Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 11th August

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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.

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Comments (395)

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

  • Char Char says:

    If I were you do not bother with T212 their customer service is trash, they are completely unorganised.

    I requested my money to be withdrawn to my debit card where I had deposited most of the funds, chose the card on the withdrawal page (correct numbers) and then they send it to a credit card that i didn’t select. For reference I had already withdrawn an equal amount to the amount deposited on that credit card.

    Their response was retarded and didn’t acknowledge anything I said, they ended up paying compensation but what a waste of time to save a little money on ‘free’ trading fees.

  • ChrisC says:

    Someopne asked last week about changing Eurostar bookings for October for a voucher so they could use on a different route.

    Found a workaround today.

    I moved trains from October to August (might be a mistake as I may have misread the Netherlands Entry rules) and now the option for a voucher as well as changing dates is available.

    • Laura says:

      Does that include a change of trains in Brussels or is it direct? If you are changing in Brussels, check your meet Belgium’s requirements are they are very very strict!

      • ChrisC says:

        The direct services are the only ones currently offered so no change required.

    • YC says:

      Good shout. I wonder if u can get voucher if taken outbound and inbound is still outstanding. I guess I’ll find out in a few weeks

  • Neil says:

    BA has cancelled an upcoming flight from Edinburgh to Tokyo. They have transferred us to the same flight the following day.

    This won’t work for me so I intend to cancel.

    The flight was booked via a companion ticket/Avios. If I cancel online, will I still be charged 2 x £35 admin fees?

    I’d ask at the call centre but can’t get through.

    Thanks.

    • Rob says:

      Good question. I get a sneaky feeling that you would be charged because BA’s IT isn’t that smart but I am not certain.

    • ChrisC says:

      Do you really want to cancel?

      As the flights have been cancelled they have to rebook you for free to a future date (upto a year of the date of the original outbound) if that is what you want,

      • Neil says:

        The holiday we’ve changed to (same location) is just over a year away so I don’t think I’d qualify for the “lift and shift” option.

    • Gruntfuttock says:

      I’d be interested to know as I’m in a similar situation. BA cancelled LHR – NBO in September and moved it to a day later which doesn’t work for me as it was booked for an independent safari which I’ve postponed to August 2022 so I’ve got to amend the booking anyway to the new dates. It’s on a 241 voucher already extended from February 2021. Confused? Me too 🙄. Cancel for FTV, amend booking, open the box? P please Bob.

  • Harry T says:

    Has anyone actually managed to get an involuntarily cancelled BA holiday moved to 12 months from the original planned departure date, as per the new policy? I can’t get through on the phone but the BA Holidays chat agent is quoting me BA policy from pre pandemic and refusing to move flights beyond 14 days.

    • JDB says:

      I thought the new policy only applied to flights, not holidays? The problem for BA on holidays is that they are reliant on third parties like hotels/car hire firms etc. who they can’t oblige to give them the service at the same price when dates change significantly. As a result, beyond 14 days they will move the dates, but only with re-pricing.

      • ChrisC says:

        cont from my post below as it addresses your re-pricing point

        In the first rebooking I had to pay more for the hotel but when I rebooked again after another cancellation (but only by a week )there was nothing extra to pay.

        It’s the hotel / care elements that seem to be the issue.

        • Harry T says:

          @Chris yes, we previously moved this holiday after it was cancelled before. The flights were changed for free but the car hire was apparently subject to a change in costs (they actually waived the marginal extra cost).

    • ChrisC says:

      Earluier this year a booking I made last September for July was cancelled and it was no problem to change it until early this September so more than 14 days from the original date (note this was before the change in the flights policy came into effect)

      Holiday bookings have different rules and regulations with different time frames than flight only.

    • C says:

      I called up this week and had a BA holiday booking moved to next May. It was originally booked in Nov 20 for June 21 and I had already had to move it once. The first time I called up to move it I was told I could only move the flights up to Nov 21 but this time I was told I could move it any point in the future as long as the flight schedule had been published.

    • ukgeorge says:

      I managed to move a BA flight to LAX beyond 1 year from the original purchase date. I had to pay the difference in car hire cost, which was minimal. It did take three calls to get an agent that would move it for ‘free’.

  • Tracy Regan says:

    Apologies if this has been asked before.

    Do you get the fourth night free with IHG rewards bookings? It says you do on the IHG site but it also says free nights are capped at 40,000 points and I know this isn’t the case in the UK.

