The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 8th June

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Lev441 says:

8 Jun8 June 15:18

Anyone lease a car with bmw? Can you put off go credit card?
- Allan says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 15:33
  
  Have not managed to becuase of Covid and staff working at home saying they cant take cards at present. Have not called for a couple of months, hopefully some will be in office again soon to take payments unless anybody has tried more recently.
- Anna says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 15:44
  
  We got one a few weeks ago. First and second payments have to be bank transfer (for some reason!) but after that we’ve been told we can pay by card, including Amex. I’ll be testing this in a couple of weeks!
  - Lev441 says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 15:49
    
    Thanks both! Debating new bmw 128i or golf GTI! Decisions decisions…
    - Anna says:
      
      8 Jun8 June 16:13
      
      Got the 218i Sport, smallish (wouldn’t take the family on a road trip in it), but very decent for £259 pm. Golfs always seem overpriced, both to buy and lease, though my OH had a GTI in his younger days. It replaced his even nippier Toyota Corolla GXI which was another classic 90s boy racer car!
      - lev441 says:
        
        8 Jun8 June 17:12
        
        Nice!! What did you put down upfront? And how long is the lease for for the 218i?
        I had a cracking deal for the mk7.5 gti – was only paying £225 including serving & tyres for a 2 year lease (including upfront payment).. but the latest Mk8 is closer to £350 a month over 3 years…
      - Anna says:
        
        8 Jun8 June 17:51
        
        £800 down, 3 years. BMW immediately matched the best deal I could get from a lease broker and said we could pay with Amex so it was a no brainer really.
        That was a good deal for the Golf.
- Allan says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 16:35
  
  Just called them again and they now say they will do a callback from the office and take payment by card that way so will find out in 48 hours.
- MinR says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 16:37
  
  Yes.
  
  Amex doesn’t work on the auto-payment system (Curve does), but if you get through to an agent, they can either process it right away, or will schedule a call-back from the ‘Payments’ team who can.
  - Tariq says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 17:02
    
    Do you have to do it a certain amount of time before the next DD payment is due, in order for them not to claim the DD? I know with VWFS it has to be at least two weeks before the DD date.
    - lev441 says:
      
      8 Jun8 June 17:10
      
      Just cancel the direct debit and make a manual payment each month? What i did when I was leasing via VWFS.
      - Anna says:
        
        8 Jun8 June 17:52
        
        Yes I’ve done exactly that with VWFS and Santander finance. No Amex though!
- Sina says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 18:02
  
  You’ve got to go through the automated line, just enter a wrong agreement number and after the 3rd time you will be directed to a customer service agent who will make the payment over the phone! Just need to call in working hours and cancel you DD and ask to be changed into manual payments. I’ve been making payments using amex for a long time every month.
- Degsy says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 19:20
  
  I got a bmw in March through Alphabet, which I think is BMW’s leasing arm. Initial payment £2,500) made by Amex then 2 ongoing monthly instalments made by Curve on it’s automated line (this doesn’t accept Amex). Tel number I’ve been using is 0370 50 50 100
  - MinR says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 21:30
    
    The automated line does not accept Amex but if you speak to an agent, they can process Amex payments or schedule a callback from the team that can.
Ben says:

8 Jun8 June 15:54

I have a question about Miles and More points from the Hilton bonus a while back. Those points expire in Sept, so I need to use them. Have no use for flights currently. Hotels same. Cannot buy from the shop anymore, as they don’t deliver to the UK. Am I left with getting vouchers where I only get £5 per 1,800 points? No other option?
- Rob says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 16:03
  
  Heathrow Rewards transfer in? Although this can only be spent at Heathrow (not transferred out) and Heathrow Rewards seems to be suspended at present.
  
