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The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 30th June

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We are running this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

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General

Comments (436)

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

  • Ben says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:04

    I booked my outbound Reward flights at 1am this morning. I tried to do it by calling the US call centre, but was told the Avios booking team clocked off at 8pm EST (ie 1am BST) and so couldn’t book by phone. I managed to book via the website instead. Any advice on where I should call to add my return in a few weeks at 1am?

    • Jonathan says:
      30 Jun30 June 14:27

      Japan

      • JohnT says:
        30 Jun30 June 21:24

        Yes did that this week (use skype credit at 2p/min). Couldn’t connect till 1am on the dot, asked if english language, then about 10min hold. V clear agent added return leg ok and took extra avios, although still waiting for extra payment to go through. Total 30mins.
        Q? Is it odd that return shows no baggage allowance or ability to select seats?

        • FatherOfFour says:
          30 Jun30 June 22:53

          Not sure about the baggage, but from experience, the seat selection will open up once the back office have re-ticketed and taken your extra payment. This could be a few days or a few weeks. (2 separate experiences!)

  • Simon says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:09

    Any advice please……. My £500 cash flights to Ibiza next week are now bookable with Avios (which i have a FTV to use)….. Seems a no-brainer to take the £500 evoucher and re-book avios flights….. But can i use the evoucher for a balance owing on a BA holiday? Or against taxes and fees on a future avios booking?? Or does it have to be for another cash booking? many thanks

  • B says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:09

    Update on Virgin Atlantic terms, might be relevant to to some:

    We’re updating the definition of a Cash Advance. This still includes cash you withdraw using your credit card and buying foreign currency or traveller’s cheques – but we’ve made it clear that a Cash Advance also includes:

    gambling transactions and spread betting. international money transfers. paying off other borrowing (like making a payment towards a loan or mortgage or using your card to pay another credit card instead of doing a Balance Transfer). adding money to a prepaid card, virtual card or e-money account. investment activity – this includes binary trading, share trading and adding money to an investment account.

  • jac says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:12

    Hi, I m interested to hear if anybody has got frequent traveller tickets left with eurotunnel which they are worried they are not able to spend. I m still travelling between UK and France om a regular basis but sadly wont be able to buy any new Frequent traveller tickets as Eurotunnel has suspended the sales of new tickets. If any reader has got tickets and is worried they wont be able to use given the travel restrictions I would be happy to buy if they could transfer to me (as second designated driver)

  • Niall says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:14

    Has anyone stayed at the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville? Wondering if they’re likely to upgrade my room because of Marriott Gold Elite status.

    • Rob says:
      30 Jun30 June 11:52

      Not stayed but a great location in the old town. Would never expect anything as a Gold to be honest.

    • E says:
      30 Jun30 June 11:52

      I’ve stayed there. I was upgraded but as Titanium so 2 levels up from Gold, and the room was also booked on a Virtuoso rate. Not sure about the chances of an upgrade as Gold unless it’s on a Virtuoso rate.

    • Fastbowler says:
      30 Jun30 June 15:35

      Don’t know about status upgrades but we were the last two guests staying there before the hotel closed in March 2020 lockdown. The hotel is beautiful and the staff were fantastic even when we were the only two guests for dinner on last two nights. We would love to go back sometime and see Seville properly

  • Aston100 says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:18

    Someone help me with the maths please.
    A stay at an IHG property cost me £750 GBP
    This converts to about $1040 USD
    As an IHG Spire, I should expect 10400 base points, plus an additional 10400 elite bonus points, for a total of 20,800 points – is that right?

    • Aston100 says:
      30 Jun30 June 11:20

      Not including welcome points and any current x2/x3 points promo.

    • Andrew says:
      30 Jun30 June 11:26

      That depends on the Exchange Rate that IHG use to calculate your $equivalent spend.

      From memory, they don’t exactly use spot rate.

    • TJ says:
      30 Jun30 June 11:34

      IHG’s conversion rate is not the best the last time I checked with them. Also, In theory, you don’t get points for spend on taxes, incidentals, etc so it might depend what is included in the £750.

      • meta says:
        30 Jun30 June 15:42

        You get points for incidentals such as F&B and also spa if it is not run by third party.

    • John says:
      30 Jun30 June 11:48

      £750 minus 5% VAT = £714 and the rate is usually not that bad so I expect around 1.37 if checking out today, which makes it around 20000

    • TGLoyalty says:
      30 Jun30 June 13:01

      Yes but it’s after taxes so have to deduct VAT (still standard 20% on alcohol and spa etc) they don’t use spot so if maybe slightly less or more

      But I’d say 19-22k

  • Anna says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:24

    Has anyone tried getting proof of recovery from COVID for travel? It says “proof of recovery”, I.e. you eventually got a negative result following being infected? GP is saying it would need to be an antibody test but this isn’t even mentioned as an option in the entry rules for the Canaries. The government is saying this might eventually be available in the NHS app but that might not be in time for us to travel.

    • Cats are best says:
      30 Jun30 June 12:34

      This document linked to below has info including the ‘certificate of recovery’ – a GP letter that included the required detailed may meet it, but the definition is vague, it seems bizarre to permit something that could so easily be faked, I wouldn’t like to rely on this.

      In your case I’d go for the <48 hour test, a GP is likely to charge for writing a 'recovery' letter anyway.

      Fwiw I'm in the Novavax vaccine trial (actually vaccinated last year) but it's not EMA/WHO approved yet due to manufacturing delays, which leaves me fully vaccinated but still will need to go with the negative test in <48 hours before arrival as the option.

      • Anna says:
        30 Jun30 June 12:45

        Thanks – the GP charges £25 for the letter which is cheaper than a test! Also we are on a very tight timescale with my nephew for various reasons and risk not getting a test result back in time.
        The requirement may well change again by the time we travel but there’s not a lot we can do about that!

        • Cats are best says:
          30 Jun30 June 13:05

          Hope it goes well.

          Worst case, there’s the option to get to the airport early and take a test with Collinson, wait for the results then you can check in.

    • Tracy says:
      30 Jun30 June 19:09

      I needed a GP recovery letter in May for Madeira. GP happily provided one on headed notepaper for free. It just stated date I tested positive and that I was now recovered. It had been 80 days since positive test……It was given a cursory glance at Madeira airport then we were waved through 🙂

    • John says:
      30 Jun30 June 23:09

      In the NHS app I am seeing “recovered from COVID-19” with a QR code in the COVID pass section of the app. Not sure if this would be adequate?

      I tested positive back in January, but never needed to see a GP or receive any medical attention.

  • GEORGE says:
    30 Jun30 June 11:24

    Hi, Malta now requires a paper copy of the NHS COVID Pass, and not the PDF copy off the app. This is really frustrating as it was only announced yesterday. I’ve ordered today with 119, but am due to fly on Sunday. Anyone know how long these letters take to come through?

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

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