The HfP chat thread – Sunday 29th August

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Tomgold says:

29 Aug29 August 17:28

Having the BA premium, do I stand to gain anything by triggering the 2-4-1 before 1 Sep?
- Rob says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:01
  
  Upside – you can use it with an existing 241 you have banked for a family of 4
  
  Downside – you can’t access the ‘extra availability’ seats which will be offered on all BAPP 241s issued after 1st September and should make it VERY likely you always get the Club World seats you want
  
  Wait UNLESS you have a 1 x 241 banked and a family of 4.
  - Anna says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 20:04
    
    How is this going to work? Will extra inventory appear when you opt to use your companion voucher at the start of a booking?
    - MisterE says:
      
      29 Aug29 August 20:46
      
      I have been wondering about this also, especially as we have two new 2-4-1s arriving into our accounts in the first few days of Sept. Delighted (although slightly surprised) that Rob describes the greater availability as ‘VERY’ likely. Do we expect Reward Flight Finder to be updated so it can search for ‘standard’ and ‘extended’ availability?
      - Rob says:
        
        29 Aug29 August 22:39
        
        It is very easy to show I-class as it is in the GDS, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
        
        This assumes BA sticks to its word and makes all cheap Club World cash tickets available for 241 Avios redemptions.
    - Rob says:
      
      29 Aug29 August 22:41
      
      Yes, as I understand it
  - Tomgold says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 22:02
    
    i do have a family of 4 and already have 3 banked. hoping soon to extend the short dated ones with a FTV
    does that mean that if i trigger it after 1/9 i can’t be used with the for a fam of 4?
    - Rob says:
      
      29 Aug29 August 22:37
      
      It can’t be used with an existing voucher to allow 4 to fly, no.
      
      This is why I triggered mine early – because I have 1 banked and need 2 to get the family away.
  - Tomgold says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 22:04
    
    forgot to say THANK YOU Rob for everything and for your clear responses in particular.
    this Chat page proved really helpful in July when i was being messed around by BA. Lady London particularly really helped me (and we were a group of 8! so that was a huge help)
a270 says:

29 Aug29 August 17:42

Trying to pull up my cancelled flights on BA website to go through refund option. Each time I put my 6 digit PNR number it says the flights were already flown. Any other way?
- Mon Repos says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:07
  
  If the flight was in the past you need to call.
S879 says:

29 Aug29 August 17:46

Is self referral on Amex an issue? I want to open a BA Amex card but my Gold card has a bonus referral offer of 15k Amex points as opposed to 4k referral on my OH’s BA card. Never done it so asking.
- DI says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 17:51
  
  Apparently a number of accounts was closed and people banned from Amex for life in the US for self referrals. I personally would not risk it.
- Rob says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:00
  
  It is now a serious issue in the US – with Amex going back a number of years – and one day could be one here.
CH says:

29 Aug29 August 17:49

Applied for a Plat card in mid-July from a 70k SUB link. My bonus tracker only shows 30k. Rang the new accounts team late on Friday, and engaged in a bit of “yes I did” / “no you didn’t” (use a referral link) to-ing & fro-ing, until I said I had some screenshots.
I’ve uploaded one of the initial landing page showing the offer, and the beginning of my application, to the document upload centre, and need to ring them back after the BH weekend to re-discuss.

Actually, mid composing this, I’ve accidentally stumbled upon Andy’s comment from 9th June saying he had the same issue, though I don’t think he called and from today’s comment, seems like there was no issue after all.

I’m just worried that them saying they can’t see that a referral link was used is real, or if the new accounts team are telling porkies!
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 17:56
  
  It’s a known issue with trackers.
  
  No point escalating until you’ve actually spent the £4K.
  - Rob says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 17:58
    
    99% certain the 70k posts just fine.
    - A says:
      
      29 Aug29 August 18:05
      
      Happened to me. 70k posted after hitting spend.
- Andy says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:07
  
  In the tracker it actually says that further bonuses/promotions (which I take to mean the difference between the standard 30k bonus and the enhanced 70k one) are not reflected in the tracker. I didn’t read that when I asked the question back in June, but indeed all worked out in my case without having to chase up Amex
- CH says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 20:32
  
  Thanks TGL/Rob/A/Andy.
  Looks like I suffered a bout of Ali-itis (sorry Ali!) and rang them too eagerly!
  
  Andy, you’re right, I’d never have thought that tracker on the app was clickable – going into it, it does say referral/additional bonuses are paid separately.
  
  Now I feel silly (and that the new accounts team were probably telling porkies). Should I now just leave the documents uploaded as they are and not ring back, and see what happens when I reach the £4k spend?
A says:

29 Aug29 August 18:02

Hey all,

Looking to go somewhere for 5 nights in mid-late September and would love some advice on potential options (including hotel options)!

