The HfP chat thread – Sunday 9th 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.

747_Brat says:

9 May9 May 02:21

Data Point:
Virgin points for my first Morrison purchase back in March have been approved.
- rams1981 says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:39
  
  helpful thanks. Stiull waiting on 6 purchases to go payable.
- G says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:50
  
  Mine are all still pending, with the first of these dated 26/03
Jenny says:

9 May9 May 03:45

If virgin cancel a flight. Whats their incentive offer regarding free companion voucher? Is it available to keep for 1 year and can be used seperate from original booking?
- David says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:19
  
  I think if they cancel a flight and you take it as a fututire travel voucher you get a return upgrade voucher per person – well that’s what I got.
  - Jenny says:
    
    9 May9 May 09:52
    
    i think they offer £80 + a upgrade or a companion voucher
s879 says:

9 May9 May 03:55

How long till we receive our Tesco to Virgin covered miles. Forgot to switch autoconvert and can see points have zeroed on the Tesco app.
maccymac says:

9 May9 May 05:44

Hi would be grateful if anyone had any recommendations for car rental companies in Iceland?

Looking to get a 4×4 to get around there in November and a lot of the local companies seem to have horrific reviews on trustpilot.
- Andrew Mc says:
  
  9 May9 May 06:10
  
  Highly recommend Reykjavík Auto. Used a couple of years ago. Great reviews at the time. Really Blue Car Rental, but cheaper.
- Sandgrounder says:
  
  9 May9 May 06:32
  
  A lot of negative reviews on Icelandic car hire companies come from US visitors who aren’t used to European style policies on damage. Make sure you have your excess covered and your trip will probably be fine. Check the weather and don’t drive in a sand storm.
  - Andrew Mc says:
    
    9 May9 May 07:02
    
    Agree re excess cover. Not many excess waiver insurances cover ash damage. We used Questor, which was one of the few that did (at least at the time). I do, however, believe there are many car hire companies to be avoided in Iceland.
    - Sandgrounder says:
      
      9 May9 May 07:57
      
      There are some to be avoided for sure as with every destination, but sometimes despite all the research you make the wrong choice, so make sure you are covered. Re the sand and ash I called Amex last year and made sure it was covered by the Plat insurance, the agent was unsure but I got a positive response in the end and I made sure I had recorded the call.
- Flyoff says:
  
  9 May9 May 07:23
  
  I used Sixt who were good. They also provided a complimentary pick up service from my hotel in Reykjavik to their city depot.
  - Pete M says:
    
    9 May9 May 08:36
    
    Can second Sixt. Got an upgrade too. Make sure you join their loyalty programme as will cut the, often insanely huge, queue for pick up. Returns process is the most thorough I have ever seen, they checked every bit of the SUV, including the underside. But if you have an excess policy (Platinum AmEx or Questor would be my recommendations) you don’t have to worry!
- Chris P says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:29
  
  We used AVIS and they were fine. Do be careful of the wind which can take the car door out of your hand and avoid driving on the ash as you can get a flat tyre!! We did and AVIS brought a replacement car within the hour. Otherwise, Iceland is amazing if you haven’t been before. You’ll have a great time.
- SimonP says:
  
  9 May9 May 10:48
  
  I totally agree with the insurance position – my kids rented a car there a few years ago and it got sandblasted. Rental company refused to return their passports until they had all emptied their savings and uni grant money to pay for the damage. MAKE SURE you are covered for sand blasting!
  - Pete M says:
    
    9 May9 May 11:56
    
    Good point on the doors and wind! I’ve never experienced stronger winds than in Iceland!
  - Brian W says:
    
    9 May9 May 14:29
    
    If I was asked to leave my passport in the possession of a car hire company or hotel these days, I’d be looking to hire a car or stay elsewhere.
- maccymac says:
  
  9 May9 May 18:39
  
  Thank you all for the great recommendations and insights. Especially regarding the enhanced insurance!
Joe Green says:

9 May9 May 05:50

With CP eilat leaving ihg are there any international hotel brands left in eilat?
- Peter K says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:28
  
  Why not try the websites of the various companies you are interested in and type in Eilat as the destination? You can then check availability on the dates you want at the same time.
  - gareth says:
    
    9 May9 May 08:46
    
    Or tripadvisor…
- Tracey says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:29
  
  I thought the Queen of Sheba was a Hilton.
  - Lev441 says:
    
    9 May9 May 10:53
    
    Nope, it’s been long gone for many years now.
    
