Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Sunday 12th September

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Comments (494)

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

  • A380 Flyer says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:04

    I wrote on here a while back that VS has had offered me 300,000 miles and a two vouchers (2-4-1 or Upgrade) in exchange for £2000 I paid for 2 J class to BGI which was subsequently cancelled.
    Are any points experts able to advise if a good deal or not? Keen to go away in Feb but somewhere that may be more “civil” should one test positive while abroad.

    • Rob says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:06

      It is a decent deal if you feel you can maximise the points. 300k in worse case scenario is £1700 off a VS cash flight or holiday plus you have the vouchers.

      You may also prefer the certainty of the cash of course.

      • A380 flyer says:
        12 Sep12 September 10:12

        Thank you for your reply Rob.

      • C says:
        12 Sep12 September 10:21

        Unless I knew I could make use ofvthe miles in the short term, would almost always prefer cash. Who knows how long VS will still be flying, and/or flying routes you want with availability? Or VS coukd just increase redemption costs, reducing the relative value of your miles.

    • David says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:35

      They will try to charge you tax on those when you redeem them.

    • ChrisBCN says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:49

      Unless you’ve plans for the miles (and there is availability) take the cash. Cash is king!

  • Munch says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:13

    Anyone had the VS status extension applied to their account? My account still shows September 2021 as the expiry.

  • John Caribbean says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:19

    I’m flying from Heathrow tomorrow to Croatia.
    I can do bag drop tonight apparently, but I might not have my lateral flow result by then. Can I put the bags in without having to upload all that sort of information?

    • meta says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:40

      Short answer no.

      • ChrisC says:
        12 Sep12 September 10:50

        Long answer is still no but it’s not just dropping your bags off early you are actually checking in for the flight so if you don’t have the test result and it’s a requirement then you can’t check in.

  • Mark says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:21

    Is any the Amex Cards, gold, credit, BA premium got any better earning for foreign spend than each other or are they all same.

    • Andy says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:34

      The gold car has enhanced points on foreign spend, but with Amex UK cards you pay the 3% FX fee so I wouldn’t say it’s worth it

    • Harry T says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:59

      Gold card wants an extra point per pound. If you are spending abroad to hit the 15k spend for the 10k points annual bonus, then it’s a return of 2.67 points per pound. So you can make a case for spending abroad on the card if you value an MR at 1p.

      • Jonathan says:
        12 Sep12 September 11:24

        The gold card will charge 2.99% FX fee on top, so even if you can get 2.67 Avios per pound spent, you’re still better off using a card that offers 0% FX fees (or one that offers this but charges 0.5% on weekends), since Avios points are generally worth around 1pence per point, unless we’ll see another promotion on part pay with Avios like we saw a few weeks ago, giving a 2pence per Avios point return, but that was I think the first (and very maybe) the last time we’ll ever see something that good

  • Simon says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:23

    Hello everyone, does anyone have any recommendations for family friendly hotels in Montreal, for a 2 or 3 day stay in April? (I have IHG spire but no other status right now.) Thanks in advance.

    • Degsy says:
      12 Sep12 September 12:40

      No positive recommendations sorry Simon, but one I’d avoid is the Delta – we stayed there for 3 nights a few years ago and were very underwhelmed. Dark, dingy & soulless.

  • Anna says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:28

    Staying at the Doubletree Harrogate next weekend, current reviews are pretty awful but they’ve confirmed upgrades on both rooms and it’s only 30k points pn (as opposed to £230 cash!) Do golds get full breakfast or just continental?
    Also booked The Ivy to use the £200 Platinum offer as the teenagers will be more than happy being told to order whatever they want!

    • Munch says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:42

      Stayed bank holiday weekend. Breakfast was not great (probably the worst Doubletree breakfast since Covid), but you should get full breakfast as the continental was one plate of cheese & ham. If you want to swim you need to book but it does cost extra. Hotel was generally just okay but it always seem to be full at weekends (probably weddings).

    • Yorkie Aid says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:55

      There’s free entry to Fountains Abbey next Saturday only if you’ve never been. Just up the road near Ripon.

      • Anna says:
        12 Sep12 September 11:11

        Thanks – we are NT members and been several times so will probably avoid next weekend!
        Munch – yes lots of complaints on Tripadvisor re the charge for swimming, apparently it’s something ridiculous like £30 pp so we won’t bother. Saturday is sold out so I’m expecting a bit of a zoo at breakfast!

