The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 4th May

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

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

Nigel says:

4 May4 May 03:48

First one ☝🏼
Pablo says:

4 May4 May 04:53

Second 🤘🏻
Chris Heyes says:

4 May4 May 05:39

looks like all the idiots are on Third, Fourth, fifth might as well have a sixth.
I got one, did you get one. Mine come, Did yours, I got extra, I didn’t,
I’m expecting mine, good when ? what do you think, when do you think,
Sorry don’t think. can’t think. never thought, When ?
I’m not an idiot, yes you are, no, yes, maybe
BJ says:

4 May4 May 06:22

Time to bury chat article, it’s past it’s sell by date and is dragging HfP down. It was a good idea and it was extremely useful but…!

Ok back on topic of travel, points etc. Not sure if it’s old or new but there is an amex offer for £50 back £200 spend at Wheely.
- Algor says:
  
  4 May4 May 06:36
  
  Wish the old offer typed with Wheely were back …
  - BJ says:
    
    4 May4 May 06:46
    
    Yes, they’ve learned, still a good offer though
- John says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:06
  
  Do you really want to go back to 200+ off topic comments on other articles every day
  - BJ says:
    
    4 May4 May 07:43
    
    Good point but the trade off is ‘200’ very similar questions being asked and answered (some people have the patience of a saint) on chat every week. At least with the OT on other articles in the old days they were mostly travel and loyalty related. Now it’s all bendy, ISA, reader referrals etc and HfP is losing focus as a result. I know all that is very useful to some here but I wonder what the wider non-commenting readership thinks. To me the blog feels like it is evolving into something akin to a social media group and losing what I considered to be a sharper more professional ethos of 2 or 3 years ago. Ultimately if Rob is happy with this then that is fine, it’s his blog. I know others will not share my views and that’s fine too but I’m just sharing my views on where it feels to me the blog has got to and what it has become.
    - NHS hero says:
      
      4 May4 May 07:54
      
      I agree with BJ However where would Anna post her daily flight and hotel bookings, cancelations, calls to hotels and You first. She could end up posting in all articals so no one misses out.
      - Chris Heyes says:
        
        4 May4 May 08:24
        
        NHS hero I agree with BJ it’s ridicules the amount of did you get it, when is it, even what is it, a lot of one or two word comments
        Although I admit to taking the P** of people who do post one or two useless comments
        I Would also miss “Anna” posting her daily’s ?
        You at least get a useful few “or many” words from Anna
        Instead of stuff you can check on your Amex account yourself
        Don’t leave us Anna ?
      - Anna says:
        
        4 May4 May 08:50
        
        You know what NHS “hero”, I don’t recall much in the way of helpful information from you. It would cut down on the amount of comments an awful lot if people didn’t come on here seemingly just to be abusive to long-standing readers who actually contribute to the site.
      - Anna says:
        
        4 May4 May 08:52
        
        Thanks Chris – I’ve also noticed that you get quite a lot of offensive comments from people who think it’s clever to mock you for being a little bit different from the average reader. I hope you stay as well, and that some of those who seem to have come on board simply to ease the boredom of lockdown find something better to move on to.
      - Doug M says:
        
        4 May4 May 09:32
        
        I think the lack of travel means simply that HfP has changed in the last year or so, and I’m sure will revert to being closer to it’s former self should things normalise.
        One of the things I really enjoy about the forums (fora?) on FT is the moderation. The BA forum is particularly good at this. But they also have an Omni thread where people can post OT. You can also block contributors you don’t want to see. I really hope the HfP forums have this particular feature.
      - BJ says:
        
        4 May4 May 09:52
        
        If you want to agree or disagree with my comments that is fine but please don’t use them to make comments directed personally at individual contributors which they or others might find offensive.
    - Tom says:
      
      4 May4 May 08:07
      
      I hardly ever read these comments any more, same people, same questions day in, day out.
      - r* says:
        
        4 May4 May 12:54
        
        I like the chat thread, theres often lots of good info posted in here.
        
        Ultimately, if people dont like it they can just not read the chat thread but thats certainly no reason for it to be removed.
    - Rob says:
      
      4 May4 May 08:28
      
      Given that we have been running a travel site in a time of no travel, I think we called it correctly.
      
      (Our Google search traffic remains 65% down on its pre corona level but page views were up last year.)
      
