAPP. Also want to get a few Plat referrals in before 12th May. (Altenative is to use upcoming bill on Nectar and then follow on spending on Plat). Thoughts appreciated.

  • Benilyn says:

    21 Apr21 April 10:36

    If you think you have a strong credit profile then apply today. I’ve applied two days in a row and accepted. (I have 2 existing cards for full picture).
    Supp is free so just apply and see what happens? If no bonus just leave in the cupboard.

    • TedL says:

      21 Apr21 April 10:40

      Just found the Amex page, appears 3000 Nectar points for Supp card and will apply for Plat tomorrow

      • Reney says:

        21 Apr21 April 10:48

        we didn’t get an bonus for applying for SUP nectar cards

        • Reney says:

          21 Apr21 April 11:27

          We only applied for the SUP card last week, will see if we can chase for the bones. Does anyone know if the SUP bonus appears straight away or after the card has arrived and activated?

      • Hotelier says:

        21 Apr21 April 10:48

        That’s new, shame I already have one nectar with supplementary but OH will be taking one soon so will keep an eye for this.

• Hotelier says:

  21 Apr21 April 10:41

  Hi! I booked outbound tickets with a companion voucher and the return is released tomorrow. Question: Can I booked this separately as two Avios tickets and then call to merge and get that added to voucher recalculating Avios and tax or is not possible? Working tomorrow at 6am so not dancing staying up until 1am to call US. Can leave OH in charge of online booking but refuses to be calling US ( also not sure how well would that end). I’m confident tickets will go online but won’t probably make it to the morning before get snatched as per previous experiences. Thanks !!

  • Hotelier says:

    21 Apr21 April 10:42

    Fancing* def not dancing ( not a morning person)

    • Gruntfuttock says:

      21 Apr21 April 12:51

      fancying? 🤔

      • Hotelier says:

        21 Apr21 April 13:19

        Indeed 😂 Don’t have English as first language, mistake will appear every now and then.

  • Sam G says:

    21 Apr21 April 10:46

    You can get the Avios adjusted but not the taxes. So depends where you are going as to how big a difference this will make

    • Hotelier says:

      21 Apr21 April 10:50

      @Sam G Interesting.
      Japan – so taxes are marginally cheaper as two one ways actually IIRC
      Then it would make sense to book the return separately. Anyone else had experience with this?

      • Genghis says:

        21 Apr21 April 11:33

        Yes. I’ve done it for many years but process changes.
        Book the return leg online (I guess your OH is willing to do that) then call up in the morning (or when you’ve finished work etc, within 24 hours) to get the avios amount adjusted. Taxes are now not touched. You’ll be left with two PNRs, so two lots of cancellation fees. If your OH has the companion voucher in their account, then get yourself set up up as third party nominee on their account then you can make the call. Easy.

        • BrightonReader says:

          21 Apr21 April 12:36

          it’s not the proper government that change it’s the BA surcharges which aren’t taxes!

        • Hotelier says:

          21 Apr21 April 12:40

          Taxes seemed to work out around £110 less if booked separately ( which can cover the extra Cxl fee worst case).
          Thing I noticed ( and I think it was discussed as a potential glitch) is that for example HND -LHR in J is 75000 (regular Avios cost off peak) and only £24 of tax but economy shows as 35000 plus £24 or 19500 ( which I think is the cost applied in the companion voucher) plus around £110.
          If I booked the return planning to add it to a current companion voucher which option should I select in the mix of Avios/cash.