        • Munch says:
          12 Sep12 September 11:31

          We paid £15pp for 2 hours but does include access to the sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. New facility not quite Langley standards but had a good overall experience.

    • The Savage Squirrel says:
      12 Sep12 September 12:51

      In a similar vein, Ripley Castle and Harlow Carr are worth a look; as are Stump Cross Caverns, Harrogate Valley Gardens, and (a little further) the Forbidden Corner.
      Something a bit smaller but may suit your background: Ripon Prison and Police museum!
      Harrogate has a nice selection of decent restaurants too.

      I have fond memories of the Majestic as we used to have university piss-ups there in my youth despite its dumpiness, and it’s had some money spent since, but as a property it’s old and fundamentally compromised enough (e.g. inadequate parknig) that it will always have mixed outcomes. Still, for 30k points anything half decent is a win.

  • jimc says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:34

    I have an email from BA for a Future Travel Voucher and i cant for the life of me remember what it was for or it’s value. Is there any way of finding out?

    • ChrisBCN says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:53

      Search for the number on the FTV in your email and you’ll find your original booking, that’s what the FTV is worth

  • ChrisW says:
    12 Sep12 September 10:53

    Not travel related but couldn’t help noticing this weekend that mask wearing in supermarkets and on tube in London is down to about 50%. Even staff in supermarkets which surprised me.

    I’m keen to hear your thoughts of whether you do or do not continue to wear a mask in these environments.

    For me, if I’m not required to wear one, I don’t.

    • Yorkie Aid says:
      12 Sep12 September 10:58

      I was in London last week and I would have said mask wearing was probably less than 10%. Didn’t go on the tube though. Didn’t bother us as fully vaxed.

      • Greg says:
        12 Sep12 September 11:25

        My mate’s fully vaxed but contracted the virus last week. I spoke to him on Thursday and it was frightening. He could hardly say 2 words without gasping for air. Just heard he’s in intensive care this morning. If you also look at the death statistics in detail. A considerable number have been double vaxed for a while. Please continue to wear a mask.

    • Harry T says:
      12 Sep12 September 11:04

      Delta doesn’t give a monkeys about suboptimal mask wearing in less than 90%+ of the population, I reckon. I had significant doubts about three week old surgical masks and shitty pieces of cloth doing anything to reduce transmission before super contagious Delta arrived… I do not personally feel reassured by seeing people wearing a mask around me, particularly as it’s usually some patterned piece of fabric hanging loosely around their mouth only.

      If I was at risk from covid, I’d wear FFP3 in indoor environments that weren’t well ventilated. As I’m not, I don’t see the point after everyone in the population has been offered the chance to have two jabs that significantly reduce the risks of hospitalisation and death.

      • Harry T says:
        12 Sep12 September 11:05

        As a corollary, I do wear them on the tube, as it’s probably the worst ventilated environment in England and there is always a vulnerable looking elderly couple close by, for some reason. I don’t see how masks will make much difference if you are pottering around Costco though. I think people just need to be sensible and evaluate their own risk profile and the environment they are in.

    • Simon says:
      12 Sep12 September 11:07

      I get the tube twice a day. I agree we are down from 90% masks in July (!) to around 50% now. Have we reached the natural level, or will it keep falling??? I have been going in to a large trading floor throughout the pandemic (key worker don’t you know), where masks were never mandated. (tbf, we all caught Covid in March/April 2020 and lived to tell the tale….. On that basis, it seems absurd to wear it anywhere unless forced to.

      • r* says:
        12 Sep12 September 13:48

        Are masks not still required on the london underground? I had to use it the other day and there were some ppl without them, including one epic weapon who was coughing and blowing his nose every couple of minutes.

        • Rob says:
          12 Sep12 September 15:31

          They are not legally required. TfL insists on them but their only power is to ask you to leave their premises.

    • Andrew says:
      12 Sep12 September 11:07

      Very few people are wearing masks in any settings in the U.K. now – that’s why Boots have had packs of masks on a 241 for a couple of months now.

      • Peggerz says:
        12 Sep12 September 12:07

        Don’t agree with you @Andrew. In my part of the UK – and it may be yours – the wearing of masks in certain settings is still a legal requirement.

      • Rich says:
        12 Sep12 September 13:05

        Not the case in Newcastle. Still pretty high mask rates on transport and in shops. Less so in pubs and restaurants.

        I was staggered whey I went to London last week. They appear to have given up.

