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The HfP chat thread – Saturday 11th September

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General

Comments (481)

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

  • Alex says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:09

    Flying back from CFU to LHR today – land around 19:15, be interesting to see if we have to suffer the 4hr waits seen at T5 in recent weeks. Fingers crossed we don’t! Will report back 👌☀️

    • Rhys says:
      11 Sep11 September 09:22

      It’s very hit and miss. You either breeze through or have long queues.

      • andyT says:
        11 Sep11 September 12:32

        I arrived at T2 on Thursday afternoon – took me all of two minutes from entering Border Control area to exiting via e-gates.

        • GaryE says:
          11 Sep11 September 12:48

          Friend arrived from New York yesterday at 7am – was through and out of the airport by 7.25am – agree it is hit and miss.

  • Memesweeper says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:10

    Datapoint for @Anna

    At IC Porto. 100% full. I’m Spire upgraded to junior suite (double upgrade) Overheard an Ambassador getting the same — the 4th floor suites are all closed for refurb. It’s great.

  • Yorkieflyer says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:24

    Re Amex charging £250 rather than £195 for BAPP upgrades and new cards taken out before September but billed in September, has anyone had success challenging this?

    • Sandra B says:
      11 Sep11 September 09:56

      I haven’t tried yet but on the list of thing to do today. I was actually quoted £195 by CS agent and asked to confirm I was alright with that. Will update.

    • pauline says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:26

      Tried via chat and failed so I raised a complaint – got a call but was basically told that there was nothing they / 1 could do but they did ‘value my business’ but nothing on offer and given details of the Ombudsman if I wanted to take it further. Waste of time

    • Sandra B says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:59

      @Yorkieflyer and Pauline. I have just called. Taken a note of the CS agent and she said that they are aware of the situation and £55 should be refunded to my account hopefully on the next statement, along with the others that have been affected. I got the impression they wouldn’t automatically give the refund unless you called to have your name passed to the department dealing with this as she actually said she would pass my name/account on, to be added to the others that had been affected. Hope that helps.

      • pauline says:
        11 Sep11 September 11:01

        thanks Sandra – I will give a call

      • tjw23 says:
        11 Sep11 September 18:39

        Have had the same from AMEX via the chat. They are aware of the situation and will provide refunds per the communication I have had.

    • Harry T says:
      11 Sep11 September 12:27

      If you have a screenshots, don’t take no for an answer here! Amex can go whistle if they think they can get away with charging people an extra £55 and violating their own website and T&Cs.

  • Andrew says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:28

    My replacement BAPP arrived and very nice it is too – very smart design and I like the simplicity of it with the numbers on the back. Makes a change from looking at that same design we’ve had for 10 years.

  • Jerry says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:46

    Our BA241 50% avios flight just cancelled. Re rebooking online chat agent states 12 month ticket validity rule from date of issue in Oct 20, not date of travel May 21. Informed agent would not be checking in for non-cancelled outbound to avoid ‘no show’ agent has removed this leg from the booking, return leg shows cancelled. Won’t budge, says must file a complaint if we don’t like it. Has BA reverted to previous position, or is agent wrong? Does MCOL work, what do you ask for in the claim? Agent states options are 1. FTV 2. Refund 3. Complaint.

    • Memesweeper says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:18

      Try calling rather than using online chat. Try self-rebooking online. Try on insisting on speaking to a manager on the phone.

      I, and many others, have had multiple moves of date well in excess of a year without Avios availability or extra Avios charged.

      Their obligations under 261 are clear, a right to rebooking. Only you can decide if this is worth fighting to MCOL. Before MCOL you must send a letter before action setting out what exactly you want BA to do, giving them a reasonable time to do it, and explaining how much money you will claim if they don’t. There are template letters online. Personally I’d look at the cost of a “select” or “select pro” refundable ticket as roughly equivalent to an Avios booking. Alternatively the cost of buying the missing 50% Avios you require (if there is availability on your new preferred dates).

      • Jill ( Kinkell) says:
        11 Sep11 September 13:27

        I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told No…not a valid call. Complaint gone in.

    • Princess says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:21

      Interesting, have you tried to call? In previous days many people reported being told that new policy was reverted.
      I’m in the same situation and just the idea to call Ba and start a new fight is depressing me

  • Jerry says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:47

    The flight is Japan

    • BJ says:
      11 Sep11 September 13:17

      We were in same boar with our flight to Japan but we got lucky and were able to shift it to any date using MMB. Despite what’s already happened in your case you might as well have a go with MMB both on desktop and on app. You never know and only a few minutes lost if it doesn’t work.

      • Jerry says:
        11 Sep11 September 14:10

        Thanks Memesweeper, Princess and Jill. Tried calling before online chat. Call terminated after selecting all applicable options ‘no agent available’. With impending outbound still operating felt need to resort to online chat and that took +60 mins – was 23 in queue. Couldn’t even join the online queue yesterday. Ticket validity terms online agent referred me to seem ambiguous (3b2 should cover this) http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/legal/british-airways/general-conditions-of-carriage. OK so its only worth 75,000 avios saving, but more importantly avios availability which seems scant to Japan in 2022 and my 241s are all old style. Also BA has had my tax and charges money for 12 months so I think they’re rightly on the hook. I’ll try 1. Complaint 2. LBA 3. MCOL for cost of flexible ticket matching avios 241 conditions. From other comments looks like they may cave in at some point.

        • Lady London says:
          11 Sep11 September 17:49

          Don’t forget to add 8% statutory interest to the full amount of your mcol claim if BA are being this ar$ey.

          • Jerry says:
            11 Sep11 September 20:27

            Lady London – thank you for the reminder. Appreciated, and yes they are ar$ey. My last few interactions have been so poor (with both companies) I’m begining to question BA / Amex strategy moving forwards.

  • sloth says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:47

    Hilton hotels – looking to book a Hilton in Paris for a weekend next August. Ive never been in the situation I can book a hotel so far ahead so surprised to find majority of hotels as sold out. Am I looking too early or have just missed the boat? thanks

    • TGLoyalty says:
      11 Sep11 September 09:53

      Looking too early.

    • NSL says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:00

      They show as “sold out” when there is no availability. To check whether it is actually sold out, use the “my dates are flexible” option. If it’s blocked out for weeks before and after you can assume that the hotel haven’t released availability yet.

    • sloth says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:05

      thank you both

    • Michael C says:
      11 Sep11 September 10:26

      Just as an fyi, had a great stay (2 adults + child) in Hilton Opera a couple of Xmases ago, in a club room. Room itself “snug”, lobby/downstairs bar area stunning, lounge fine for “topping up” of an evening!
      Location was also fabulous for our needs.
      Of course, a couple of new Hiltons have opened since then, and another v shortly, I believe?

      • sloth says:
        11 Sep11 September 11:16

        we have always been extremely lucky on previous trips and have been able to stay with friends in the 16th, which is a nice area, so will be our first time actually paying/points for a Paris hotel… agreed there seems to be a decent choice on Hilton and IHG and as we don’t tend to spend long in the hotel apart from sleeping and breakfast dont want to spend a great deal

  • Kenny says:
    11 Sep11 September 09:48

    Any idea where the best place to sell amenity kits is? Just picked up a Qatar business class kit

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

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