Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Monday 6th September

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Comments (363)

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

  • Tom says:

    Reference point – received a retention offer for BAPP of spend £3k in 3 months for 10k Avios. JDB will be pleased to hear that i was fully willing to close my account had i not received one.

    • Jane says:

      +1, except I doubt I would have closed my account.

    • Booker1989 says:

      Did you get it on chat or phone

      • Tom says:

        Via Chat. The person i spoke to seemed more willing to just close the account than offer something so i just specifically asked if there was a retention offer available that might persuade me to keep the card.

    • Eoc says:

      Keeping a card for 3 months extra to make 10k points at 1p valuation should be viewed as £100-3 months fee at £250 pa/4 or £62.50. If you use all 3 months to achieve it.
      That looks like spend £3k to make£37.50. Hmm…

  • Kevin D says:

    Hi guys
    Heading to Barcelona on Wednesday. Flying BA from Belfast to LHR to Barcelona. Return is Ryanair direct Barcelona to Belfast. I’m confused about Covid 19 requirements. We have NHS App for Proof of double vaccination. Can someone confirm testing requirements?? Lateral flow/PCR, day 2, pre-departure!! I’m confused!
    Thanks

    • Sam G says:

      Complete the Spanish health QR code 48hrs before travel. You need a lateral flow to come back (either do it locally, plenty of options in Barcelona – there are some on the Ryanair website or take a Collinson/prenetics etc) and then book a day 2 – Nationwide Pathology is cheapest now @ £40ea.

    • Anna says:

      For which sector? You don’t need a test on the way out if double vaxxed, on the way back you will need a pre-departure test (can be antigen), and a day 2 test which you have to order in advance so you can put the invoice number on your PLF.

    • stevenhp1987 says:

      no tests to enter Spain for fully vaccinated.

      Pre-departure LFT (non-NHS) as normal to board plane back.
      Day 2 test (can be taken on days 0-2)

  • Ja says:

    I have a Virgin CC voucher. Can I use it to book flights through their site to Canada . However they aren’t currently flying there so flights would be KLM/Air France. Or can you only use the voucher on Virgin flights

  • Chris says:

    Looking for advice on getting missing Hilton points from a recent cash stay. I booked 2 rooms for 3 nights for my family and a couple. At check in, I asked reception to transfer one room to the other couple as they’re Diamond (I’m only Gold). I then paid for both rooms.

    Now I have zero points and stay credits from the stay, and Hilton chat insist my only option is to ask the other person to transfer some points across. But they only got points credit for one of the rooms, and I can’t transfer promotion bonus points or stay credits.
    How can one escalate with Hilton?

    • JDB says:

      I think that what you are asking is that having transferred the room to the higher status couple, presumably to derive some diamond benefit, you now want it back to get the points / stay credits on your account. That sounds a tad cheeky!?

      • Chris says:

        No, I asked for one room to be transferred and one to be kept in my name. I transferred one room to the Diamond couple so they could have the stay credits for their room. In any case, this was a provincial Doubletree, there’s nothing for a Diamond over a Gold.

        • JDB says:

          Apologies Chris, I misunderstood your post.

          • meta says:

            Do you have two separate receipts for each room? And I mean here paper receipt or the PDF. If so, I’d just submit one of them and say you haven’t been credited any points for the stay. If not, I’d also contact the hotel to get these separated before contacting Hilton CS.

          • Chris says:

            No problem. Good idea for future though 😉

          • meta says:

            Wait a month then submit again once they forget and close the current case.

          • Babyg says:

            i had the same issue when i did a stay late last year, i did room transfer etc, so long as YOU paid this shouldn’t be an issue get credit for ONE room, i logged a case and it took a few months to sort out.. got there in the end and 10k points as a bonus for the hassle… i emailed hiltonhonors@hilton.com

  • James says:

    Any advice on the most painless way to cancel a BA Avios booking without spending hours on the phone?

  • Aston100 says:

    Is there anyway to get a BA Holidays booking refunded to an evoucher online?
    I can’t seem to do it through MMB and am told to phone.
    When I phone, I can’t get through due to a message stating they are too busy, or to do it online or something.

  • Reney says:

    I’m looking to hire a car INV to EDI for 6 days, yesterday I found some on BA site. Today nothing. Is it likely an IT issue or really not availability? Free additional driver means BA is better choice for us.

    • AL says:

      Free additional driver isn’t a BA exclusive, though – I suspect they’re punting you through Avis/Budget, who offer it as all-but-standard (https://avis.co.uk/drive-avis/car-hire-extras/free-additional-driver-2021). Often a nice markup and sometimes they’ll negotiate it down. Compare on rentalcars.com to see if the deal’s worth having. See also if your credit card gives you offers (ref: Avis status just for having a MC World the other day).

      • Reney says:

        Thanks unfortunately that offer is for 14 days+ rental and I only need 6 days. I looked at Avis but they only have premium cars left, so will cost 2/3x as much.

        For some reason expedia.com is showing a car at $474 but expedia.co.uk is showing £474. Is there any reasons I should not book via the US website?

        • ChrisBCN says:

          Probably the US site is not including some types of insurance that the UK site is inckuding. Whether you need the insurance depends on what other insurance you have already, or if you want to buy a separate policy.

          • ChrisBCN says:

            Also – it’s rarely a good idea to buy from Expedia! By all means use it for research, but see if you can work out who the car provider is and go direct (if Expedia doesn’t make it explicit, find the address to collect the car from and Google that to find the provider)

  • Aston100 says:

    Email from QR:
    “Aston100, as a valued Privilege Club member, you are the first to know about our amazing offers.
    Visit qatarairways.com tomorrow to be the first to enjoy great savings on flights, and other member-exclusive benefits.
    Start planning your next trip today and discover the world with the Airline of the Year.”

    So, what are the chances this might actually be something decent for once, rather than the usual nonsense where no one can actually find any flights in-scope for the alleged deal?
    Not gonna hold my breath.

    • Babyg says:

      7.6%

    • Ls says:

      25% discount code for something that has just been increased 20% 24h previously? Cynical? Moi?

    • Lady London says:

      couples only and any ticket in J won’t get you into the real J Al Mourjan lounge at Doha only a very inferior one purely so Qatar can say they provided a OneWorld lounge

      • Andrew says:

        But they will provide a far superior cabin and service in J, compared to BA’s F. And to correct your statement – if you are in R class J and don’t have status, you won’t have access to any lounge, not an “inferior” one.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        You sure ? If you are ticketed Business leaving Doha on a oneworld airline you can access the proper J Al Mourjan lounge

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