    Shame about the crown plaza, I was eyeing it up for a trip.
    
    No international brands left
    - Memesweeper says:
      
      9 May9 May 11:41
      
      Aqaba still has plenty of international brands if you want a Red Sea diving resort…
- Morris says:
  
  10 May10 May 06:45
  
  Not only CP Eilat, but nearly every CP in the entire country (save the two CPs in Tel Aviv)! They are now all part of a new local chain called Vert.
  
  I managed to squeeze in a stay using IHG certificates in its final days as a CP and was still upgraded (as Platinum) and afforded late checkout. The points from incidental spend never posted, but IHG took care of it quickly.
Manny_D says:

9 May9 May 07:17

Can’t seem to see my balance or transactions on the Amex app this morning. Anyone else having these issues?
- Sam says:
  
  9 May9 May 07:44
  
  Fine here on an iPhone
  - Andrew says:
    
    9 May9 May 08:27
    
    +1 no problem here.
- Andrew Mc says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:28
  
  Fine here on Android.
- Manny_D says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:34
  
  Very odd. Just shows with a system is not responding error on the transaction feed, and balance shows as n/a. Same applies online too.
  - Pete M says:
    
    9 May9 May 08:40
    
    Had the same yesterday, fixed itself in a few hours.
Dominic says:

9 May9 May 08:04

Looking to rebook my cancelled Tokyo flights; wondering if anyone can advise.

On the website it appears to let me select a date through to April next year; ideally I want to book the same slot as this year (i.e. May). I’m not even 100% sure it will let me choose April, but I don’t want to click the “Confirm date” button in-case it then literally confirms that date without showing the flight itinerary…

Will I still be able to select a new itinerary if I just do nothing for a month or two whilst I await May/June to open up?

Thanks!
- Andy says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:33
  
  Avios or cash booking @Dominic?
  - Dominic says:
    
    9 May9 May 10:37
    
    Sorry, Avios booking. Got them in the 50% sale, hence wanting to capitalise on the existing booking 🙂
- Optimus Prime says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:34
  
  When did you book your flights?
  - Dominic says:
    
    9 May9 May 10:37
    
    October 2020
    - Optimus Prime says:
      
      9 May9 May 10:45
      
      Are you sure it’s letting you choose dates in 2022? I think the Confirm button you’re talking about is the one you have to click to choose a date and then it will search for availability. It’s 99.99% likely to say ‘No flights available for your dates’ because BA won’t let you rebook past October 2021. Source: myself and quite a few others over at FT 🙂
      - avidsaver says:
        
        9 May9 May 11:33
        
        +1 Exactly my experience.
      - Memesweeper says:
        
        9 May9 May 11:42
        
        -1 not my experience — I booked beyond 365 days with a cancelled Avios. This may have been a ‘bug’ that BA ‘fixed’ of course.
      - Optimus Prime says:
        
        9 May9 May 11:48
        
        @Memesweeper – online or on the phone? If the former maybe you’re right and they ‘fixed’ it like they did to online refunds las year…
      - Dominic says:
        
        9 May9 May 12:28
        
        Thank you!
        
        And no, not certain; I didn’t want to click the button to test as it said “Confirm” (I assumed it would then search for available flights, but I wasn’t planning to test that!). Thanks!
Pete M says:

9 May9 May 08:39

Happy Sunday all! Following the glorious leader’s advice we’ve booked a long weekend in Belfast in June. Any hotel recommendations? I was looking at the Hilton or Hampton Inn in the city centre perhaps and they’re similarly priced. I’m told we shouldn’t miss the Titanic Museum, anything else? Was thinking of maybe getting a private guide for some of the more recent history? Any tips appreciated as always 🙂
- Andrew says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:55
  
  The Titanic Hotel next to the Titanic museum is really nice. Even if you don’t stay there it’s nice for dinner.
- Genghis says:
  
