Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Sunday 16th May

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Comments (251)

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

  • meta says:

    Anyone knows how to find a specific hotel on Amex Travel? I’ve tried all the usual – inputing city, cities nearby, etc. The city is not even coming up as an option in the search. I also tried via Map search. Is it the case of calling Amex travel?

    It’s for a hotel in Iceland outside Reykjavik and main cities in case that matters (and I did check the spelling!)

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      Last time I had a loom there was a dodgy map that might help you zoom in on it?

      No guarantees it’ll be on there though

      • meta says:

        I tried that. It doesn’t work. It’s an Icelandic chain and I can find all other from the chain, just not this one. Totally useless for hotel searches…

        As a side note, I also found one error fare for a
        3-star hotel near Selfoss which costs £90 million a night!

        • Super Secret Stuff says:

          Hahaha sounds like a bargain! Write us a review 😉

        • Sandgrounder says:

          Good tip- I just managed to find it and when I clicked through to the next page one room was £902m!

    • Sukes says:

      You do a city/location search and then when website has loaded up the search results there will be a new search box half way down the menu on the left of the page where you can search by hotel name. I don’t think it actually matters whether the original city searched is in proximity of the hotel.

      • meta says:

        I tried that too, but it’s not coming up. It’s as if the whole part of that region has no hotels. The hotel shows up on every other OTA, but not on Amex Travel. Thanks anyway, I might give them a call tomorrow if I feel like it. However, I’d like to benefit from Amex offer and this needs to be booked online…

  • Rob says:

    Yes. You may be able to return in a store and slip a different Amex into the card machine ….

  • Yorkshirerich says:

    Just want to say thankyou for the replies on my Question about Manchester yesterday. On your advice I have contacted emyr.

    We have booked with TUI in June to turkey which won’t happen. Im not convinced we will be going anywhere abroad at this rate so I’ve just booked Hilton garden inn snowdonia for 3 nights. Seems fairly reasonable for £325 which included the £50 off on Amex(I avoided the Saturday night).

    • David says:

      Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia does not appear on my list of participating hotels. I have the basic BA card, which card do you have?

      • TGLoyalty says:

        It isn’t on the list. Card doesn’t make a diff with this one.

        • Yorkshirerich says:

          Oh my bad. Hopefully some foreign destination will be available and then I can cancel it anyway.

          • TGLoyalty says:

            Doesn’t mean it won’t work but no recourse if it doesn’t.

  • Moktar says:

    Can I cancel an avios flight booked on ba.com but with partner airlines (Iberia connecting to air nostrom) upto 24 hours before scheduled departure in exchange of £35 or cash amount paid? Or is the cancellation policy only applicable for BA flights?

    • DZOO says:

      On a related note, when is the latest time a FTV can be requested (BA metal)?

      • Clive says:

        Potentially an hour before the flight departs but I personally wouldn’t leave it that late

        • Memesweeper says:

          I did it (online) with about 12 hours to go, at the suggestion of a very helpful call centre agent. Amazed it worked. Don’t push your luck like me!

    • TGLoyalty says:

      Via ba.com it’s for all partners beware it is actually 1 full day in advance in some cases rather than 24 hours ie before midnight the day before check in opens.

      FTVs can be taken right up until checkin closes.

  • Swiss Jim says:

    Quick question. Getting very close to earning 100,000 points on my IHG Black card this month. Just wanted to check if any problems etc if monthly points roll into 6 figures. I know for example that Hilton still credit the over 100,000 without problem – but the 100,000 credits later than the excess. Lots of spend this month…. Thanks.

  • Spaghetti Town says:

    Sorry all – dully question. Can anyone tell me when my hilton gold will expire?

    Is there a way to find out?

  • Spaghetti Town says:

    Now my next question is, can you use your hilton gold benefits on Hilton stays bought with tesco club card vouchers?

    I remember seeing something that you can’t.

    • Anna says:

      Technically Hilton doesn’t honour benefits on 3rd party bookings, so you won’t get points and night credits, however some hotels still give upgrades and breakfast if you contact them and politely ask them to add your HH number to the booking. I wouldn’t try this at the HGI at Ronald Reagan airport in Washington DC, however, where the receptionist berated me loudly at check in for not booking direct (it was a hotels.com free night). On the other hand, the HGI in Rome happily gave 3 of us free breakfast for 4 days on a 3rd party booking!

      • Spaghetti Town says:

        Thank you.

        The hilton in question is likely going to be the belfast one.

        Maybe i’ll book directly and save the vouchers for something else to guarantee to use my benefits.

        • GaryE says:

          Not sure which Hilton you are booking the City Centre one or the one in Templepatrick (20 mins outside Belfast),

          If you have a car would suggest the Templepatrick hotel, as has outside seating area, golf course, spa and swimming pool and don’t need the hassle of city centre parking – guess depends what your plans are whilst in Belfast.

          If you are Gold member I have always been given room upgrade and free drink voucher for 1st night.

          • Spaghetti Town says:

            City centre hotel – will be driving not flying!

          • Spaghetti Town says:

            Other way round sorry – flying, NOT driving.

          • Memesweeper says:

            Having done a lot of nights in both, I’ll take the city centre and the chance of an upgrade to a room with lounge access… and a short walk to a nice pub if I don’t

            Templepatrick really is the middle of nowhere … unless you like golf a lot I’d steer clear. Still, I have fond memories as I clocked up my first hotel chain status of any kind there 🙂

    • Genghis says:

      Aren’t they booked directly with Hilton? I’ve never done one.

  • Cup says:

    Has there been an extra 6 months added onto the 2 year BA companion voucher that’s been issued recently?

    Or has that stopped since March 31?

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