The HfP chat thread – Saturday 5th June

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Reeferman says:

5 Jun5 June 09:00

I have a BA booking that used an eVoucher as part payment.
BA has just cancelled my flight.
Anyone know if I have to accept another eVoucher for that part of the cost of the booking or whether I’m now able to take 100% cash?
Thanks
- Richie says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 09:22
  
  If you’d prefer avios, there’s a form you can fill in to request them.
- ChrisC says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 09:25
  
  100% cash refund as they have cancelled the flight.
  - Reeferman says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 09:37
    
    Thanks Richie/Chris C
    Just spoken with BA and they’re only willing to give the cash element back as cash – insisting that I have to accept another eVoucher for the part that was paid with an eVoucher originally.
    The eVoucher isn’t a large amount (£93) but it’s more the principle – I have too many of them already!
    Anyone know of any precedent or anything in writing to clarify that it’s all allowed back as cash?
    Cheers
    - ChrisC says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 09:51
      
      Well all I can say is I have had both a flight and a holiday paid for using vouchers and got full refunds when the flights were cancelled with no issue at all.
      
      How many is too many? For lots of small amounts?
      
      At one point I had 6 e vouchers but consolidated them during bookings. BAs system allows you to use upto 3 per booking so I ‘over paid’ when booking a flight and got a single one back as change. So much easier to manage!
      - Reeferman says:
        
        5 Jun5 June 10:45
        
        Many thanks. Will give it another go as def prefer the cash.
        If not then it’s not the end of the world to have another £93 eVoucher I guess. I have over £1500 worth though.
    - Matt says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 10:04
      
      It should be cash, and I’ve had cash back in that situation (although with a holiday booking)
    - Sam G says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 10:19
      
      I’ve had cash back too. Use twitter DM
    - Richie says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 10:33
      
      I would go for Avios, transfer to Nectar and take advantage of Sainsburys 25% off 6 bottles of wine/fizz offer.
    - Lady London says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 11:00
      
      you are entitled to all cash back, it doesn’t matter that you took a voucher before.
      - Reeferman says:
        
        5 Jun5 June 11:53
        
        Thanks v much
        Will fight my corner for full cash!
- Gavin says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 11:13
  
  I’ve just had a flight cancelled and refunded that used an evoucher as part payment, however I’ve only had the cash element refunded to my card. No word on what’s happened to the voucher element!
Binnie says:

5 Jun5 June 09:09

How useful is the R-rate? Not a big fan. myself. It seems to always be somewhere between 0.8 and 1.2. The same held true when daily numbers of infected people went from 1000 to 250,000 and the same when numbers went down to 2000 again.

I’d rather be looking at hospitalizations and deaths, both of which numbers seem to be fine.

Bearing in mind that the UK expects 1500+ people to die a day from all causes. So 10/ day dying from Coronavirus (and probably old age as well) is not exactly surprising.

Off to prune my roses.
- David says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 09:21
  
  Death rates need to be looked at – for example 20 people per year due from falling out of bed and 20 people die from anaphylaxis – we don’t have compulsory bars in beds but we do have lists of allergens on foods.
  - Peter K says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 09:25
    
    Deaths from allergens is only part of the story though. There are huge numbers of people with intolerances that won’t die but will be ill from consuming them.
  - Ian M says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 09:40
    
    bars in beds definitely sounds like the next step for Boris and co, great idea!
    - C says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 11:06
      
      Or bars as walls!
  - pauldb says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 10:46
    
    We have 20 anaphylaxis deaths even with allergens listed – that’s the point.
- Peter K says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 09:23
  
  An “armchair epidemiologist” not interested in the R rate? Hmmmmm.
- ChrisC says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 09:33
  
  it’s useful when used as part of a suite of tools but not when used on it’s own in isolation and especially not when used correctly.
  
  Just as a pair of secateurs is useful for pruning your no doubt lovely roses but not so good for digging up the veg patch.
  - ChrisC says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 09:40
    
    used incorrectly!
    
    Sooner we can have a short window to edit posts the better!
- Callum says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 10:45
  
  If you want to believe what your gut tells you instead of considering evidence/listening to actual experts then just do so.
  