  9 May9 May 08:56
  
  We loved our trip to Belfast a few years ago.
  Thoughts:
  – Titanic Museum overrated
  – Loved our Black taxi tour of West Belfast
  – Did the Game of Thrones Tour up to the North Coast – excellent.
- Frankie says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:08
  
  I recommend the hilton. It’s nice. Do a black taxi tour of the troubles area. It’s really well worth it. ‘Made In Belfast’ is a lovely restaurant. My sister’s pal from England moved to Belfast and loved it so much she opened a couple of restaurants there and called them ‘Made In Belfast’. Titanic museum a must. St George’s market on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Take a wee trip up the lovely coast to the Giants Causeway.
- Diydegsy says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:15
  
  So much to see and do. We are staying next visit at the Merchant hotel as it’s a special occasion but normally stay at the Park Inn Clarence Street west which is in a great location and if we’re up late we go across the road to the ‘Harlem Cafe’ for late breakfast it’s a fabulous place all day dining,. The titanic hotel I think is a bit too far out but very nice to pop into for a drink or afternoon tea etc the main room where it’s served is beautiful as it used to be where the draughts men did all the drawings for the Titanic.
  You also can’t miss the Harp Bar for music etc great fun. You will not go far wrong with any of the hotels in the city centre. Other things to do are the “wee toast tours” brilliant or the city bus tours as they make it so much fun. Enjoy!!
  - JG says:
    
    9 May9 May 09:24
    
    And if good weather the largely outdoors Ulster Folk & Transport Museum just north of Belfast (train to Cultra) worth a few hours. I’m still waiting to book a Belfast flight myself until travel restrictions lifted – fingers crossed Northern Ireland open to visitors by June!
    - Frankie says:
      
      9 May9 May 13:06
      
      Pronounced CulTRAAAAAA or people won’t know where you’re trying to get to 😀
  - Borderman says:
    
    9 May9 May 09:39
    
    The Grand Central Hotel is good, if slightly upmarket option. Fairly new and great views from the tallest hotel in Ireland. Pop into the National Trust run Crown bar for food and/or drink.
- Sukes says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:33
  
  Crown Bar Saloon opposite the Opera House. It’s a functioning Victorian bar owned by the National Trust. If you’re a line of duty fan you can try and spot filming locations such as a dodgy underpass 🙂 City Hall has interesting free exhibition (albeit too long) about NI history, & there is a Titanic memorial outside. Ulster Museum also decent particularly Spanish Armada treasures that were shipwrecked on the coast. I’ve never been myself but I’ve only ever heard good reviews of the black cab Troubles tour.
  - Sukes says:
    
    9 May9 May 09:38
    
    Oh & if you do go to Ulster Museum theres nice botanic garden attached with refurbished tropical glasshouse. Hampton hotel v gd when stated 2yrs ago, get corner rm bit more spacious, nice bar/lounge area on gd floor, & there is a shortcut into back entrance of great Victoria st station which you can walk in 30sec from the hotel entrance.
- Roger W says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:36
  
  We stayed inthe Park Inn. Good value and breakfast good. Okay for a drink too. Titanic Museum great. We did the hop on bus tour too. Been thirty years since I’d had an open top tri paround Belfast and enjoyed it thoroughly. Crumlin Road jail is interesting. If you have time get up to the Giants Causeway.
- Richie says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:47
  
  The Fitzwilliam looks good.
  - Pete M says:
    
    9 May9 May 09:51
    
    Amazing, thank you all! A lot to look into!
    - Lady London says:
      
      9 May9 May 12:42
      
      If you had the choice are there any particular months when the weather is likely to be nice in Belfast?
      
