The HfP chat thread – Monday 3rd May

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• John says:

  3 May3 May 05:35

  I was meant to be flying to Asia today on a half-price Avios ticket.

  BA cancelled the flight and the email invited me to change it online. I was able to push it to March 2022 online with no fees, sidestepping an argument with a phone agent about the ticket only being valid to Sep 2021.

  However, the ticket includes a lap infant who is 1 now and will be 2 in March 2022. (BA has his DOB so I was not really expecting the change to work, but it did.)

  The changed ticket still has him as a lap infant, but obviously he will need a full seat. Should BA be giving him a full seat for the 10% infant fare already paid, given that they cancelled the original flight?

  In theory I would be happy to pay the extra Avios, but I don’t have enough yet. I wouldn’t be happy to pay £3000 for a cash ticket if BA claims there needs to be avios availability (and it wouldn’t be possible to book a child on their own and then MCOL or whatever).

  What should I do, wait until I have enough avios then contact BA?

  • Anna says:

    3 May3 May 07:27

    John, a couple of posters on here have had the same issue and have contacted BA about it. As I recall they were given an extra seat for the toddler with no quibbles. I think now you’ve managed to change the dates of your flights they won’t even query it – after all it’s not your fault BA cancelled the flight and your tot will turn 2 in the meantime.

    • John says:

      3 May3 May 09:53

      Thanks Anna I must have missed the other comments, I don’t manage to read all of them every day!

  • Memesweeper says:

    3 May3 May 07:29

    Others have reported BA have honoured a proper seat for infants that have turned two in similar circumstances. I would expect they will be helpful. You may already have a seat — you could try allocating seats for your whole family in Manage My Booking to be sure.

    • John says:

      3 May3 May 09:54

      Thanks the new booking still shows infant, I don’t think BA’s IT is that smart…. will contact them later then

• Benilyn says:

  3 May3 May 07:16

  Have people had any luck with retention offers for business Amex cards?

  • Jonathan says:

    3 May3 May 07:22

    I recently got double points for 3 months (with a gentle push) but it was the very very last offer after they explained everything else they were offering to compensate customers.

    • Toby says:

      3 May3 May 07:52

      Yes. I got the annual fee refunded as a credit the same day. In gold biz card.

    • SwissJim says:

      3 May3 May 08:34

      I got absolutely nothing. Just a threat that I would lose my 3 companion vouchers if I didn’t hold the Amex card that I had earned them on. When I told them that was wrong they simply said no, it was right, and did I still want to go ahead and cancel.

      Worth a call to another agent perhaps.

      • SwissJim says:

        3 May3 May 08:40

        Ops. Just noticed the word “business” in original post. My comment still stands re personal cards…. and I seem to have got the CSA from hell

        • TGLoyalty says:

          3 May3 May 08:49

          Someone who actually believes the party line

• Andy says:

  3 May3 May 07:49

  If my avios flight is cancelled by BA do I have to decide if I want to rebook, refund or take an FTV before the day of the flight or can I decide down the line? Ideally if/when my flight to tokyo gets cancelled I’d book for the same date next year so would have to wait ten days or so to rebook after the original flight date

  • JLNF says:

    3 May3 May 08:01

    I waited, and then the option to amend/get a refund etc disappeared completely from MMB. So I had to call, but the booking was easily found by BA.

  • Lady London says:

    3 May3 May 11:21

    you only need to call before if they booked you onto another flight you dont want – as best not to look like a no show.

• JP says:

  3 May3 May 08:03

  Hi all – I’ve got a flight on Friday to JER with my wife and baby (18 months). I’m a silver member so believe they will both be permitted in the lounge – what is the latest status of T5 lounges in terms of food etc and do the usual entry permissions apply?

  Thanks in advance!

  • Ikaz says:

    3 May3 May 08:09

    The only lounge currently open in T5 is the first class one. You will have access with a guest to it (and to the First wing security if it is open). I am not sure about children

  • Tracey says:

    3 May3 May 08:10

    Toddlers are fine to accompany you without counting in your numbers, so you should get in without a problem. The first lounge is open to everyone eligible, table service for food but no alcohol.
    BA oddly claiming that as you can’t go inside a pub, they can’t serve you inside. Though they seem to forget that the law also applies to food as much as drink and airport lounges are clearly an exception.

