The HfP chat thread – Thursday 6th May

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• YC says:

  6 May6 May 13:45

  Recently moved to monthly plat fee and received new cards in the post. However, they all have identical long card numbers to the old ones (different expiry/cvc). Do I need to remove old cards and re-add them? Don’t want to lose some of the current offers

  • James says:

    6 May6 May 14:25

    No, it’s just a replacement card. Just activate the card in your account. Offers all stay (well they did for me).

• KS says:

  6 May6 May 14:16

  I have my Amex Plat renewal coming up next month and with the Deliveroo offer on PRG, I’m inclined to downgrade to Gold. Another approach can be to ask someone else to refer me to PRG, merge MR account and then cancel Plat. My question is if there is any advantage in going for a downgrade rather than the referral?

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    6 May6 May 14:19

    They are near enough the exact same. Only difference is there will be a short period of time that you have both

  • Travel Strong says:

    6 May6 May 14:36

    Unpopular Opinion: I’d self refer myself for gold and take the 24k miles for doing so (if done by the 10th). Usual warning apply about the potential risk of amex deciding they don’t like that one day in the future, as per the USA purge stories that did the rounds on forums a while ago.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      6 May6 May 15:47

      Very, very risky strategy. Also I think you would only get 12,000 MR for the referral as it is for gold

      • TGLoyalty says:

        6 May6 May 15:48

        No you still get 24k regardless of what they apply for.

      • KBuffett says:

        6 May6 May 18:19

        Why is it very very very very risky when the only warnings seems to have come from the USA. If it were a problem, people on here would have commented. Instead, all people are saying is that they’ve clamped down in the USA. Perhaps it’s worth the risk…..

        • TGLoyalty says:

          6 May6 May 20:43

          Why do something that puts your points at risk for marginal gain? If you have a very small balance of MR and you’re happy clearing out periodically then cycling crack on

          If not then leave well alone.

      • Travel Strong says:

        6 May6 May 18:46

        House of cards. Always a risk that it falls.
        But it would be SO easy for amex to just block self referrals if they wanted to… and yet they do not? Instead they leave it open … and earn a lot in card fee’s for it too. Maybe a few Americans overindulged? Be british and reserved, do referrals for cards that you actually want, hold them, use them.

  • Travel Strong says:

    6 May6 May 14:38

    And also call and try and get a retention offer for not cancelling plat. I may have just done both of these things myself. And I may now be 59000 MR better off… albeit I am still a platinum customer with all the costs that incurs (for now).

    • James Purvis says:

      6 May6 May 15:38

      Is this the first or second retention offer you’ve received?

      • Travel Strong says:

        6 May6 May 18:34

        Second

    • KS says:

      6 May6 May 18:54

      Thanks, I’ll try this out. Not the other risky strategy you proposed. I’m a bit risk-averse. 😀

    • MM says:

      6 May6 May 20:37

      Any more details please. I tried and only got offered double MR points for six months or downgrade to Gold

      • TGLoyalty says:

        6 May6 May 20:43

        It’s luck of the draw

• TGLoyalty says:

  6 May6 May 14:25

  Why wait until renewal?

  You may or may not get offered points for not cancelling the platinum now.

  Your friend gets points for the referral (boosted until 12th May)

• Mo says:

  6 May6 May 14:46

  Which destination do you lovely people think will get cancelled if I book with points? I’ve got a few destinations I’d like to travel this year and there’s no availability. So if I get the FTV I can use that to book it.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    6 May6 May 15:09

    An FTV doesn’t give you flexibility to book any tick without Avios availability

    It’s just a voucher with your points and cash value which can be used against a future Avios booking.

    • Mo says:

      6 May6 May 15:20

      I thought if BA cancel the flight themselves the FTV (or if it’s called something else) gives you flexibility to book any date. Only thing is you can’t change the passengers

      • TGLoyalty says:

        6 May6 May 15:30

        If they cancel you can rebook to fly to that destination at a later date (not take an FTV), it is possible to fly elsewhere within 300 miles of your original destination if there are no suitable flights on the dates required.

        But is absolutely is not a way to get flights to any other destination.

  • ChrisC says:

    6 May6 May 15:23

    Assume this is with BA? As you mention an FTV?

    That’s not how an FTV works.

    If YOU cancel and you take the FTV there still needs to be avios availability on your new flights. An FTV simply contains the avios and cash you paid. It doesn’t give you any special rights to force BA to open up avios availability for you.

    If BA cancel and you rebook there doesn’t need to be avios availability on your future flights but you are restricted to the same destination as the original flight.

    What you appear to be wanting to do is not how the system works nor is it a way to game the system by booking somewhere you don’t want to fly to, hope BA cancels and then get them to rebook to somewhere you do want to go where there are no avios flights.

• Kevin C says:

  6 May6 May 15:08

  Uber have extended their offer of free trips to a slightly random selection of vaccination centres until 31st May.

  ‘Transport should never be a barrier to the vaccine, which is why we’ve further extended our offer to cover £15 off trips to or from any of the below forty-two vaccination centres across the UK until 31 May, 2021.

