Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 10th August

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

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

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions.  With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind.  At this tricky time, and given that many of you are at home, we want the HfP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page.  If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here.  This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

Category

General

Comments (412)

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

  • Barraclough says:
    10 Aug10 August 06:27

    Someone was asking recently if the second bonus from the July Amex supplementary cards offer had been applied. I took up the offer (highlighted by HfP in early July) to add a supplementary card to my Amex Gold card in order to receive an extra 3,000 points, making 6,000 points in total. £500 had to be spent on the supplementary which my wife did but the extra 3,000 MR points have not yet been added.

    I raised this early this morning with the Amex chat line since the points for the individual transactions making up the £500 of her spend have been applied. They initially denied awareness of the bonus and asked for proof. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, lasting over an hour, and my offer to send a screenshot, they found the offer and told me the points will be awarded within 120 days.

    That seems a long time and I’m wondering if others have received their second bonus more quickly?

    • Doogie says:
      10 Aug10 August 06:41

      I’ve not received my 2nd one on BA blue 1k + 1k for £300 spend – spend done at start of July.
      It’s not that big an amount and I’m cancelling the card once it credits anyway so I’ll hang on a bit before speaking to them.

    • YC says:
      10 Aug10 August 06:49

      Amex IT has definitely gone downhill. Good news is that the link to the supp bonus page (found via hfp article) is still up (offer expiry 31/07) so encourage others to take screenshots of the offer page before it goes

      • Barraclough says:
        10 Aug10 August 08:19

        +1

      • AJA says:
        10 Aug10 August 10:33

        Thanks. Have just taken screen shots of the page showing the BAPP offer and copied the link to the page plus a screenshot of the page here in HfP.

        My OH added me as a supplementary to the BAPP and I have spent over £500 but no sign of the bonus Avios on OH’s BAEC account yet.

    • JP says:
      10 Aug10 August 09:53

      I’m still waiting for mine (hit spend around 21st July). A friendly rep told me (through the chat function in the app) that the bonus would be provided within one month of hitting the £500 target…

    • AJA says:
      10 Aug10 August 10:41

      To be fair the T&Cs do state the bonus may take up to 120 days to post. Also we have until 31 Oct to spend the required amount so I suspect they intend to post the points after that date. I can’t remember when the offer started but I think it was beginning of July so 31 Oct would be 120 days after the start of the promo.

  • Gtellez says:
    10 Aug10 August 06:37

    I remember reading about it here but can’t find it. Can I use my IHG points to book a room for someone else if I’m not going to be there? It is for my father and I wouldn’t like him to be denied at the hotel. Thanks!

    • Craig says:
      10 Aug10 August 06:42

      Yes you can, technically you have to phone to book. There are a few countries where it can be an issue, particularly where passports are required at check in. I’ve booked online before and added the name as an additional guest then followed up with a call to the hotel to let them know. As an aside, I can’t find anywhere in the app to add the additional guest so make bookings using the website.

      • Gtellez says:
        10 Aug10 August 09:53

        Great, thanks. I’ll try to call IHG to book, as I don’t want to risk just having him as additional guest.

  • Bupps says:
    10 Aug10 August 06:42

    Any advice on V/MC credit cards to use for HMRC tax payments via Curve? I have been using the HSBC WE MC for years for this but they now treat HMRC and some other payments via Curve as cash advance, so that door has closed. Preference would be for Avios or Hotel point earning cards. Any advice would be much appreciated.

    • VerdantBacon says:
      10 Aug10 August 06:53

      If you have the cards that earn the points you want, just try it yourself

    • SteveJ says:
      10 Aug10 August 07:41

      Will you be using fronted or metal? If so IHG works.

      • Bupps says:
        10 Aug10 August 08:13

        Many thanks. Yes, am using metal, so IHG card may make sense in that case.

    • Newbie says:
      10 Aug10 August 09:40

      They’re considering tax payments as cash advance?
      I guess there are many people overpaying their tax bills . Or they simply don’t want business owners to earn a ton of points each year?

      • Rob says:
        10 Aug10 August 09:57

        Are they charging? I thought HSBC had simply stopped giving points on HMRC / Curve.

  • Gary says:
    10 Aug10 August 06:46

    Would NHS app showing having had vaccines be adequate for entry to hotels/restaurants in Portugal? Or should one download an EU version say French or German app to make it smoother? Also have NhS paper copy but would rather that as a last resort.

    • YC says:
      10 Aug10 August 06:53

      I would download one of the EU apps and minimise risk of denial. Not worth having a bad start to your trip

    • Blair says:
      10 Aug10 August 07:23

      When do you travel Gary? And do let us know how you get on.