        • Save East Coast Rewards says:
          12 Sep12 September 13:41

          My experience was different to yours. When I went to Newcastle a few weeks ago I noticed mask wearing was under 50%, but my parents said most times most people wear them. It might depend where and when you go places. When I got to London I thought mask usage was higher.

          There was times when I was in Newcastle it felt totally back to normal. My stance is I’ll where a mask when requested or if the majority are. I don’t care too much on this one either way, it’s only a minor hassle but if nobody else is wearing one I don’t see the point. As I had been travelling a lot I had to do lots of tests and also have been fully vaccinated.

      • David says:
        12 Sep12 September 14:00

        NonsenseAndrew. I’d say 60% use in supermarkets large shops where I live and have places that I’ve travelled to. Higher in ‘better’ supermarkets that places like Morrisons where noticeably lower when going in the collect gift cards. I’d say tube is at a similar level from personal experience on recent, regular trips to London.
        Many workplaces still enforcing it.

    • Anna says:
      12 Sep12 September 11:30

      As I understand it, a mask provides some protection for other people. If I’m asked to wear one, I will do, but I see little point of doing so otherwise when I’m double vaxxed, self-testing twice weekly and not coughing or sneezing.

    • Char Char says:
      12 Sep12 September 11:34

      As Dr Fauci has said before that asymptomatic carriers are not the cause of any mass spreading, so if you feel sick wear a mask/stay home.

      If you don’t feel sick then I don’t see a problem not wearing a mask.

      • JDB says:
        12 Sep12 September 11:41

        It seems an incredibly small imposition on people to wear a mask in indoor public settings, when it does provide some degree of protection, however small, to the wearer and others. It seems madness NOT to wear one say on the tube. The fact that people are so casual about this in the UK and US must have some correlation with high case rates in the UK and US vs continental Europe.

    • Can says:
      12 Sep12 September 11:51

      I always wear it indoors

      • jimc says:
        12 Sep12 September 13:00

        My business is restaurants and we took the decision that mask wearing should be a choice for our teams (like it is for our customers). I’ve been surprised at the amount of guests who’ve complained, some very vocally. Like, there’s 80 or so people sitting indoors for 2 hours, a few of them maybe leaving a mask on for the 20 metre walk to their table and back yes they’re worried about 3 or 4 unmasked servers passing them Covid.

        • r* says:
          12 Sep12 September 13:55

          Personally if I go into a restaurant and the servers arent wearing masks, I wouldnt be using that restaurant. Sure, ppl at other tables may not have masks on while eating but then theyre also not carrying out the food and being in close proximity and moving around.

    • Peter K says:
      12 Sep12 September 12:48

      I personally always wear a mask indoors. In my line of work it is actually still a legal requirement, but even in shops etc I still wear it, though double jabbed.

      Does the mask give protection/is it worth it? One place I work had a staff member work there for 6hrs then had to leave as contacted by T&T as a close contact and not jabbed. Got tested same day and result was positive. No other staff member tested positive though were in close contact basically the whole 6 hours. All wore masks the whole time.

      • The Savage Squirrel says:
        12 Sep12 September 12:56

        We have a similar experience.
        Having worn masks for many hours, every day, for decades, I do have to bite my tongue when people who tell me how wearing one for 15 minutes on transport or round Tesco is some sort of hellish hardship 😀 .

    • Rich says:
      12 Sep12 September 13:09

      I wear on transport, in supermarkets and healthcare settings. I tend to wear them much less in pubs and restaurants. Often I will wear in a coffee shop while ordering and walking to the table, but not when I get up to leave.

      I gave up on a Southern train last week. Not a single person in the carriage was wearing one, so I thought ‘bollocks to you’ and took mine off.

      I still carry one most of the time

    • Anna says:
      12 Sep12 September 13:40

      https://www.jewishpress.com/news/on-campus/israeli-study-low-vitamin-d-associated-with-more-severe-covid-19-infection/2021/06/17/

      More and more evidence is emerging that vitamin D status PRIOR to infection has a big impact of severity of illness. My theory has always been that this will turn out to be the smoking gun of why some people are affected so much worse than others.

      • Peter K says:
        12 Sep12 September 15:56

        Very interesting. I’ve been taking a Vit D supplement since this all began basically. Hopefully I don’t catch covid, but a higher dose of Vit D should hopefully help my immune system full stop.

        • Super Secret Stuff says:
          12 Sep12 September 17:24

          I started taking it because I know I don’t get enough Vitamin D! Has massively improved the quality of my sleep too

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