The HfP chat thread – Friday 3rd September

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James says:

3 Sep3 September 18:11

Just had Maldives holiday cancelled with BA for 3 weeks time – sob!! They are going to contact me, what usually are the options? The holiday is more expensive going forward, I’m assuming they wouldn’t honour the price I paid?
- Rob says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 18:15
  
  They will move you to whatever dates you want, no extra charge.
  - Harry T says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 18:17
    
    Does that also apply to the hotels, though, Rob? The flights can be changed for free but I imagine the hotel costs could go up or down. That has been my experience with holidays involving flights and car hire.
    - JDB says:
      
      3 Sep3 September 18:52
      
      We had the same experience as HarryT. After flight cancellation, BAH would only move +/- 14 days without repricing the trip with the alternative of a full refund. As BAH is just acting as a travel agent, they won’t absorb third party cost increases. In this respect, you end up with potentially lesser rights than if you booked flights/hotel/car separately.
      - ChrisC says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 19:44
        
        My experience was
        
        1. Flight cancelled. Chose to move trip from end of July to early September. Hotel had increased by $5 so had to pay that. Agent has explained the 14 day rule so was clear there was extra to pay.cost was small as was only for one night.
        
        2. Rebooked flight then cancelled.moved trip by one week. No extra to pay for either flight or hotel as agent explained new date was within 14 days of the rearranged date.
  - James says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 19:02
    
    Thanks for your replies, I’m hoping Rob is correct! Will report back.
  - David says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 19:08
    
    Would they also change the direction of the flights ie from MLE-LHR LHR-MLE to LHR-MLE MLE-LHR for example.
- Babyg says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 19:03
  
  they will fly you QATAR (they did for us)…. so it was an upgrade IMHO 🙂
  - James says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 19:12
    
    That’s interesting, I’d definitely take Qatar and a lay over.
    - James says:
      
      3 Sep3 September 19:13
      
      All the while, Maldives still needs to come off the damned Red list!
    - John says:
      
      3 Sep3 September 19:39
      
      be careful before you opt for Qatar.
      I got moved to Qatar when my BA flights got cancelled. Now I expect my Qatar flights not to get cancelled but with Madives on the Red List I won’t be travelling and will now have to cancel for a voucher
      - James says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 20:30
        
        Quick thought. It is just the outbound flight which has been cancelled, not the full trip. As it is now 3 weeks until we due to go therefore tied into not getting a refund (pre flight cancellation) could I know hedge my bets and wait until the review on the 16th to see if Maldives goes Amber, then either book onto a Qatar flight or take the refund depending on the outcome?
      - Babyg says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 22:38
        
        why? its still a BA ticket?
FlightDoctor says:

3 Sep3 September 18:12

Am I right in my understanding that if BA gives you the option of cancelling your flights, paid with Avios, that cancelling will not then lead to the £35pp cancellation charge? We are looking to cancel a family booking to Boston at half term (we now have other plans) and this evening BA have just changed the outbound flight and offered the options of keeping the new flights, or a voucher or cancellation as options. Could be good timing…..
- Harry T says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 18:15
  
  If they’ve cancelled one flight in your PNR, you can receive a full refund for the entire itinerary. You are also entitled to be rebooked to dates that suit you (current BA policy is rebooking to one year from the planned departure date).
- BJ says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 18:30
  
  No £35 fees applied.
- ChrisC says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 19:48
  
  What was changed exactly?
  
  Flight number change = cancellation = refund (and rebooking options)
  
  Just a Schedule change? If more than 4 hours then can have a refund.
  
  If this is a voluntary cancellation on your part without either of the above then the £35 fee applies.
  - BJ says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 20:22
    
    I took “option of cancelling” to mean that cancellation has happened or is anticipated.
JM says:

3 Sep3 September 18:33

Ordered my partner a Supplementary card. She is already an existing AMEX customer. Can she link the supp card to her existing account or will she need to create a seperate new account to log into app etc?
- JDB says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 18:37
  
  Some have reported problems. I think the new supp holder needs to be logged into the app and activate the card from there and not from the link or QR code on the sticky label. This worked for me recently.
- BJ says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 19:03
  
  Yes, she can add to her existing account. If there is a problem then both chat and call centre can add it for her.
  - Harrier25 says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 19:18
    
    Forget chat and the call centre, they are both next to useless. It’s pot luck, sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t. If you can’t then open a new account and after a month, remove the card from the new account and then attempt to add it to her account again. That worked for me earlier this year, and all the offers were still there too.
    - BJ says:
      