Our priorities are;

Relaxing couples holiday with pool
Close to lovely sandy beaches
Ideally somewhere that is under 30 mins away from airport
Can have fun without need for a car (I.e hiking/trails or nice nature walks)
No kids! Adults only
Ideally an IHG/Hyatt/Hilton hotel!

Thanks
- Richie says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:27
  
  W Ibiza
  - A says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 18:58
    
    No status with Marriott so ideally I’d like to focus on the other chains.
    
    but thanks for the recommendation!’
    - Richie says:
      
      29 Aug29 August 19:00
      
      7pines Ibiza looks good. Elounda on Crete.
- Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 19:19
  
  Tough brief if you want to stick with those groups (and ignoring SLH and Mr&Mrs Smith, which will probably have options). Conrad Algarve is a decent choice if you can live with a shuttle bus to the beach and a lack of walkable nature from the property.
JB says:

29 Aug29 August 18:24

Hi resident HfP experts.

I have just trigged my 241 companion voucher (29th Aug 2021) by mistake on my British Airways American Express® Premium Card (this is the old BA/AMEX silver card) the voucher is valid for the next 12 months.
Is there anyway of extending this?
Do I book two business flights on BA and then cancel them for a voucher? I want to travel in Oct/Nov/Dec 2022.

Looking forward in hearing from HfP members expert knowledge.

Thanks.
- Tracey says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:33
  
  Yes just book anything and cancel. Make sure it is for the same people that you want on your final ticket. lHR-MAN is sufficient.
- JDB says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 18:53
  
  If it is a Premium Plus voucher (ie on the paid card) the voucher should be valid for 30 months (usual 24 months + 6 extension months). The email might say 24 months, but in your BA Exec account it should have the exact date of expiry.
  - JB says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 19:06
    
    Thanks Tracey and JDB. All very helpful replies. Case resolved and closed.
- Rob says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 22:47
  
  Voucher should be valid for 24 months – the usual 18 for Premium plus the extra 6 months given to all vouchers issued in 2021.
Keely says:

29 Aug29 August 18:46

Data point for anybody needing day 2 tests -ordered Express Medical Day 2 test (£28) on Weds afternoon, it turned up yesterday . Looks like they’re back on track for delivery at least …
- Jody says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 21:48
  
  Did you have any kind of dispatch notification, or did they just turn up?
  
  I have ordered two on Thursday, but have heard nothing so far.
  - Keely says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 21:55
    
    Had initial email dispatch notification straight away but then nothing further . TBh after seeing the comments on here I wasn’t expecting it to arrive … hopefully yours will arrive tomorrow (arrives by DPD so shouldn’t be impacted by bank holiday).
    
    The chronomics test to travel one I’d ordered to take away took much longer to arrive – probably about 10-12 days. For future ones I’d put an earlier travel date.
- Will says:
  
  30 Aug30 August 00:03
  
  Sent mine back a week ago no sign of a result for me.
Jonathan says:

29 Aug29 August 19:59

When opening a new Virgin Atlantic credit card, can you someone else’s flying club membership ID, or do you have to create one yourself if you don’t already have one.

I’ve just closed my premium credit card with them, and while I wait for the 6 months to lapse (to get the free card), I thought about having a family member open an account (who never travels with Virgin or uses any of their other products or services) so they just add me as an additional cardholder, and they then never use their own card, then when the 6 month rule is over, I get my own card again

Anyone who’s got any idea please say below, thanks
- Gary says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 20:35
  
  Main cardholder’s name has to fully match flying club account’s name
  - Gary says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 20:41
    
    so the family member would have to open their own flying club account in order for the points to go across . He/she could book a reward flight for you as an option.
  - Jonathan says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 22:38
    
    Dammit !
- CH says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 20:47
  
  Not answering your actual question, but a related one in that can’t you apply for a “downgrade” instead? I thought I’d read in the past few days that you’d get rejected, but appeal stating you want a downgrade. Google site:hfp search doesn’t give me that thread I’m thinking of but one from May (https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/05/16/the-hfp-chat-thread-sunday-16th-may/comment-page-1/#comment-627598) which awkwardly you might have commented in so apologies for that!
  - JohnT says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 22:35
    
    Yes. That was advice agent gave me on 26/8/21, probably also in Virgin article next day.
  - Jonathan says:
    
    29 Aug29 August 22:38
    
    I’ll give it a shot !
- Ben W says:
  
  29 Aug29 August 22:54
  
  >so they just add me as an additional cardholder, and they then never use their own card, then when the 6 month rule is over, I get my own card again
  
  Otherwise known as ‘the Putin’.