  I really don’t see why so many people on here try to explain and justify why they believe the nonsense they do. Is it just validation you want from others who share similar prejudices or do you actually want to consider whether you’re right or not?
  - Char Char says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 11:16
    
    Disregarding others opinions as nonsense again, bit like when you claimed the corona virus could not be seasonal……
    - George1976 says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 18:28
      
      It was 40 degrees in Delhi when their second wave kicked off.
      
      Yeah. Seasonal.
      - Char Char says:
        
        5 Jun5 June 21:30
        
        I said seasonal.
        
        “We recently illustrated that India and most other tropical countries in Asia exhibit influenza seasonality that coincides with the monsoon season.”
  - George1976 says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 18:28
    
    Most people on here thought everything would go back to normal by August last year. I wouldn’t pay too much attention to it. Some people are deluded and don’t live in the real world.
    - Char Char says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 21:33
      
      I doubt most people would agree with what you said. It was clear as SAGE already said that it should be treated like a seasonal virus.
      
      From June -Sept things were normal, then as its seasonal cases grew through the winter. You can look at the stats but I’m sure you’ll never change your thinking unless you are told to be the media.
Harry T says:

5 Jun5 June 09:52

Indigos seems to be the best option in small UK cities. Sounds like you had a pretty decent stay!
- Vin says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 16:19
  
  Thanks @HarryT ! I enjoy reading your hotel reviews too 🙂
Harry T says:

5 Jun5 June 09:53

I’m surprised they wanted to see the original cards but I think you’ve had a good outcome!
a270 says:

5 Jun5 June 09:54

Has anyone changed their booking online for free? My tickets were booked using 2 for 1 and the 50% off offer to the USA in CW. Need to move it a few days earlier so I have time to quarantine before schools resume in September. I have never changed a booking with BA online before so don’t want to cancel and find out that the 50% Avios deal will not be applied to the new date. Sometime back I remember people doing it for free and people getting it done for free over the phone too. Not sure if still happening.
- Harry T says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 10:04
  
  If you can move it online, the experience of multiple people indicates you can do it for free. Some of us have not been as favoured by the IT.
- ChrisC says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 10:08
  
  IIRC people have been able to do this in MMB but only for simple bookings so LHR-JFK-LHR but not MAN-LHR-JFK and if no other changes have been made already to the booking.
  
  Success over the phone is variable.
  
  But remember until you hit the ‘confirm’ button you haven’t changed or cancelled anything.
  - Lady London says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 11:04
    
    Also reports indicate not if the booking has been modified previously.
    
    wait,say, 3-7 days if the flight is not imminent as sometimes BA batch jobs seem to need to run to fully complete all steps that would let you rebook it after the cancellation notification.
    - a270 says:
      
      5 Jun5 June 11:46
      
      Thank you all. Reassuring to know that it won’t get cancelled till I have confirmed at the end so no harm in trying. It is a simple return ticket so not an open jaw. It was cancelled in April by BA so I moved it to mid August but now I want to move it a week earlier.
Andrew says:

5 Jun5 June 09:55

How are you up £850?
- G says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 10:30
  
  One card had a £400 offer, the other had the same and a £50 offer which stacked.
  
  I was surprised about them wanting to see the original card. If I do a prepaid booking in future, I’ll have to get it confirmed if they want to see the card in person or not as that would affect my decision making.
Keely says:

5 Jun5 June 10:40

Morning all had a busy week so just catching up on the news this week. Can I confirm re changes to BAPP…I don’t have a need for 4-4-2 and don’t have a grandfathered rate, so only change to me is the increase in fees and possibly more award availability? I can still get free card and upgrade when near £10k ? And downgrade after? Is it still business as usual , really? Or have I missed something whilst scrolling? Thanks
- Memesweeper says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 16:23
  
  Yes, all correct
- SteveJ says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 17:50
  
  Can you yoyo between the cards? Get premium for the higher sign up, hit the sign up bonus, downgrade, keep spending to just under 10k, upgrade again to premium to get the 241?
Mco says:

5 Jun5 June 10:42

I have the business platinum. Is there a requirement to buy the flights on that card for travel insurance? Trying to save the forex fee by putting it on my MBNA.

Or is this requirement only on the personal platinum?
- MW says:
  
  5 Jun5 June 11:09
  
  The only “card tested” benefit is the inconvenience insurance, the rest is available regardless of payment method. Ie travel and car insurance.
  - MCO says:
    
    5 Jun5 June 12:08
    
    Is this only on the Business? Does the personal Plat still require flights booked via it to get the travel insurance?