      I’ve been to Dublin 4 times. Each time was rainy except 1. And on that one sunny day all the locals said it’ll be raining soon.
      - Frankie says:
        
        9 May9 May 16:02
        
        As a Belfast man I can tell you there’s no such months at all, so there isn’t. Summer is your best bet.
  - Big Ernie McCracken says:
    
    9 May9 May 12:10
    
    it is.
    - JG says:
      
      9 May9 May 16:08
      
      Between May and September, perhaps… I prefer June for the long daylight (17 hours+)
- Toddy says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:49
  
  Hi Pete.
  The tourist ‘must do’ for me (I’m from NI)
  
  Titanic museum
  City Hall
  Hire a car for the day to visit Giant’s causeway, carrick-a-rede rope bridge and the Dark Hedges (Game of Thrones)
  Open top bus tour (avoid the black taxi tours as they don’t give you an impartial view of our history)
  Crown Bar, The duke of York & The Kitchen bar
  St Georges market
  Crumlin Rd Gaol
  
  Should be enough for starters!
- Harry T says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:49
  
  AC Belfast was fairly decent at the back end of last year – I did pay about £50 a night though. The location is pretty good. If you can, get a river view. I think I was only Marriott Gold then but we did get a room with a view. The customer service was a bit rough and ready – they told us we couldn’t leave our bags after checkout as they weren’t allowed to handle them (lol covid) but then let someone else leave their bags. When I challenged them, they said they didn’t have any space left, but there clearly was. If I’d been paying actual money for the stay, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been impressed. But if the hotel is cheap, then the actual hard product is decent for a budget hotel.
  
  We enjoyed the Titanic Museum. I would recommend it.
  
  The Pocket Flat Iron serves some of the best coffee I’ve had in the UK. They also do an excellent breakfast/brunch. I would recommend eating there for brekkie instead of a hotel. They weren’t taking advance bookings when we visited but I would book if they now allow that.
  
  The Chubby Cherub was also pretty good (we were on a Shop Small binge).
- Sandra B says:
  
  9 May9 May 09:53
  
  Agree with all the other comments on here about Belfast although we enjoyed the Titanic as learned quite a bit more about the history of the ship. Afternoon tea there was enjoyable with a pianist and appropriate singer to entertain and all things bedecked as the ship. The Game of Thrones exhibition was on then so went there and not a tour but would have done one to included the Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge as my daughter hadn’t been before but time was limited. St George’s Market at the weekend had lots of interesting food stalls. We did the HoHo bus, again as time dictated. Would have liked to have gone to the Ulster Folk Museum but that’s for the next trip. Hampton by Hilton was our choice (trip was a birthday gift) and I must say the staff were so good with nothing too much trouble, that I sent a Thank You Card. So much to do and not enough time but a wee heads up; locals go out for the evening earlier than Scots. Pubs/restaurants were pretty full at 5.30pm. (We thought we were extremely early). Book your meal ahead if you can to avoid traipsing the streets to be met by heaving premises with “no room at the inn”. But then Covid may dictate a different scenario re restaurants these days. Enjoy. We are looking forward to returning.
  - chabuddy geezy says:
    
    9 May9 May 11:49
    
    I also stayed at the Hampton, its very close to the Crown Bar. For restaurants I would recommend Deane’s at Queens and Mourne Seafood.
- GaryE says:
  
  9 May9 May 11:51
  
  Depends if you are hiring a car or not. Titanic Museum is a must – you need to book in advance; Antrim Coast – to Giant’s Causeway and onto Portrush and White Sands Bay; Bushmills Whiskey tour and Games of Throne. Going the other way there is Ulster Folk Museum just outside Belfast and the Mountains of Mourne. We always stay in the Hilton in Templepatrick (5 minutes from Belfast International Airport) and 20 minutes from the Centre of Belfast. If you play golf the hotel has golf course, pool and spa.
  There is plenty to do if going for a long weekend.
- Memesweeper says:
  
  9 May9 May 11:52
  
  Plenty of newish decent hotels. My go-to was the Hilton, the AC, Raddisson Blu, Park Inn. The holiday Inn is OK, HIX well worth avoiding, CP ok but poor location. Just outside town is the fabulous Rayanne House in Holywood. If it’s available on your dates take it. It’s a tenner in a cab from the city centre or a short train ride. V close to City Airport. Absolutely outstanding… if you stay there you’ll understand why.
  
  and +1 for the open top bus tour.
  - Pete M says:
    
    9 May9 May 11:57
    
    One more thank you – I do love this website!
    - Memesweeper says:
      
      9 May9 May 14:30
      
      Long nights in hotels in Belfast is what got me started on here…