    • Andrew says:

      3 May3 May 08:30

      It’s what’s known as a Covid Excuse™️

    • TGLoyalty says:

      3 May3 May 08:50

      I said this yesterday the January lockdown laws change and while food was allowed alcohol wasn’t.

  • JP says:

    3 May3 May 08:57

    Thanks all – really helpful and will look forward to the First wing!

  • Matty says:

    3 May3 May 09:07

    Any non-BA lounges open at Terminal 5?

    • Ikaz says:

      3 May3 May 10:59

      I don’t think that any have opened yet (both were closed 2 weeks ago)

    • Pid says:

      3 May3 May 11:55

      Checked yesterday and both closed until 17 May.

• Ant says:

  3 May3 May 08:16

  Any recommendations on the best IHG Hotel in Hong Kong? The Crown Plaza, Indigo and IC are similar in price and points for our dates. The IC is 47,000. Which one would you suggest for quality and location?

  • SwissJim says:

    3 May3 May 08:38

    IC assuming you get a room on the right side. But it’s been a while since I’ve been, and things may have changed.

    • Jonathan says:

      3 May3 May 10:06

      Agree with this. The IC has incredible views if you get a water facing room (worth paying the extra for). It’s due a full refurb & a rebrand to a Regent (I thought they were doing it currently) but it was still fine when I was last there in October’19.

• KBuffett says:

  3 May3 May 09:05

  Is there a time limit to add Avios on Bicester purchases? I didn’t add them from before lockdown 2, I think the visitor centre weren’t adding them in person

  • Andrew says:

    3 May3 May 09:22

    They’ve been adding them by email since they reopened in June last year. It says within 48 hours you have to email them in, but worth trying and I always find them friendly and efficient so they may well honour it. Takes about 2 months to show on your BA account though.

• Kai says:

  3 May3 May 09:06

  New Rewards section in Curve app, empty for me but friend’s is showing 5% back on Selfridges, Amazon Fresh etc.

  • KBuffett says:

    3 May3 May 09:17

    Ditto
    Includes Harvey Nicols and around a dozen others

  • TGLoyalty says:

    3 May3 May 09:27

    Had to reinstall the app to get it to show on mine but a dozen or so offers inc selfridges 5% and HN 5% (online only)

    A nice bonus

  • Reney says:

    3 May3 May 09:39

    Thanks, I updated the app a couple of days ago, did not see this when I opened the app. I then properly closed the app (so it is not running in the background anymore). Reopen the app and it is there.

    The rewards required activating.

    I wonder if it will stack? For example I see Harvey Nic on curve, Virgin CC’s C_B and Airtime. Previous exchange on the chat suggests people who used Curve at Morrison had problems tracking on Airtime. Also someone recommended that I don’t use curve for Virgin CC C_B just in case it doesn’t get picked up. It might all depends on retailers too.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      3 May3 May 11:44

      Curve tracked with boots.

      I went direct with Morrison’s as it wouldn’t have tracked the offer on my virgin card via curve.

      • Reney says:

        3 May3 May 12:10

        yup that is my experience, no problems tracking boots with Airtime via curve. Also have not dared to use curve for big transaction if I want virgin cb e.g morrisons and freelunique

  • Kevin says:

    3 May3 May 12:20

    Got nothing maybe because I’m using the free one?

    • TGLoyalty says:

      3 May3 May 15:05

      Does rewards tab show? If not worth deleting then downloading the app again

• Super Secret Stuff says:

  3 May3 May 09:20

  A few new amex offers today. An interesting one for a place called Beliani, apparently its a furniture place.

  Nice looking outdoor range too if anyone needs a new parasol or patio set

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    3 May3 May 09:21

    15% back up to £200

  • Andrew says:

    3 May3 May 09:23

    I was initially excited to see Wheely back with an offer on BAPP, but sadly not the gravy train of before and a much less generous £50 back on a £200 spend.

    • Crafty says:

      3 May3 May 09:41

      Isn’t this a taxi company? How many people spend £200 on a single journey?!

      • Jonathan says:

        3 May3 May 10:08

        For an airport run maybe. They are streets ahead of any other luxury car firm in London in my experience (you definitely pay for the privilege though!)

      • Kai says:

        3 May3 May 10:15

        cumulative

        • Rob says:

          3 May3 May 10:35

          ‘Taxi’ is a bit harsh. It’s an (almost) white glove chauffeur service.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      3 May3 May 09:41

      Yes, nothing that exciting on today. Hopefully more sometime soon

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