The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 18th August

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• Pete M says:

  18 Aug18 August 08:42

  For those involved – Shieldpay have confirmed to me by email that the dodgy Microsoft Forms survey they sent out is indeed the genuine thing for submitting bank details to them for the BA data breach claim.

  • sloth says:

    18 Aug18 August 08:55

    well, on the upside at least you will be able to put in a claim against them in a few years time when your details have been stolen again…

• Ryanfozzie says:

  18 Aug18 August 08:54

  Ambassador Reward Night (The one with the 40,000 limit)….

  I remember reading somewhere on here about people being able to use these for a higher points price hotel? When I try to book on the app – I think I see this. For example, Hotel Indigo York. Dates I’m looking at are around 70,000 points. When I search using “Ambassador Reward Night” and click into the hotel, it shows me some rates of £32, but when you click into the room type showing £32 I cannot find this any more.

  Checked the website for the same and cannot find this. I think it is called ‘Just For You’. Anyone have any first hand experience of doing this?

  • Reney says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:10

    Discussed a few days ago, the suggestion was calling IHG to see if they can get this to work. I also could not get it to work online.

    • Ryanfozzie says:

      18 Aug18 August 09:11

      Do you remember which date chat thread this was so I can read through it? My memory does not serve me well!

      • Reney says:

        18 Aug18 August 10:14

        No sorry, but basically the conclusion was call.

      • Memesweeper says:

        18 Aug18 August 10:34

        If you get success on the phone Ryanfozzie please report back here

• DZOO says:

  18 Aug18 August 08:55

  I’m short £69.16 across 4 separate refunds due from BA due to cancellations (I know there is a deficiency as each booking was £35 RFS). Have tried phone/chat – but the response each time is that the refunds have been processed correctly and to log a complaint online – it’s been a couple of months with no resolution. The BArefundhelper (FT) route doesn’t seem to be available nowadays. Just wondering if any ideas or just to let it go (it’s not a life changing amount…). Thanks!

  • Tracey says:

    18 Aug18 August 08:57

    We’re all refunds in GBP for flights paid for in GBP? Such an odd number suggests a possible currency exchange issue.

    • DZOO says:

      18 Aug18 August 09:02

      Yes, all payments in GBP but complicated by the fact that there were FTVs with a number of previous bookings, which may explain the discrepancy… I just can’t get a sensible dialogue going with anyone who can actually help

      • Sukes says:

        18 Aug18 August 09:35

        Your case reads v similar to this one on FT. Eventually BA accepted they had made a manual calculation mistake but the OP had to persevere with multiple phone calls. I’d put in a written complaint (send via post or webform) to get it escalated & resolved. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2044626-ba-incorrectly-calculating-value-ftv.html

        • Nick says:

          18 Aug18 August 09:45

          BARH is still helping on FT. Officially no, as it’s not part of his job, but if there’s something that’s obviously wrong he will look into it. Mainly because he can’t stop himself.

• Niall says:

  18 Aug18 August 09:10

  I am quite happily in Spain for a few weeks. I would like to stay here, but may need to fly back to the U.K. briefly to sort some things. I would be back for less than 2 days.

  The government website says:
  ‘ If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You only need to take the test if you are still in England on day 2.’

  As I would not be in England on day 2, are there any (or all) providers that would let me order a kit then not do the test now but use it instead a few weeks later when I finally return? And would the passenger locator form accept the same code twice as I hadn’t used the test on the first occasion?

  • Pete M says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:13

    Is this as per the rules? No. Will the PLF accept a re-used code? Yes.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    18 Aug18 August 10:15

    Will any let you do it later? Yeah all of the home order kits. Expert medical or Randox recommended.

    • roberto says:

      18 Aug18 August 10:33

      If you’re back for less than 48 hours you get an exemption from doing the day 2 test but I would just enter the day 2 test on both entries into the UK.