    Also, is there anyway to check when a free night expires when it has already been applied to a booking? I know it would normally be the anniversary but I think they were extended.

  • Rich says:

    Hi all – my wife referred me for Plat from her BAPP back in early May21. I thought the Plat bonus was 70k (but have only managed to find articles referring to 50k – was that about right at that time?). Amex have paid out the standard 20k bonus, and want screenshots/emails confirming I had a referral at 70k which is painful, as I think I just used the web referral link. Anyone been in the same situation?

    • Harry T says:

      The 70k sign up bonus is targeted. You’re not going to have much luck if you didn’t screenshot the offer.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      It was 50k for the personal personal around that time.

      There was a 70k that arrived for existing platinum holders only, once that 50k offer ended.

  • JRC says:

    Anyone able to check Emirate Skywards site to see if Arsenal tickets are available? It’s saying “Sorry, you are not eligible for Arsenal.” but not sure if that is a bug because I haven’t transferred any Amex MR over. thanks

    • Benilyn says:

      Are you a Spurs fan maybe?

    • Rob says:

      I think its a bug because there is nothing there (and they normally don’t appear until late August). I can book Lyon and US Open Tennis tickets it seems.

  • Tiger says:

    Trying to purchase a Netflix subscription from their Turkish website using a VPN.

    I have tried numerous UK issued cards but they don’t get accepted. Is there a way to make this thing work using the UK cards?

    • JDB says:

      Surely if you are on HfP you can afford a Netflix subscription and don’t need to ask others to assist you in attempting to defraud Netflix, and it may actually even be unlawful.

      • Benilyn says:

        @JDP – lol that’s funny, it’s an odd crowd here, people spent days and endless messages discussing the 500 bonus nectar points so people really go extra mile to save money here.

        • JDB says:

          Indeed, but there’s saving money and then there’s dishonesty…

          • Harrier25 says:

            Both quite often go together on here, JDB.

          • VerdantBacon says:

            Ah yes the HfP comments crowd, the bastion of honesty. I suppose MS is honest work.

            I also wonder how everyone is currently doing on their backpacking holiday around Asia in the cheapest hostels they could find!

      • JDB says:

        @Harrier25 – I know! It’s the only thing I don’t like about this site. I do wonder what sort of morality some people are teaching their children…

        • Chris Heyes says:

          JDB You need to look at the big picture Honesty, Dishonesty also Morality is only what people in there wisdom or not make up at the time
          Depending on the era your living in is how it works
          Was it Moral to invade a country ? or a dozen lol
          Was it moral to force a religion on people or kill in its name
          or refuse to allow people to read and write
          or tie people to contracts because it suits or refuse them one lol
          Honesty, Dishonesty, Morality is only in the eye of the beholder and the only thing certain is over time it changes

        • TGLoyalty says:

          What dishonest about accessing a global market?

          Border controls on goods, services and even people is BS humans have made up to discriminate and profiteer.

          @Tiger hope you get it sorted.

          • JDB says:

            Is it “accessing a global market” or fare dodging?

          • JDB says:

            BJ I take it you are fine also with Starbucks, Amazon etc using the global tax rules to minimise tax paid in the UK?

          • TGLoyalty says:

            No it’s not “fare dodging” as that’s would be not paying the fare.

            OP is clearly paying Netflix to access their service …

          • Tiger says:

            Thanks @TGL. I managed to get it sorted using the way @Bill suggested.

          • Lady London says:

            TG I really like that comment.

            There’s breaking rules that could hurt people, and then like this there’s breaking rules to protect someone’s unfair profits that don’t actually reflect any extra cost or danger to them

        • BJ says:

          @JDB, it’s neither fraud, dishonest or morally bankrupt! Personally I have alwayes just perceived it as good mental exercise to help keep dementia at bay.

      • Tiger says:

        @JDB I don’t come here to get moral lessons from you. So you can keep them to yourself and shove them you know where!

    • Benilyn says:

      I do mine via Curve works fine.
      Try different browser and VPN maybe? It is a little fidgety, I did it so long ago I don’t have better tips.

    • Alex says:

      Halifax clarity works for my foreign YouTube premium otherwise you could call the card issuer and day it’s legit

    • bill says:

      I couldnt get any of my cards to work. In the end I bought a gift card and paid using that. Once the sub was up and running I was then able to enter my credit card number on the netflix site in order for it to be used for renewals

    • BuildBackBetter says:

      Halifax clarity seems to work based on what I read. Even better, there’s a c@sh b@ck offer now on hukd.

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