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The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 22nd June

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General

Comments (280)

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

  • Peggerz says:
    22 Jun22 June 10:30

    I travelled Edinburgh to Kings X return on LNER a couple of weeks ago and found the 1st lounges open with coffee/water at KGX but not EDB (locally known as Brigadoon due to the tartan festooning the lounge). Usual Covid service in 1st on the train.
    Yesterday Mrs Peggers did the same train journey with LNER and around 1:00pm they arrived with a drinks trolley in 1st with the usual booze options. There was some announcement about a trial period but she couldn’t hear it all, though drinks were also on sale in the buffet car. The trolley service started south of York.

    • Allan says:
      22 Jun22 June 10:38

      About time too!

    • Super Secret Stuff says:
      22 Jun22 June 10:52

      Finally!

    • John says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:11

      I travelled from Newcaslte to Kings X last Wednesday 16th June. Usual Covid catering in 1st and Newcastle loungs still closed

    • The Savage Squirrel says:
      22 Jun22 June 18:50

      Travelling to Edinburgh in LNER1st recently had 3 attempts at getting a coffee through their daft order and bring it later system. Nothing arrived the first two times. The third time I got a cup of hot water and nothing else. I gave up. 🙄

  • Duster says:
    22 Jun22 June 10:41

    Planning a dirty night out in London with the missus, would welcome recommendations for the best hotel that can be booked in London on points…

    • mutley says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:03

      I had a filthy one with someone else’s missus at the Kimpton Russell Square, the rooms are a bit small though.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        22 Jun22 June 11:05

        🙃

      • ankomonkey says:
        22 Jun22 June 11:31

        Did you arrange that yourself or was it an upgrade for Spire Elite/Ambassador status?

        • mutley says:
          22 Jun22 June 11:36

          I am spire ambassador, but often I find the cash rates more attractive.

          • ankomonkey says:
            22 Jun22 June 14:49

            Wow! The ‘additional company’ room perk is better than a bigger room or free breakfast IMHO!

      • Anna says:
        22 Jun22 June 11:36

        Not if you get upgraded to a junior suite …

    • ChrisC says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:24

      would help if you said which points you had.

      No good people recommenting say the kimpton if all your points are with Hilton.

      • mutley says:
        22 Jun22 June 11:34

        Lighten up mate , from memory there was an option to pay 35000 IHG points, though it wasn’t uppermost in my mind at the time. I’m sure you had similar experiences , on the other hand on reflection …….. probably not!

        • ChrisC says:
          22 Jun22 June 11:58

          Really? Don’t be crude.

          You want help but won’t give basic info like what points you have?

          It’s posts like yours that make people less likey to help others.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            22 Jun22 June 13:09

            You’ll find its posts like yours that actually make people less inclined to help.

          • mutley says:
            22 Jun22 June 13:26

            Read the post and stop having one your hissy fits. I wasn’t asking for help but responding to Dusters request. Its posts like yours that have the spelling police out 🙂

          • sloth says:
            22 Jun22 June 13:34

            obviously too busy being offended to actually read properly

    • Andrew says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:52

      We’ve always had a lovely stay at the Radisson Edwardian Mercer Street, staying on points in a premium room – nice and central but quiet hotel, breakfast choices aplenty in the surrounding area, the bar was very good and staff lovely.

      • WaynedP says:
        22 Jun22 June 12:10

        Amex offer (on my BAPP) for £50 back on spend of £250 or more (expires 30 Sep) if you decide cash trumps points redemption for Radisson Edwardian Mercer Street.

  • LessCleverAndrew says:
    22 Jun22 June 11:16

    Regarding 2-4-1: after reading the HFP page I am none the wiser with respect to the following:

    My wife and I each have a 2-4-1 voucher but she does not have sufficient Avios for the fare we want. We are in a family account. Can I/should I – gift her some of my Avios, or is there some other way of her using up the family Avios when she books?

    I assume since the 2-4-1s are in our own names that 2 bookings are required?

    • Will says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:20

      You must book the 2-4-1 on wife’s account but as long as the household has enough avios to cover the fare it does not matter what her personal account has.

      When you make a household booking it takes avios proportional to the balances on each individual account.

      Eg if you have 100 and she has 50 any booking will split every 3 avios taken as 2 from yours and 1 from hers.

      If she has zero it will all go from other household members.

    • Memesweeper says:
      22 Jun22 June 12:57

      You do not need to gift within members of a family account. Just go online and book what you need, BA looks after the points pooling for you.

    • Chris Heyes says:
      22 Jun22 June 23:06

      LessCleverAndrew First make your name shorter lol
      If you have a Household Account you can just ask for the Avios to be taken from whoever you want (I’ve done it many times) in the Household Account
      I’ve even asked BA to take from a F&F account without any problem
      My Partner and I have a Household Account, but her Brother is in our F&F Account along with Daughter and two children
      he has is own stash of Avios

  • blenz101 says:
    22 Jun22 June 11:26

    By the goverments own own standards – Finland, Morocco, Grenada, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Barbados, Germany and Jamaica, Malta, USA, Poland, Croatia, Italy, Balearics.

    But expect the government to ignore the data and do its own thing. They are more than likey to pick countries that won’t let UK citizens. Expect the USA to be green but awaiting the ‘task force’ to report back on getting a corridor open. Malta have been critical of the UK government to they could well be snubbed. Italy will go green becuase they have just introduced quarantine for arriving Brits.

    They will attempt to show progress but it won’t be anything meaningful.