      3 Sep3 September 20:28
      
      That’s more hassle than calling and you end up with multiple account. Takes about a minute or two for them to do it on the phone. Personally I have had a largely positive experience with amex CS but I prefer calling to online chat.
      - KBuffett says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 20:40
        
        I think you’re missing the point that people on the phone and on chat are saying it’s not possible.
      - BJ says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 20:48
        
        I’ve had them do this for me on chat earlier this afternoon. I’ve previously had them do it on the phone too but that was a few years ago.
      - Harrier25 says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 21:16
        
        That’s the issue there is no consistency with Amex on the phone or on chat. They told me that they couldn’t be added, they told BJ they could. Absolute nonsense.
- BuildBackBetter says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 19:48
  
  Don’t add using the app. Login using desktop and try adding.
- Rob says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 20:01
  
  Can link it (my wife has supps and mains together – in fact she was a Bus Supp, personal Plat Supp and own BAPP together) but don’t try until a couple of weeks after the card has arrived. For some reason you often get IT issues on Day 1.
  - Duncan Stevenson-Price says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 20:23
    
    Huh… my husband has two supplementary cards and seemed to have to create a separate account for each, which is a PITA for him. Any idea if they can be merged?
    - Harrier25 says:
      
      3 Sep3 September 20:42
      
      Remove them from the additional accounts first and then choose the add a new card option in his main account.
    - Rob says:
      
      3 Sep3 September 21:14
      
      You can remove a card from online servicing via the top menus IIRC, and then presumably add it back to the other account.
      - Harrier25 says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 21:22
        
        Correct….although Amex may tell you that you can or can’t, depending on the direction of the wind on the day that you contact them!
      - AndyGWP says:
        
        3 Sep3 September 22:25
        
        Must be a good day for these!
        
        Amex chat told me this morning I would have to set up a new account as it wasn’t possible.
        
        I tried to setup a new account and it failed immediately after entering the card details.
        
        I went back to chat and they added it in to my existing account for me 🤦🏼‍♂️
Jason says:

3 Sep3 September 20:10

is it possible to cancel 1 person off an Avios booking of 4 people
- BJ says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 20:30
  
  Yes.
BJ says:

3 Sep3 September 20:36

The dithering on vaccinating 12-16yo is a total farce now, I wish they would come to a decision one way or the other ASAP.
- Harry T says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 20:39
  
  I think there’s a difference between the medical benefits to that population and the more difficult to define benefits to children’s education, and the interests of society in general. From my limited understanding, very few children exposed to covid will develop serious illness.
  - David says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 20:48
    
    Basically you are putting the child population from side effects of vaccination to protect the adult population who refuse to be vaccinated.
  - BJ says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 20:53
    
    Sure the issue is complex but they need to have the debate largely behind closed doors. The ever changing headlines on the BBC today will undermine public confidence.
Tom says:

3 Sep3 September 20:41

Few weeks back I upgraded my BA card to the premium version, this triggered the voucher but it has a 18 month expiry not 30 months as it should be. Anyone had this and who best to contact to fix, Amex or BA or both?
- Rob says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 21:13
  
  Common problem. Amex can fix it.
Mco says:

3 Sep3 September 20:50

Posted on a earlier page but not sure if the regulars will go to the start so asking again.

My BA flight got in 4hrs delayed today. Flights are taking a longer route due to closed Afghanistan airspace by 2hrs. Any EC261 payable? This delay been going on for 3 weeks now.
- Mco says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 20:52
  
  Normally the delay is 2hrs.
- Nick says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 20:55
  
  Depends whether you (and/or a judge) consider the situation in Afghanistan to be ‘exceptional circumstances’ or not…
- BJ says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 20:56
  
  No, the safety situation is beyond the airlines control.
- Lady London says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 21:34
  
  You asked this yesterday. Duty of care yes, in full.
  
  Compensation, not a snowball’s chance in hell.
  - Mco says:
    
    3 Sep3 September 21:37
    
    Thanks.
    
    Data point – Just over 2hrs at T5 immigration this evening.
Aston100 says:

3 Sep3 September 21:25

Revolut froze my card because they thought my attempt at a $5 purchase of a Skype top-up was suspicious activity.
Such a bunch of cowboys.
- Lady London says:
  
  3 Sep3 September 21:37
  
  Prats.
  
  I must admit that’s bad even for Revolut.