  • kitten says:

    18 Aug18 August 10:32

    Lots of people found pre-ordered Day 2 tests didn’t arrive or arrived extremely late and so for Day 2 they had to use another one. They then used their applied the original one to a later trip without problem.

    Btw day of arrival is Day 0 not Day 1.

• Rob says:

  18 Aug18 August 09:16

  Sainsburys Nectar points – Wondering if anyone can clarify for me what actually does and doesn’t earn points in store. I was under the impression almost all alcohol doesn;t earn points, but a shop yesterday for a £150 including spirits and wine netted me 150 points.

  Be great if anyone can clarify for me.

  Thanks

  • Phil W says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:23

    I thought you get Nectar points on alcohol in England but not Scotland because Scotland is now a totalitarian state.

    • Andrew says:

      18 Aug18 August 09:48

      Well, it’s to avoid the risk of point value netting the purchase to below the minimum price per unit.

      It’s a similar reason to why points aren’t issued on baby formula across the UK.

      • The Savage Squirrel says:

        18 Aug18 August 13:41

        The law in the UK prohibits special display of baby formula, special sales or promotions. Earning standard Nectar/Club points being “a special promotion” is maybe a stretch – and ndon’t think it’s going to swing anyone’s decision on how to feed their baby – but in order to comply with the letter of the law they are excluded from all big retailers’ loyalty schemes.

  • Sukes says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:37

    In NI we get points on wine but not spirits.

  • Harrier25 says:

    18 Aug18 August 10:42

    I can confirm that Nectar points are earned on all alcohol purchases in Sainsbury’s.

  • Chrism20 says:

    18 Aug18 August 11:35

    You don’t get points on spirits or liqueurs but do on wine and beer.

    • Rob says:

      18 Aug18 August 13:44

      Thanks for all the answers. Different viewpoints still though which is gutting. Maybe I’ll have to contact Sainsburys directly.

      • Chrism20 says:

        18 Aug18 August 15:40

        I’ve worked for them for the last twenty years and was a store manager for eleven of them you definitely do not get points on spirits and liqueurs. Has been like that since around the time they bought Nectar

        • Linda says:

          18 Aug18 August 18:14

          I bought some vodka last week amongst other stuff and did not get points on the vodka, only the food. I do however definitely also get points on cider/beer.

• Marie says:

  18 Aug18 August 09:21

  I bagged a first flight to Dubai with a 2 for 1 voucher in December. They have just emailed to say its now a business class flight. Are they not using first cabins on this route? How do I find out which version of the club seat I will get ?

  • Rob says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:23

    Doesn’t matter what it shows as likely to change again. BA owes you a huge pile of compensation – 75% of what you paid.

    • Pete M says:

      18 Aug18 August 09:25

      Makes sure you read this: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/08/13/british-airways-first-class-downgrade/

      • meta says:

        18 Aug18 August 10:21

        Or if you want to fly First, and BA has no F options at all, you can ask BA to put you on a different airline in F. They will probably refuse, but you can then book yourself and take them to MCOL (faster) or CEDR (slower). Either way even for 75% downgrade compo you will also probably have to go to court. Other option and probably a simpler route, is to initiate S75 claim via credit card provider to put you on another airline in First.

        • Sean says:

          18 Aug18 August 10:27

          Not sure you have the right to rebook yourself for a downgrade, only cancellation. Would be a very expensive mistake. Better to take the reimbursement post flight

        • Lady London says:

          18 Aug18 August 10:48

          I’d go with Sean’s advice but would be happy to hear if anyone managed to get an alternative airline flight reimbursed if the only reason was to keep First. I’d read it as the compensation (75% reimbursement of all except true taxes so excluding about £200 of the cost of First if longhaul) is so high because you don’t automatically have the right to book elsewhere.

          The key thing if you receive a change from BA, check it and discover they’ve bumped you down from First to Club (they don’t tell you, you have to check any change to see it), is to ensure that if you have any subsequent conversations with the airline before the flight, you ensure it’s kept clear you wanted to fly in First and any downgrade is involuntary. Be especially careful not to accept nor request any refund full or part as the 75% reimbursement is worth much more.