    • blenz101 says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:38

      This was for Marie @ 22 June 10:15

    • Tracey says:
      22 Jun22 June 12:47

      Not sure that Turkey data can be trusted.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        22 Jun22 June 13:11

        The data suggests Turkey should be amber not green.

        I don’t think USA should go green until a time there is no outright ban on travel from the UK

        • blenz101 says:
          22 Jun22 June 13:32

          Turkish cases are plummeting and are currently half those in the UK, vaccinations going well about 45% at least with first dose. Was put on red list as it was basically the 4th ME hub which we now know is reason enough whatever the data shows. You would think a country with half the cases of the UK would be amber at least?

          On the USA, I won’t be a pedant on the ‘outright ban’ but why is it any different to having Oz on the green list? As I said yesterday, I foresee the US recognising the EU Member States and Schengen Area vaccine passport scheme and the UK ‘task force’ will still be discussing their travel corridor. Obviously not helped by the UK not being able to even coordinate the home nations. So it is in the UK government’s political interest to make the US green as soon as possible and then blame the US for those in the UK not being able to gain entry. No doubt the task force will be working very hard to make it happen though.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            22 Jun22 June 14:53

            We aren’t actually banned from Australia. If you have the right reason you are free to pay to spend time in one of their camps.

  • Lady London says:
    22 Jun22 June 11:33

    If you want to participate in Prime Day offers and don’t have Prime, if you get someone who does have Prime to share Prime Delivery with you (on their Account page then Prime) this also shares promotions to the nominated other Amazon account. The person nominated needs to know the donor’s birth date to accept. Donor can later change the nomination apparently

  • Anna says:
    22 Jun22 June 11:34

    Conrad St James or Westminster Curio for a couple of nights in London in August? Both look pretty reasonable on our dates, Conrad £180 pn, Curio £140.

    • Anna says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:45

      Did the Curio used to be a Doubletree? Just looking on the Amex offer, the address states Doubletree. Would the offer still work?!

    • Rob says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:45

      Curio was a DoubleTree (and previously a Mint) whilst the Conrad was built as a luxury hotel for InterCon. That said, Curio has just been fully refurbished whilst the Conrad is a few years old now. If you have Hilton Diamond the Conrad lounge, if open, would make it a no-brainer.

      Without Diamond I might, personally, go Curio purely to see what the refurbishment was like.

      • Anna says:
        22 Jun22 June 11:49

        Thanks, Rob, I’ve actually just found the HFP review! Only gold and not bothered about the lounge with 2 teenagers in tow. Curio has a 1 bed suite they can put 2 roll aways in so that might swing it …

        • Super Secret Stuff says:
          22 Jun22 June 12:01

          Sorry only just seen this. Booking via Emyr can get you a pretty sweet deal, prices seem to have gone down a bit now too. Plus can be stacked with Amex offer

          • Anna says:
            22 Jun22 June 14:17

            Thanks – yes I have a few bookings with Emyr but as we get 4 free breakfasts from OH and I being HH gold his rates aren’t quite as good value as for IHG and Marriott.

          • Cabal of rabid baboons says:
            22 Jun22 June 16:00

            Our Conrad booking with Emyr dropped £20 a night but I didn’t bother, when it dropped another £20 I contacted Emyr and he asked the hotel to reduce the price which they did.
            Impressive.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:
      22 Jun22 June 11:59

      Conrad can be booked via Emry, fully flexible rates and mine has just gone down so just dropped an email to see if he can match it!

    • Aston100 says:
      22 Jun22 June 12:03

      If you’re only doing two nights in London, presumably for tourism, with family, would you really be spending enough time in the hotel to benefit from the facilities and amenities? Especially considering the currently high prices in London.

      For me, this is a perfect scenario for a HIX, Staybridge or in worst case a Premier Inn.

      • Yuff says:
        22 Jun22 June 12:08

        Conrad is currently refurbing the breakfast area and bar.
        Both were great last time we stayed.
        Breakfast and dinner in the gastropub attached to hotel.
        Lounge is open.

      • Anna says:
        22 Jun22 June 14:16

        I know, I’m also looking at the Doubletree Excel so we don’t have a long trek from LCY with luggage!

    • Kai says:
      22 Jun22 June 13:58

      Conrad has 3for2 on Impresario. My three nights cost £390 pre Amex offers.

  • Richie says:
    22 Jun22 June 12:00

    £35.49 charge for a 23kg checked bag one way from Gatwick to Funchal on easyJet, it’s a flight less than 4 hours, is it me or are their baggage charges getting expensive?

    • David D says:
      22 Jun22 June 12:17

      It is £29.49 for one way MAN-EDI which will be a 40 minute flight. Make of that what you will. Yes, there are extra handling requirements, supposedly, at the moment though it will be any ancillary revenue they can raise from the bottoms on seats that will be helping at present.

    • Jonathan says:
      22 Jun22 June 12:51

      I’d say that’s at the lower end of my expectations for a flight of that length. It’s all down to a desire to appear at top of sky scanner etc searches due to “cheapest” headline fare.

      It’s not meant to reflect the cost of handling the bag it’s to cross subsidise the impossible economics of a £9.99 1,500 mile flight.

    • Lady London says:
      22 Jun22 June 14:06

      Note just like fares, baggage chargea on EJ can get a lot higher close to departure – they are not fixed

  • TJ says:
    22 Jun22 June 12:02

    I was planning to register my wife for the IHG free night offer for 2 stays. If we stay 3 nights in total, she books nights 1 & 3 and I book night 2 under my account, will she trigger the 2 stays required?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      22 Jun22 June 13:14

      should do since there is a days gap between the two nights but you may be asked to move room or atleast check in and check out

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