  You can get a cash discount on a hotel booked via their portal too – https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/hfp/lufthansa-miles-more-hotels-and-cars/
  - Ben says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 21:55
    
    Looks like it’ll be John Lewis vouchers. Such a depressing way to spend 50k points!
    - Rob says:
      
      8 Jun8 June 22:13
      
      Middle East business class one-way is 35k …
- BJ says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 16:44
  
  I still cannot get the vouchers to work anyway despite loads of help on here. Might be something wrong with my account, M&M simply ignore all my efforts to contact them. Going to try hotels next.
Anuj says:

8 Jun8 June 17:20

How long does it take for a credit to creation by bank transfer to show ? And how much is safe to do ? I’ve heard they don’t like people going in credit
- mark2 says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 17:34
  
  I have never kept track of how long it takes, but I frequently pay off purchases which are still in pending (invisible, not taken into account in balance, but have reduced amount available).
- Memesweeper says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 20:15
  
  It seems to take forever… and yes, you card may stop working if you’re in credit.
  - SwissJim says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 21:08
    
    My card is always in credit by up to a few £000 – never had a problem. Also never had an issue with a bank transfer on any particular day not covering a transaction on the same day (assuming you’re worried about interest…). It always does.
KevinF says:

8 Jun8 June 17:29

Hello, I’ve got a cash booking for a return trip to Madrid LHR-MAD-LHR booked with BA in business class, ticket class I (on the A350 obviously!)
Can I fly the first leg LHR-MAD, and ask for a BA voucher for the 2nd leg MAD-LHR which I don’t intend to fly?
Thanks
- Sam G says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 19:54
  
  Yes
Alan S says:

8 Jun8 June 17:52

If you had the choice with BA, would you go First on a refurbished 777-200 or A380?

All else being equal.

Accepting of course that everything could of course be vulnerable to metal changes…!
- Aston100 says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 18:19
  
  Isn’t the a380 regarded as a better overall aircraft?
  - meta says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 18:30
    
    If it is refurbished 777 aircraft then it will likely have the new F suite with doors and a smaller 8 seat cabin. A380 overall has a more spacious feel (for example toilets are bigger), but 14 seats in F.
  - Jonathan says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 18:35
    
    Even though the A380 already being phased out ?
- Chris says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 18:36
  
  A380 has a much better cabin air. Unless its ME or East coast usa I would take the 380 over a 777.
  - Doug M says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 20:38
    
    This. Always A350 > B787 >A380 > other. Cabin air and noise very underrated in terms of flight experience.
  - BJ says:
    
    8 Jun8 June 20:56
    
    +1, I’d take an MD11 over a 777.
mart says:

8 Jun8 June 18:48

Advice appreciated –
Parents currently have the blue amex, have spent about 9k, plan is to upgrade a couple £100 before to the BAPP, and then post the spend and claim the companion voucher at 10k before cancelling the card.

Am I best to tell them to wait until late august to upgrade (and delay hitting 10k before then), then post the spend after 1 september?

Thanks in advance.
- Memesweeper says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 20:16
  
  Swings and roundabouts. Upgrading earlier means a lower fee.
- BJ says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 21:10
  
  Don’t try to cut it too fine, I’m sure everything is ok but bird in the hand etc. I would upgrade a bit earlier, swallow the fee, leave a bigger spend for the BAPP and trigger soon after 1st September. I wouldn’t downgrade r cancel immediately after voucher hits either. Internal amex files are important, give them a little.
idontfly says:

8 Jun8 June 20:02

Very active chat today! We return back from Madeira on Saturday, through Madeira Safe we can book lateral flow tests at the local pharmacy for free. The form they have is printed but filled in by hand. On the UK govt website it says a printed form is acceptable. Do you think a printed but hand filled in form is going to be accepted? Thank you
- Blenz101 says:
  
  8 Jun8 June 20:30
  
  I don’t think handwritten per se would be an issue. I would get them to stamp it also.
  
  However, does the form have all the information required. Is it in English rather than Portuguese? Does it say the device used (and can it be confirmed that that device meet the specificity requirements)? Does the printed form have fields for DOB, date of sample collected etc.?
  
  If the test and result form is designed for local testing then you just need to make sure it meets the requirements on gov.uk, handwritten or not.
  
  Personally I wouldn’t risk it. A lab based PCR test is never going to cause an issue at check in. If you do manage to get past check in and fly then I doubt you will have a problem / get issued a fine at the UK border.
Blenz101 says:

8 Jun8 June 20:39

If you have private medical insurance then I know plenty of people who find an optician who will provide the paperwork to allow the cost of frames to be reclaimed.