The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 1st June

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

• Zoe P says:

  1 Jun1 June 09:49

  Hello everyone. Can you let me know what the best way of getting avios on currency exchange is. Need to exchange pounds for dollars before going to Dom rep. Thanks

• Levi says:

  1 Jun1 June 09:50

  I have about £40,000 of spending that requires quarterly payments over the next couple of years. I’ve taken out a BAPP and will trigger the 2-4-1 after holding the card for three months. I was thinking of the following:

  – Use the BAPP until triggering this year’s 2-4-1, then downgrade to standard BA Amex (keeping the 2 year validity on 2-4-1)
  – Switch to HSBC World Elite and focus on qualifying for it’s bonuses
  – After hitting the bonuses on HSBC, switch remaining spending to the Amex Nectar (as it beats free BA Amex).
  – When I pass my BAPP anniversary, re-upgrade to the BAPP card and spend until triggering another 2-4-1.

  Would this work or would it fall foul of some rule I’m not aware of? Only bit I’m not sure about is re-upgrading from free to BAPP Amex to qualify for the second 2-4-1…

  Or is there a better option I haven’t considered?

  • Andrew says:

    1 Jun1 June 10:00

    If you’re going for the 2-4-1, I’m guessing you have a partner that you’ll use it with?

    Why not put half the £40,000 spending through a BAPP in their name, so you both get a 2-4-1 voucher and can travel twice?

  • Aaron says:

    1 Jun1 June 10:05

    Is it just you or do you have a partner?
    We (2 of us) spend about £60k PA (or did pre-COVID) which we split across 2 BAPP cards so we get 2 2-4-1 vouchers a year (not that we’ve been able to do much recently!).

    • Levi says:

      1 Jun1 June 12:20

      @Andrew/Aaron – I do but she has little patience for points and miles related shenanigans so unlikely to take out another BAPP. Also don’t have status at the mo so the HSBC card is appealing for the bonus and lounge card.

      Any issue that you’re aware of in re-upgrading to the BAPP from free and qualifying for another 2-4-1?

• Adam says:

  1 Jun1 June 09:54

  It’s been ages since I needed to book two rooms on a single hotel reservation. Do all the major programs (Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Radisson, Accor) give points for the second room? Any exceptions to be aware of? (I am staying in one of those two rooms).

  • BuilBackBetter says:

    1 Jun1 June 10:27

    Rob has written an article on this. Google it.

    • Rob says:

      1 Jun1 June 12:27

      Only Accor gives status points, most give redeemable points.

  • Harry T says:

    1 Jun1 June 10:56

    For Marriott, you will get the points for both rooms as long as you pay for both stays on your personal folio. You can only get the elite nights for one room per night.

• Benilyn says:

  1 Jun1 June 10:06

  Can you use multiple Avios+Tax FTVs (from BA flights) on a new Avios partner redemption?

  • Memesweeper says:

    1 Jun1 June 11:29

    You can use them on partners according to the T&Cs but I’ve no idea about combining them. Can’t see why not, but the T&Cs are silent on this.

• James says:

  1 Jun1 June 10:14

  Am I correct in understanding BA sales are bi-monthly or did I misread a comment on here recently? If so, are we about due one?

  • Rob says:

    1 Jun1 June 10:16

    BA has some ads booked fairly soon …

    • r* says:

      1 Jun1 June 10:17

      Is there likely to be a virgin flight sale coming anytime soon?

    • ChrisC says:

      1 Jun1 June 10:35

      Tease.

      Are we talking this week, next week, the week after?

      Blink once for this week etc

    • BSI1978 says:

      1 Jun1 June 14:09

      Oooh that’s naughty Rob, I was finally going to lock in a 2-4-1 redemption this week but may now have to hold 🔥……

• BrotherBear says:

  1 Jun1 June 10:40

  Question for anyone that has any experience of Randox fit to fly tests:

  We’re flying to Portugal on Saturday at 16:10. As far as I know, Portugal requires you to have a negative test within 72 hours of your departure which would therefore be anytime after 16:10 on Wednesday as I understand it. But nearly all the Randox drop off centres near me (London) have a 16:00 cut off for the tests to be dropped off each day.

  If I dropped of my test before the 16:00 cut off on Wednesday, would this be apparent on the certificate or not?

  Would rather drop on Wednesday as don’t want to chance leaving it until Thursday to drop off the tests.

  Thanks in advance

  • Pete M says:

    1 Jun1 June 11:09

    Looking at my certificate from a couple of weeks back it states:

    Date Of Receipt:19-May-2021
    Date Of Report:19-May-2021 12:55
    Swab Date:18-May-2021 11:50

    From memory I provided the swab date/time when I registered the test. You may be hard pressed to say you took the swab after the cut off time, but not sure if they’d notice / check / care?

  • Braiden says:

    1 Jun1 June 11:11

    The time of the test is the time you input when you register it on the Randox site. All of my Randox test results have come through in under 24 hours after dropping it in a drop box.

    • NC says:

      1 Jun1 June 11:53

      But NB the site doesn’t let you state a time later than the actual time when you are on the site.

  • BrotherBear says:

    1 Jun1 June 14:42

    Thanks all

  • Rich says:

    1 Jun1 June 16:50

    Have a look at the providers using Royal Mail 24. You can check collection times at your nearest Priority post box. Near me is 1745.

• R says:

  1 Jun1 June 11:10

  Are there any cards with 0% foreign transaction fees that also earn some sort of points? (I do not want to faff with curve)

  • Memesweeper says:

    1 Jun1 June 11:30

    Virgin in the EU IIRC, but haven’t tested this lately 😁

  • Gary says:

    1 Jun1 June 15:51

    NatWest Black credit card earns 0.5% rewards money which can be converted to Avios. Works out £1 spend = 0.58 Avios.

• ChrisC says:

  1 Jun1 June 11:12

  The Sainsbury’s fruit and veg promo is live now

  If I buy 5 items I’ll get an extra 50 points then further targets for 100 and then 200

  Also extra 50 points for buying various items such as

  Carrots
  Pineapple
  Peppers

  I’ve got some fruit and veg in my weekly promos as well so some doubling up is possible.

  • Oli says:

    1 Jun1 June 12:11

    I have to buy 290 portions to get 50 points! It says i’m buying 272 portions of fruits and vegs a months

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