  Trips must start or end at one of the vaccination centres below, and are subject to availability. The promo code for all hubs is: uber2hubUK

  Robertson House (Hertfordshire & West Essex)
  The Lodge (Mid & South Essex)
  Peterborough City Care Centre (Cambridgeshire & Peterborough)
  Unit 30, Grafton Centre (Cambridge & Peterborough)
  Harlow Sports Centre (Hertfordshire & West Essex)
  Redgrave Children’s Centre (Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes)
  Excel Centre (London Nightingale)
  Network House, Wembley (North West London)
  Hawks Road Health Clinic (Kingston, London)
  Centre for Life (North East & North Cumbria)
  Askham Bar (Humber Coast & Vale)
  FlyDSA Arena (South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw)
  Spectrum Community Health CIC (West Yorkshire & Harrogate)
  Sunderland Nightingale (Cumbria & North East)
  Etihad Tennis and Football Centre (Manchester)
  St Helens Rugby Ground (Cheshire & Merseyside)
  The Crypt, Blackburn Cathedral (Healthier Lancashire & South Cumbria)
  Blackpool Winter Gardens (Healthier Lancashire & South Cumbria)
  Epsom Downs Racecourse (Surrey)
  Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre (North London)
  Westfield Stratford City (East London)
  The Francis Crick Institute (London)
  Salt Hill Activity Centre (Frimley)
  Brighton Centre (Sussex & East Surrey)
  Southampton CCG Offices (Hampshire & the Isle of Wight)
  Edinburgh International Conference Centre (Scotland)
  Ashton Gate Stadium (Bristol)
  Bournemouth International Centre (Dorset)
  The Showground (Somerset)
  Bath Racecourse (Bath)
  Cardiff and Vale Therapy Centre (Cardiff)
  Millennium Point (Birmingham)
  Princess Royal Sports Arena (Lincolnshire)
  Black Country Living Museum (The Black Country & West Birmingham)
  Peepul Centre (Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland)
  Stoneleigh Park Agricultural Centre (Coventry & Warwickshire)
  Derby Arena (Derbyshire)
  Artrix Centre (Herefordshire & Worcestershire)
  Royal Pavilion (Northamptonshire)
  Wickes (Nottingham & Nottinghamshire)
  Telford International Centre (Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin)
  Daniel Platts Business Park (Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent)’

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    6 May6 May 15:38

    Seems very trusting of them to let you go the Brighton Center, which is basically the middle of Brighton and quite convenient for food and drink

    • The Urbanite says:

      6 May6 May 16:01

      Same goes for Westfield Stratford City – no potential for misuse there is there?

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        6 May6 May 16:51

        Definitely not, particularly as pubs reopen…

    • ChrisC says:

      6 May6 May 16:10

      That was my thought as well though more because virtually every bus in the city passes quite close to the Brighton Centre and is only a short walk away so access is not really an issue for most people.

      Whereas there is very limited public transport to Brighton Racecourse and so much harder to get to.

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        6 May6 May 16:52

        Makes no sense to be honest, maybe they want to keep the taxi’s central and not on the outskirts?

• bafan says:

  6 May6 May 15:14

  So…I don’t want to pay for tons of PCR tests over the summer. If booked a trip to land at LHR on the afternoon of Day 1, and booked to leave again on the afternoon of Day 2 – would I still be required to test? I mean I have leave available and I am happy to travel like that – a mix of VFR and tourism so I don’t think I’d get holiday’d out or anything…

  • Rui N. says:

    6 May6 May 15:34

    Why don’t you travel directly to the 2nd destination?!

    • bafan says:

      6 May6 May 16:28

      No non stops available and idk if I want to start doing third country connections at the moment…I’m trying to do non stops as much as possible.

• Dave says:

  6 May6 May 15:34

  Due to the special referral offer and a couple i made earlier in the year I’m almost maxed out on referral bonuses now. If I cancel my amex plat for a few months (given i won’t be using the benefits until sept at the moment and annual fee isn’t due until October so a refund of that would be helpful), can I reapply later in the year and reset the referral clock?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    6 May6 May 15:38

    As long as you have no other MR card then yes (it’s per “currency” not per card)

    • Dave says:

      6 May6 May 15:40

      Ok thanks! Yes aside from the Amex Plat I have a BAPP but nowt else. Hmm well I’ll give cancelling some thought then…

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    6 May6 May 15:39

    Teach me your ways

    • Ste Cox says:

      6 May6 May 15:59

      +1 I haven’t managed to convince anyone to sign up for ages

      • TGLoyalty says:

        6 May6 May 16:39

        Mum dad brother sister cousin significant other up to 2 charge and 3 credit each 🙂

• MCO says:

  6 May6 May 15:57

  My Amex offer at Zegna for £150 off a £500 purchase didn’t track. Spoke with Amex and they are saying that since it was billed by Bicester village rather then store directly I don’t qualify. I ordered over the phone with the store and the credit card transaction receipt shows the biller as Zegna with their store address. Anything I can do?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    6 May6 May 16:00

    Hang up and call again?

    The store is listed as an eligible store in the offer.

    • Mco says:

      6 May6 May 16:07

      What they are saying that since I physically didn’t go into the store the payment link they sent me was a Bicester village one. But on the link it says the merchant was Zegna and it’s store address. I took a screen shot.

      • Andrew says:

        6 May6 May 16:23

        And I did Dior remotely and the merchant name correctly showed as Dior and it tracked for the Bicester £50 back offer.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        6 May6 May 16:41

        Ah I see then unfortunately they are probably correct as the zegna offer is Instore at Zegna. The payment link will be via bicesters online system and unlikely to be registered for that offer.

        Trip to Bicester to return and rebut the item? Probably Worth it for £150 unless you live miles away.

        • MCO says:

          6 May6 May 16:49

          Its billed as Zegna Outlet Oxford on my statement and the credit card receipt also says the Merchant is Zegna. Bicester village isn’t mentioned anywhere.

          I will try and call back.

      • Jonathan says:

        6 May6 May 17:52

        T&C’s specifically state instore at participating locations (Bond St & Bicester) or online at http://www.zegna.co.uk

        I get that often the T&C’s aren’t applied strictly in cases like this but if they are you don’t really have grounds to complain.

  • Andrew says:

    6 May6 May 16:02

    Return the item is probably all you can do if Amex aren’t playing ball. But I would try another agent though and ensure you speak to Brighton when doing so.

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