      Forum is now set up and approved, ready to roll when travel picks up. There is a strategy, trust us 🙂
      - BuildBackBetter says:
        
        4 May4 May 09:08
        
        I hope the BA and Amex threads are pinned to the top in the new forum.
        Don’t want a thread asking ‘what is che?’ at the top of the list!
      - Doug M says:
        
        4 May4 May 09:19
        
        Interesting. I look forward to seeing how it’ll work out. I’m interested how it will be different from FT.
      - BJ says:
        
        4 May4 May 10:07
        
        Agree you called it right but I think (or hope due to resuming travel) it is getting to the point it has outlived its usefulness. Look forward to seeing how the strategy evolves. A bit shocked about the Google traffic though. Cannot help but think all those have missed a trick. Despite, and partly due to the pandemic the opportunities in our hobby have crystallises and personally I find myself in an almost sublime place with a personal strategy that is now possible.
      - AJA says:
        
        4 May4 May 10:13
        
        I look forward to the forum too but in the meantime I like this daily chat. I just skip the referrals or bendy discussions in much the same way as I skim over articles where I have no particular interest. I still open them as they might have something of relevance that I may have missed. It’s not difficult nor annoying in my opinion. Here’s hoping travel opens up again and that HfP gets to make up for the lost revenue due to the pandemic. Keep up the good work.
      - WaynedP says:
        
        4 May4 May 11:20
        
        @AJA +1 !
      - RussellH says:
        
        4 May4 May 15:42
        
        Not everyone uses Google. I just wish that there were many more of us.
    - OHR says:
      
      4 May4 May 22:24
      
      I agree. I am losing interest as this shifts from a travel blog (albeit appreciate hard to keep that going in Covid times)
    - Char Char says:
      
      4 May4 May 23:34
      
      Not sure what the problem is, you don’t have to visit the chat thread if you don’t want to.
- Andrew says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:36
  
  If you don’t like the chat article then just don’t read it!
  - BJ says:
    
    4 May4 May 07:47
    
    That is fine as far as it goes but it is about the big HfP picture, not about what one person likes and another doesn’t.
    - Mouse says:
      
      4 May4 May 08:04
      
      I suspect a small minority of HFP readers bother reading the chat thread, so it’s more like a gathering place for ultras than a public face of HFP.
      - Rob says:
        
        4 May4 May 08:24
        
        That is, effectively, how we treat it.
      - Doug M says:
        
        4 May4 May 09:33
        
        @Mouse. Very good, gathering of Ultras.
      - kitten says:
        
        4 May4 May 13:31
        
        what are ultras?
      - Doug M says:
        
        4 May4 May 13:51
        
        I think it comes from Italy. A group of football fans that consider themselves more dedicated and loyal than others that may follow the same team. Frequently linked with violence too.
  - ChrisC says:
    
    4 May4 May 10:06
    
    Well that’s helpful isn’t it!
    
    There is lot of good info in the chat threads but far too much repetitive dross on curve , resolute etc etc that hides it.
    
    Get rid of that and put it somewhere where we don’t have to read it if we’re not interested in it and the general chat thread would be of higher quality info
    
    And hopefully with a forum there would be some moderation of the same query being endlessly posted because people can’t be bothered to read. How many times did people ask the same question on how to find their bonus nectar points in yesterday’s thread despite it being asked and answered several times?
    - MKB says:
      
      4 May4 May 11:39
      
      Agree
  - Lady London says:
    
    4 May4 May 13:30
    
    +1
- Terri says:
  
  4 May4 May 12:06
  
  I quite like the chat article. I read it everyday. It’s a way readers can ask questions which nobody is obliged to answer. Some readers will be more occassional – when they have an issue – which I guess could be the reason for repeated themes. However, new tibits and updates can come out of the same questions.
  I was completely oblivious of beardy, bendy, etc before chat. I haven’t dipped my toe in this but I still read a lot of the postings on it just because I can.
  I also like that regulars contribute often – if there were few comments chat would soon become stale. I knew how to approach my flight cancellations from others posting their experience.
  I think Rob had a great idea when he started the chat thread.
  - illuminatus says:
    
    4 May4 May 12:51
    
    +1, I also skim through the chat article comments daily. If someone does not like it – why not just ignore it? I can never understand that type of people.
  - The Savage Squirrel says:
    
    4 May4 May 16:04
    
    +1. For example I flick past all threads starting with enquiries about cancelled flights and refunds as it’s not relevant to my personal situation and I know I have no expertise to contribute. Same for a few other topics. If you’re the kind of bloody-minded fool that feels they absolutely must read every comment then you can hardly complain that a lot don’t interest you.
    Skim-reading is a skill that anyone can learn….
bafan says:

4 May4 May 06:25

If I book an open jaw on BA and one flight is moved, will they allow me to move the other flight like a normal R/T or is there some odd rule because it’s an open jaw? Just want to double check – I have my eye on a Romanian trip for July.
- BJ says:
  
  4 May4 May 06:34
  
  No problem.
  - bafan says:
    
    4 May4 May 15:40
    
    Thanks BJ :).
Doc says:

4 May4 May 06:58

Question about BA e-vouchers.
I have two cash FTV that were automatically converted to e-vouchers by BA.
I am planning on using my Amex companion voucher soon and wonder if I can use my two e-vouchers to pay for the taxes? I know I can’t use a FTV from a cash booking for redemption booking but I assume e-vouchers are treated differently?
Also if I ring Japan at 0100 to book my outbound flights, are they able to sort out the payment using the e-vouchers on the phone?
Thank you for any advice.
- Anna says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:14
  
  I’ve used a cash FTV towards the “taxes” on a new award booking, though it was 12 months ago so the rules may have changed now.
  - Chris Heyes says:
    
    4 May4 May 09:22
    
    Anna Thanks I don’t mind getting comments good, bad or indifferent including offensive, never been hurt by words in my life, although my Partner threw a book at me once (that’s a joke lol)
    You think I’m differant ?
    I don’t think myself to be a lot better than everyone else on here lol lol
Anna says:

4 May4 May 07:15

Once you’ve completed and IC Ambassador BOGOF stay, how long does it usually take for the free 2nd night certificate to disappear from your account?
- meta says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:18
  
  It should be immediate and shush…
  - Anna says:
    
    4 May4 May 07:30
    
    Thanks @meta, of course it was a hypothetical enquiry!
    - Sandra says:
      
      4 May4 May 20:57
      
      @Anna – Very late reading today, but the certificate on our last Ambassador stay (2 years ago now 🙁) was showing in our account long after use so I tried using it to make another sneaky booking, it didn’t work. I can’t remember the message that came up but the system knew it had been used. You might have more luck 🤞
- IanM says:
  
  4 May4 May 09:00
  
  Its a bit annoying that the ambassador free weekend night rate is higher than the best available.
  No reason for that except to claw back some of the discount
  - meta says:
    
    4 May4 May 10:01
    
    Depends on where you stay and always worth comparing cash prices. The trick is to tag along a points booking to 241 voucher. It becomes much cheaper on a per night basis, but not always. I also never book base rooms on 241 and always get to keep the same room on a points booking.
    - YC says:
      
      4 May4 May 10:10
      
      Assume its better to tag the points booking at the end rather than start?
      - Memesweeper says:
        
        4 May4 May 10:49
        
        Yes. Not assured that it will work out for you but usually does.
Beardless Hipster says:

4 May4 May 07:23

Did anyone get the 500 bonus points for new Virgin Red members? I did a qualifying transaction in early April but they never emailed me the redemption code. T&C state code would be emailed within 2 weeks of the qualifying credit.
- James says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:27
  
  Have you received the points related to the transaction itself?
  - Beardless Hipster says:
    
    4 May4 May 07:50
    
    Yes, the points from the qualifying transaction posted early April, transaction itself was in early March. I will open a missing points ticket.
- Craig says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:35
  
  It should be 2 weeks after the points from the transaction post. It didn’t happen for me, contacted Virgin Red by Twitter, email code arrived the next day.
- BJ says:
  
  4 May4 May 07:50
  
  I had to chase mibe, saw comments to the same effect a few days ago too. You can contact them via twitter.
- Catalan says:
  
  4 May4 May 08:21
  
  I was going to ask the very same question. Does anyone have a contact number or email address? My qualifying points posted 16th April but I’m yet to receive the ‘mystery’ promo code for the 500 points. Doesn’t bode well.
  - PJJ says:
    
    4 May4 May 16:23
    
    membersupport@red.virgin.com
    
    Mine came thru in a couple of days
    - Catalan says:
      
      4 May4 May 19:41
      
      Thank you @PJJ
- MKB says:
  
  4 May4 May 11:52
  
  Thanks for the prompt. I didn’t get the bonus points either so have contacted them via Twitter. The “missing points” link in the app rather uselessly displays a message saying that points can take a while!
- Jonathan says:
  
  4 May4 May 12:12
  
  I asked Virgin Red about this, my first points earn was posted first week of April but the 500 points wasn’t approved until 22nd April an email to claim the 500 points is sent within 14 days of the approval date so any time around now. Looks like it takes around a month after the first transaction points post.