          The drill is once you’ve flown in the lower class you request your 75% reimbursement involuntary downgrade compensation from the airline due under EU261/UK261. If the airline refuses or 8 weeks pass without positive resolution fill out a moneyclaimonline dot gov dot uk form, pay the small fee and fee plus 75% will be returned to you when you win which you will or it will be settled before the ‘hearing’ which is likely to be by post anyway.

          In yesterday’s thread 17th August there is an excellent set of comments all about this from various regular contributors – it’s a recurring topic on here but yesterday’s various posters were really excellent explaining this. To find it click on the blue link in the last paragraph of the article above.

        • meta says:

          18 Aug18 August 12:15

          Yes, perhaps you’re right @Sean and @LadyLondon it would fall under being reasonable. However, I still think s75 claim would work if you want to fly in F on another airline.

        • Jonathan says:

          18 Aug18 August 15:43

          This is 100% incorrect. You will not win any MCOL or CEDR claim for buying replacement tickets in original class. EU261 remedy is the downgrade compensation of 75% fare & airline fees no matter when or how you are downgraded.

          BA will usually offer a date shift across a narrow window or occasionally a different route through a OW hub but that is a discretionary gesture.

    • MisterE says:

      18 Aug18 August 17:39

      I’m one of the crowd that just got downgraded from F to CS on an Avios 2-4-2/50% deal to Dubai travelling at the end of Feb 22. So we seem to have paid 68,000 Avios for F compared to what looks like 42,000 for Bus (not sure if this varies by Peak or Off Peak).

      The cash payment was around £700, but I gather this doesn’t vary much between F and Bus

      As it happens, we quite want to go on these dates, and have never tried A350 CS, so that would be a novelty, plus I gather its significantly better than CW.

      If I accept the downgrade, I assume I would get back the difference in Avios – say 26,000 (68,000 – 42,000).

      If I push for the Involuntary Downgrade compensation, I assume I would get 75% X 68,000 = 51,000 Avios.

      So that’s an extra 25,000 Avios and at 0.8p is £200; if I went down the MCOL route and got 1.6p/Avios that would be £400.

      I’d be grateful for any HfP’s comments on
      (a) Is my arithmetic about right?
      (b) While it is outrageous for BA to force us to take action to receive what we are entitled to, I rather feel it just isn’t worth the (modest) stress and (slightly greater) hassle. What do others think?

      • Rob says:

        18 Aug18 August 20:33

        Maths looks right. Remember that you need to push BA multiple times before you can go to arbitration – you need to get them to agree in writing they they won’t pay and this is their final position – so the process will drag on.

• Jamie says:

  18 Aug18 August 09:27

  My first flight in a year from LHR is on Saturday (CE so hopefully queues not bad), flying to France and fully vaccinated so I don’t need any tests on the outbound. Despite this I’m getting daily emails from BA asking me to download Verifly – is there any value to me signing up?

  • Nick says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:48

    If you don’t use Verifly you won’t be able to check in before you get to the airport. If you do – regardless of how many or few documents it takes – then your OLCI inhibitor will be removed. Just depends what you prefer – it won’t take long at the airport itself. It’ll also enable the HEx/LU airportr bag drop thing, if that’s of interest.

• JP-MCO says:

  18 Aug18 August 09:33

  Slightly OT, but does your local Costco still have Cloudy Bay wine? Ours has had it for years and then suddenly since about 3 weeks they haven’t.

  • ATP says:

    18 Aug18 August 09:38

    Not been to my local branch in a couple of months but it’s still available on their website.

  • Mouse says:

    18 Aug18 August 10:50

    Use it as an opportunity to support small winemakers rather than LVMH!

    • JDB says:

      18 Aug18 August 17:34

      Yes, Cloudy Bay used to be great but has now gone all marketing, reducing quality content. Try Jackson Estate.

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