      • Sam G says:

        21 Apr21 April 13:26

        Yes – there are some routes this would save cash. I believe actually it’s not as bad now but at one point the “taxes and fees” for ex-US flights were a lot higher than if you had booked it as a return of an ex-UK ticket, so that put you at a considerable disadvantage if you couldn’t call at 1am

        If you are a gambling man/woman in my experience a ticket cancelled soon after booking at T-355 release would consistently go back into the pool for booking, so you could cancel it whilst you were on the phone to them to then immediately add on your outbound booking. Wouldn’t be attempting it with a pair of SYD-LHR seats though…

• Fm says:

  21 Apr21 April 10:47

  Staying at the IC O2 in August on a points booking, been advised £100 supplement to upgrade to a studio deluxe suite (traveling with 2 kids). Had a look at the estandby upgrade offers this morning (thanks @Anna) which are offering a king deluxe suite for £56 (think this is the same room). How quickly does estandby confirm your upgrade? Seems to say ‘on check-in’ but would it work with an echeckin the night before? Tempted to apply for it but don’t want it to fall through and turn up at the hotel with a booking for a room that’s too small!

  • BP says:

    21 Apr21 April 11:17

    Perhaps be slightly devious. Take the e-standby offer and then also book the suite on a cancellable rate. Cancel the suite the day before and it should be available for your e-standby upgrade on the day 🙂

    • Fm says:

      21 Apr21 April 11:35

      Lol, hadn’t thought of that tactic, thanks! When will I know whether the upgrade has gone through though – is it literally at the point of reaching the check in desk or will I receive an email notification on the day/day before?

      • BP says:

        21 Apr21 April 11:43

        I’ve never taken an e-standby offer so I don’t know.

  • Anna says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:22

    You should get an email immediately to confirm your request (if not, take a screenshot of the confirmation page on your computer), however it is subject to availability on the day. Agree it might work to book the suite separately then cancel to improve chances of availability!

    • Fm says:

      21 Apr21 April 14:21

      Thanks, will have a think- I’m worried about not ‘formally’ upgrading and being left with a room that’s too small if the e-upgrade falls through

• BP says:

  21 Apr21 April 11:15

  Any HFP readers use IPTV and can recommend a provider?

  • Manya says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:04

    Epic Server

  • N says:

    21 Apr21 April 18:37

    i’m happy with the iptv from iptorrents

• Tiger says:

  21 Apr21 April 11:16

  Thinking of rotating the free year of PRG between me and the Tigress. This obviously requires a PRG card application every year per person. Just wondering how Amex would see this – is it seriously taking the p!33 or is it an acceptable practice to them?

  After my Barclays Premier account was shut on me, I don’t want to annoy any other major financial institution, specially Amex which gets 80% of our annual spending. So I want to play it safe and not get on their bad books.

  • Genghis says:

    21 Apr21 April 11:35

    Acceptable

    • Neil says:

      21 Apr21 April 11:52

      @Genghis – would you mind sharing your Amex signup/card holding strategy again? I did read it once in the comments but I can’t find it. Just remembered it sounded a good idea, simple and ignored the 2yr bonus rules. Thanks 🙂

      • Genghis says:

        21 Apr21 April 12:00

        Churn the BAPP and Plat his n hers every two years.
        Keep non-avios, non-MR earning cards as permanent cards.
        We’re just finishing off BAPP churn and I now have Nectar, for example, which I will hold until wife can sign up for Plat.
        I map out dates and amounts in a simple table – it used to be a whole lot more complicated when it was churns every 6 months x 2 people x multiple currency cards.

        • Neil says:

          21 Apr21 April 12:31

          That’s great thanks, will do similar.
          Agree much simpler than the churning we were doing!

        • DK says:

          21 Apr21 April 13:19

          My strategy as well. One problem. I have 3 companion vouchers now as almost all last year trips were cancelled and I don’t see using more than 1 this year. It’s 25 months since I had BAPP but holding off to apply

        • Genghis says:

          21 Apr21 April 14:09

          @DK. Lumping a companion voucher into a FTV extends its travel validity to April 23. Depending how you travel, I’d be looking to apply for BAPP now (enhanced SUBs too) but not go for the £10k.

        • DK says:

          21 Apr21 April 14:32

          @Genghis Yes, will have to use FTV trick for at least 1 voucher for sure or more depending on the outcome for already booked US trip.
          Looking forward to upgrade voucher from Barclays as it is 3 of us travelling

        • Reney says:

          21 Apr21 April 15:55

          We do something similar in our family, but one of us have always kept the BAPP as she is retired and not clear if she would qualify for BAPP in the future. Any experience of very low income qualifying for BAPP,? would love to cancel it as sitting on 3 *2 for 1 in our family.

