The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 18th May

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• Kai says:

  18 May18 May 13:49

  Is everyone’s Curve+Hilton still failing for Vanguard?

  • Cal says:

    18 May18 May 14:17

    Last time I tried it didn’t work, was at least 2 weeks ago though.

  • Jay says:

    18 May18 May 14:18

    Yep 🙁

    • Youllnever says:

      18 May18 May 15:21

      Time to set up that direct debit!

      • Jay says:

        18 May18 May 17:19

        Already done ☹️

• TimM says:

  18 May18 May 14:07

  I had the notification from BA today they are using T1 at Manchester. Which lounge are BA using in T1? Thanks in advance.

  • Anna says:

    18 May18 May 14:44

    I’ve had the same – the T3 lounge is closing anyway so I’m not sure BA will even have an alternative set up. I’m not counting on any lounge access at MAN even if our trip goes ahead!

    • TimM says:

      18 May18 May 14:55

      That is the impression I got from the thread at FlyerTalk. Covid gives airlines a license to do what they wish with no comeback.

      At least I have 3 hours in Heathrow before my connection to Kalamata. I will attempt to eat and drink them dry in compensation 🙂

      • Anna says:

        18 May18 May 16:00

        +1 on that TimM. Also during the 9 hour flight to MIA – if it happens!

        • Anna says:

          18 May18 May 16:08

          Just remembered we got 10k avios each a couple of years back for missing out on the lounge at MAN because our MAN-LHR connection was cancelled and they had to put us in a taxi to LHR instead – so worth sticking a complaint in if there’s no offering.
          Incidentally, at GCM where there’s no lounge they give you a voucher for $12 which just about buys a pizza and coffee!

        • TimM says:

          18 May18 May 17:21

          Good idea, Anna. I will see what transpires. BA have not yet told me there will be no lounge access at MAN and, of course, it may not yet happen. Thank you.

  • Blair says:

    18 May18 May 20:16

    MAN have no lounges open nor any plans to do so. Because of the pandemic innit…. Despite the BA First lounge looking like night one on the Titanic in terms of excess

• Jonathan says:

  18 May18 May 14:32

  Looking to add first additional card holder to free BA Amex for the points, can I add them thought the app or do I have to go though Amex’s page on their website?

  • Jonathan says:

    18 May18 May 14:39

    *through

  • Jay says:

    18 May18 May 17:21

    Go through the website, screenshot the page and keep a record of the URL showing bonus for supp card in case there is an issue with points issuance.

• TicknBash says:

  18 May18 May 14:32

  Invest £1k into Curve and get a swag pack and Curve hoodie !!!
  Can’t wait.

  • Anna says:

    18 May18 May 14:45

    We need a special HFP edition that says “Bendy” instead.

    • Sundar says:

      18 May18 May 16:09

      ha ha good one Anna

    • Jay says:

      18 May18 May 17:22

      I am sure it can been arranged for a lot less than a £1k investment.😉

• Optimus Prime says:

  18 May18 May 14:38

  If I apply for a FTV online, will it include and extend my 2×1 voucher till 30-April-2022 (expires next week) or do I have to call BA for that?

  • Anna says:

    18 May18 May 14:46

    April 2023, I think now, no need to call.

    • Optimus Prime says:

      18 May18 May 14:51

      Thanks

      • Steve says:

        18 May18 May 17:53

        As Anna, April 2023, no need to call. I did the same last week.

• John says:

  18 May18 May 14:53

  Just had an email from Eurostar, extending Carte Blanche status for another six months.

  My pre-pandemic expiry was 1/2021, now extended to 5/2022.

• James Pleasant says:

  18 May18 May 15:01

  Some great airfare prices to European countries in June on Ryanair and others eg Wizz – try £25-50 return to many of them.

  Amber? I say: let’s Samba. Add on the cost of some PCR tests and it’s still cheap as chips.

  If (IMHO) you are fully vaccinated, you have a perfect legal AND ethical right to get in a cheap holiday, just do the right thing and self-isolate for 10 days when you come back. Won’t be any good for families with kids in school, but for those able to use the rules and who are fully vacc’d so present no particular risk over there or back here, why not?

  • Jay says:

    18 May18 May 15:25

    Judging by the pictures on the news yesterday, most parents don’t give a **** about taking their kids out of school and having a holiday.

    • John says:

      18 May18 May 20:02

      I remember my holidays from then, but I don’t remember what happened at school. I went to a school with fees so they didn’t really care… also because I won lots of trophies for them and got the second highest GCSE grades in my year while spending half of year 11 on holiday…

• MCO says:

  18 May18 May 15:09

  Booked a partner flight with Avios in Sep 20 for travel in Dec 20 which was cancelled by the airline in Nov. Left ticket on standby and called up to rebook for Dec 21 and was given the 1 yr max rule. Followed the full guidance on here and did a MCOL. BA has filed their defence to say

  1. BA were not the operating carrier therefore they deny it has any obligation to re-route the Claimant under Article 8
  2. I accepted their conditions of carriage which state the ticket is only valid for 1 year and they are happy for me to use it within that time frame.

  What should I do next?

  • meta says:

    18 May18 May 15:34

    You sued the wrong airline. It needs to be operating carrier thus the partner airline. You can withdraw claim now and sue the partner airline. If they are not an EU airline then only the flight from EU countries to X outside EU is covered.