      • meta says:
        10 Aug10 August 07:41

        See the chat thread yesterday. It won’t work. If you put your NHS QR code into French app and then try to scan it with Portuguese one it will still show up as invalid and not be recognised. It is still reads as NHS QR code. It’s only the French who at the moment have the system to accept (despite the headlines saying otherwise!).

        However, don’t panic. All the Portuguese establishments I interacted with to make bookings said that if you show NHS app, they’ll let you in. If you sit outdoors (and why wouldn’t in sunshine?), there is no need to show anything.

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      10 Aug10 August 08:45

      If u have iPhone, download the covid pass to your wallet.

      • Linda says:
        10 Aug10 August 09:33

        I’m a bit tech-thick, how do you do that please? I have an iPhone but can’t quite work it out. Thanks.

        • Reney says:
          10 Aug10 August 09:38

          Go to your NHS app, click through to Covid pass, when you get to the page for domestic or travel, choose domestic. Under the QR code there is a button for download to iphone wallet.

          No idea how to do it for the travel version, aren’t they the same? But you can download a copy of the travel version and save it on your files on your phone. (choose download a copy or even get a copy emailed to you)

        • BuildBackBetter says:
          10 Aug10 August 09:39

          When your app shows the QR code, below that will be a button called “add to Apple wallet”. Click that and then click add again (top right).
          This way you don’t need an internet connection to show the code anywhere.

    • QwertyKnowsBest says:
      10 Aug10 August 08:53

      Never had any problems with restaurants etc in Portugal (Algarve and Porto), if they checked (and about half never did) a quick glance at screen was all. Could have showed anything.

    • ankomonkey says:
      10 Aug10 August 10:16

      Spent 10 days in Lisbon and Porto (returned Sunday 8/8/21). Showed NHS app numerous times to be allowed entry into places. Their QR code scanners don’t recognise it, but when they’d read it and realised what it was we were allowed entry everywhere we tried. I don’t think you should have any problems.

    • Gary says:
      10 Aug10 August 10:58

      Thanks all for helpful tips. Lateral flow report now in hand so fingers crossed there within 48hrs. Will update if any deviation from above.

    • BP says:
      10 Aug10 August 11:13

      All of this showing apps is useless for us in Scotland as the country doesn’t have an NHS app. Off to Portugal in September so I guess I’ll be carrying around the paper certificate unless the SNP sort it out before then.

  • Eric the Half a Bee says:
    10 Aug10 August 06:58

    BA Evouchers – sorry if it’s been asked before but is it possible to use multiple vouchers for one new booking? Also, is there somewhere on the BA site where I can find all my vouchers in one place?

  • Joe says:
    10 Aug10 August 07:13

    Trying to ring VA to make reward booking with vouchers – call bang on 7am opening time, and still endless hold! Not sure how that’s possible…..

    • Amy carpenter says:
      10 Aug10 August 07:24

      I called bang on 7am and got immediately through to someone on Sunday

    • Blair says:
      10 Aug10 August 07:26

      I’ve often wondered the same in the depths of hold misery. Perhaps there’s a rule of no jackets hanging on backs of chairs, and the coat rack on Necker Island is quite far from the banks of desks.

      • Red Flyer says:
        10 Aug10 August 08:15

        Use weQ4u app

        • Guernsey Globetrotter says:
          10 Aug10 August 10:05

          Having spent 50+ minutes on hold with Virgin before giving up this looks like a god send! (I did manage to do some shopping and drive home during this time but it was still a pita). What’s the catch – it seems too good to be true?!

    • GJB says:
      10 Aug10 August 11:34

      Call centres will not be fully staffed at 7am. They will have a skeleton staff on until later in the morning.

      Phoning dead on opening time is usually a bad time to call, as everyone else desperate enough to phone at 7am will be doing the same thing.

      8am? Probably a better time to call when the initial rush has died down and a few more staff have started their shift.

      Getting through to any of the airlines at the moment is a real struggle.

  • Chelseafi says:
    10 Aug10 August 07:23

    Morning, could I please have a 70k Plat referal link, if someone is able to provide.

  • mzb says:
    10 Aug10 August 07:27

    Morning, anyone has a referral for green.energy? Thinking of switching to them.

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

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Learn more on our About page.

VAA

Latest comments

Latest Forum Posts

Get 30,000 points bonus with American Express Platinum

Amex Gold

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.3 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

Get 20,000 bonus points and your first year free with American Express Gold

Amex Gold