        • Stuart Evans says:

          21 Apr21 April 16:38

          Genghis – that’s a very interesting way to play the game. May I ask, do you cancel (for pro-rata refunds) as soon as you have hit the spend for any sign up bonus? My logic is that this would get the two year clock ticking so you could apply again. Or am I missing something? And do I gather that the card issuer is Ok with this?

          Thanks

        • Genghis says:

          21 Apr21 April 17:23

          @SE. Yes – As soon as points safe in respective accounts (eg after monthly sweep to BAEC) or transferred out and arrived (MR to wherever). I’ve been doing this for years. No issues. I was banned by Amex at one point but not for this. Card churning probably made us £4-5k a year in the past, what I got banned for for was less than £1k benefit.

• Andrew says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:01

  A seemingly pointless email from Amex Platinum just arrived, reminding me of the extra value they gave us in 2020 – which doesn’t really help when trying to justify the 2021 fee. Although the email did include the line “We look forward to bringing you more value and inspiration in the days ahead.” Not sure if that’s something to get hopeful about or just general blah to encourage us not to downgrade our membership.

  • Manya says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:06

    Got the same email, I see they mention that we were given £100 credits to use at Waitrose etc twice. If I am not mistaken the first time it was applied it was quickly pulled as I assume it was meant to be targeted. I got the credit when it was applied second time around and the more recent one which expires in June.

    Am I right or do I have this wrong?

    • Travel Strong says:

      21 Apr21 April 12:17

      The error with the first one was that it was available on all supp’s too.
      Not sure if it was pulled for this though, or capped out on the max number of sign ups, or just pulled for supps.

    • Andrew says:

      21 Apr21 April 12:22

      Yes it was twice we got the credit but the first time it was added to supps in error. Although the first one wasn’t available at John Lewis (although it was by default by buying gift cards at Waitrose). And then we have the third run now of £175 – strange the email focused on last year’s offers rather than the current one as well.

  • Stu N says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:15

    I read it as “watch this space” – spoke to Customer Service in Brighton a week or so ago and they mentioned things were in the pipeline to reward cardholders who have stuck with Platinum, or words to that effect.

    • Andrew says:

      21 Apr21 April 12:24

      Let’s hope so – would certainly be good to see extra points and extra value for redeeming them to return – that did make the card quite attractive last summer despite the lack of travel benefits I was able to use.

• J says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:04

  I’m gonna have a few big Bendy Brighton months. My usual two underlying will be at their max – is Horizon a no go?

  • Travel Strong says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:20

    Horizon works for other big bendy moments so I suspect Brighton is fine too.
    If anything Horizon accepts more MCC’s than the other popular underlings.
    I regularly sub in Horizon when Players 1 and 2 are maxed out or otherwise unavailable.

    • J says:

      21 Apr21 April 19:55

      Brilliant – thanks.

• Rh says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:23

  Flight cancellation for 28/05 by Ryanair due to ‘ongoing changes due to travel restrictions’ – maybe they know something like hat I don’t yet! I thought we were ok to travel after the 17/05….

  • ChrisC says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:40

    Restrictions are a two way thing

    Boris might let us travel out of the country (or back) with no restrictions but what if the other country won’t let us in?

    Ryanair may be reacting to information at the destination country.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:44

    They have no clarity if it is ok on May 17th.

    Until they do I can see flights restarting later and later

    • Pete M says:

      21 Apr21 April 13:28

      They may well be making an informed guess that your chosen destination will be on the orange list (most of Europe, probably) and hence demand will be limited.

      • Rh says:

        21 Apr21 April 15:56

        Thanks all.

  • yorkieflyer says:

    22 Apr22 April 00:51

    same here for 22/5 for Spain, I’d rather hoped we know whether they’d let us in after 30/4 by now

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