    • meta says:

      18 May18 May 15:37

      Someone can correct me, but you could put BA and the partner airline on the claim as well, then it would be valid.

    • Mco says:

      18 May18 May 15:44

      Are you sure! Time and again I was advised to email BA and send them the emails. The operating carrier is Finnair.

      Now what should I do? Start from scratch? Send them the emails and letter before action?

      • MCO says:

        18 May18 May 15:55

        Sorry this was not meant to sound rude. I think it comes across as I am angry. I was just in the middle of something else and wrote it quickly.

      • ChrisC says:

        18 May18 May 16:28

        I don’t recall you ever mentioning that Finnair were the operating airline just that you booked an avios flight so people assumed you were flying on BA when they gave you the advice to take BA to MCOL. I’m sure if you had the advice would be to deal with AY in the first place.

        You need to check with MCOL if you can now replace BA with AY on the claim or if it’s a new case

        And to be fair to AY you should really start the whole process with them again because they will object if you just land them with a letter before action with no prior opportunity to try and resolve the case before going to MCOL.

        • Mco says:

          18 May18 May 16:44

          Oh well….. I am sure I mentioned Finnair as it was a ticket to Lapland and the reason why I needed it in December only.

          When I spoke with AY they told me the ticket was BA’s and they had no control over it. I need to take it up with them.

        • Mco says:

          18 May18 May 16:50

          Also Finnair said they would look into moving it but since it was a BA ticket they need them to get in touch. BA refuse to negotiate a new date past the 1 year. So what should I do. Send Finnair a notice and let them get in touch with BA?

          Anyone know of a way to get Finnair involved into this claim to save the court fees.

  • MCO says:

    18 May18 May 20:53

    Lady London….. Any guidance what I should do next?

    • James Pleasant says:

      18 May18 May 21:06

      I’m not LL. OK – this was a ticket UK —> Lapland, so UK261 (same as EU261) rules apply.

      Yes – usually there’s a 1 year or 355 day rule for re-routing. But your original flight was supposed to be Dec20 and you want to re-route in Dec21 – should be fine and the date you booked it has no relevance.

      I think you are speaking to the wrong operating carrier, which is Finnair not BA or Avios. [Anyone know of a way to get Finnair involved into this claim to save the court fees.] Indeed – try the usual communication routes these days, if they don’t engage you’ll have to sue them.

      • MCO says:

        18 May18 May 21:14

        Thanks James. What I meant to ask was since I have a paid court claim can I change it to AY? Or do I cancel the claim and start again?

        • meta says:

          18 May18 May 21:41

          I believe this can’t be done online. You’ll need to continue the process in paper/via email. So you need to contact the court to change the claim. The problem is that you need to show that you actively engaged with Finnair. So my suggestion is to start from scratch and speak to Finnair, either on the phone again or even better in writing. Then if you get stuck, start MCOL process with Finnair.

          It seems to me you weren’t very proactive pursuing it with Finnair and BA. I’d call several times both Finnair and BA and make them talk to each other. It would have been sorted out. I helped a friend with similar problem with BA and American Airlines and it was solved within a week just by simply stating what the other airline said and insisting.

        • MCO says:

          18 May18 May 21:45

          Thank you Meta.

    • Lady London says:

      18 May18 May 22:23

      I think @:meta’s right about who you sue. However you did try with Finnair already. So it’s not new to them and you shouldn ;t have to start again now as you already approached them and were denied by them and they sent you to BA.

      MCO : you said “When I spoke with AY they told me the ticket was BA’s and they had no control over it. I need to take it up with them [BA].”.

      To try to save your court fee and keep it one claim, **call the court clerk now and tell them Finnair said this. Ask to bring Finnair in alongside BA as a co-defendant** If you bought your ticket from avios.com and not BA, see if you can bring avios.com in as well…!!!!! 🙂

      A, refusing to deal with your claim.

      3 issues with BA’s refusal about the 12 months : (1) IATA says 12 months does not apply to involuntary reroutes which this is. IATA allows ticket to be endorsed INVOL in this case allowing longer than 12 months. In any case issuing a new ticket if needed to give you your rerouting rights as per EU261 isn’t at all difficult for an airline. (2) if there was a 12 month limit (which IATA and your rerouting rights under EU261 both supersede ) then it should have been brought to your attention easily findable upfront at the time you bought the ticket. I bet you had no sight of such a condition anyway.It’s a red herring by them. (3) your reason for only being able to achieve the reason for your trip to Lapland only at limited time of year is perfectly reasonable.

      Be nice to the court clerk and explain Finnair denied and as they are pointing fingers at each other can they kindly allow you to add Finnair as a defendant.

      PS @meta selling and operating airline do point fingers at each other and often operating airline just ignores and simply won’t fix a mess they caused. I got hung out to dry in precisely that way when ticketed on Lufthansa by British Midland. Lufthansa cancelled every flight that didn’t touch Munich or Frankfurt, completely messing my award ticket itinerary, and refused to communicate with British Midland, fix my ticket themselves nor take any responsibility at all, Lufthansa simply walked away. So airlines do do the dirty and given BA and Finnair already have so much other cooperation and in OneWorld alliance, this is unacceptable.

      Sue them both as co-defendants and let the court sort out who’s liable for what. Let us know what happens

      • MCO says:

        18 May18 May 23:47

        Great advice as always LL. Thank you.

        Will keep you guys posted.

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