The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 15th September

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• Char Char says:

  15 Sep15 September 04:35

  The Creation card is so bad to use now without Apple Pay, didn’t realise how much I used it 🙁

  • Paul pogba says:

    15 Sep15 September 06:17

    I hadn’t bothered setting up the online verification code prior to the curve change which held up a few payments/transactions but no issues since. I have a dilemma in December on renewal; I’m almost definitely not going to put enough through it to hit spire and even the £10k for a free hotel night could be a struggle without diverting a lot of Amex spend their way.

    • Andy says:

      15 Sep15 September 07:41

      Yeah I’ll not hit the £10k without the overseas holiday spend we put through creation via curve. All very annoying

• Will says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:01

  So is creation now no curve and no Apple Pay?

  • Harrier25 says:

    15 Sep15 September 06:54

    Reading between the lines, it looks like Creation will allow Curve transactions again soon, but with restrictions.

    • Crafty says:

      15 Sep15 September 06:58

      Where are the lines available to read between?

      • Harrier25 says:

        15 Sep15 September 07:16

        People have reported on other forums that upon calling Creation they have been informed that they are currently reviewing terms and conditions with Curve.

        • Char Char says:

          16 Sep16 September 01:22

          Afaik there would be no terms and conditions with Curve and creation

  • Ja says:

    15 Sep15 September 07:53

    Mine is ok with Apple Pay

    • Youllnever says:

      15 Sep15 September 10:26

      What do you mean? Which Creation card were you able to add?

• Amy C says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:12

  I’ve been on this site daily for while now and worked out most of the jargon, but I’m still a tad baffled about what exactly an ‘intern rate’ is. Obvious some cracking hotel deal but what’s the criteria/definition? Yup, I’m probably being mega thick but be kind, it’s my birthday 🎂🎁

  • CarpalTravel says:

    15 Sep15 September 06:18

    I don’t know either, but…

    Happy Birthday!! 🥳

  • Doogie says:

    15 Sep15 September 06:21

    Happy birthday! 🎂

    It’s when there’s an obvious pricing error, sometimes by a factor of 10, in either cash price or points.
    The assumption is that the unpaid/ poorly paid recent school leaver who works in the office for experience has fudged it, probably when loading from a spreadsheet or doing mass manual data entry or similar.
    This can go both ways – someone mentioned a normal 850 a night rate at one location being 8500 for some nights!

  • Anthony says:

    15 Sep15 September 06:21

    It just means that it’s a deal so cheap it was a mistake, ie, the prices were loaded by an intern. A recentish one shared on here were suites at the Park Lane Sheraton (which are normally priced at £2000 a night) being sold for £220

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    15 Sep15 September 07:11

    As above. Happy birthday though! 🎂 🥳

    • Amy C says:

      15 Sep15 September 07:25

      Thanks all re the explanations and the bday wishes! You’re the best!

      • Michael C says:

        15 Sep15 September 09:26

        Have a great day full of cake, Amy!
        I’m *hopefully* making use of an intern rate this Saturday: still picturing myself being laughed out of reception with the family in tow, looking for the nearest PremInn in the pouring rain ;o)))

  • Mike says:

    15 Sep15 September 07:43

    Amy C – happy birthday – have a great day

  • Memesweeper says:

    15 Sep15 September 08:50

    See above, but if you spot a bargain please don’t refer to it as an ‘error’. UK courts will not enforce a contract with a ‘manifest error’ in it. So code words like ‘intern rate’ are preferred…

    and happy birthday 🥳

• stairali says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:23

  Comparable travel conditions under EU261. Unsurprisingly TAP state that it is ‘not their policy’ to rebook me on another airline after they cancelled my original flight.

  They have offered an 11am return flight rather than my original 17.00 departure though.

  I am arguing this isn’t comparable especially when there are plenty of other airlines departing close to 17.00 (including one of their own flights at 17.20 with only business seats left).

  Will my definition of comparable stand up when I make my s75 claim or do people think I am being overly demanding?

  I have started the s75 process with Amex but not yet booked my new flights. What do people think to taking the plunge and just booking them on the basis I should be covered by s75 or MCOL regardless.

  • ChrisBCN says:

    15 Sep15 September 08:03

    Something doesn’t sound right. You were on a 1700 which was cancelled, but there is a 1720 on exactly the same route? Either way I’d insist to be on the 1720, hang up, call again each time they say no. This will be less hassle, assuming you eventually get through to somebody sensible.

    • stairali says:

      15 Sep15 September 08:24

      It is very strange isn’t it – exactly the same route indeed. In fact digging deeper, that 17.20 flight has the same flight number so they have just bumped me off it. The issue with hanging up and calling again…….2 hours on hold every time. I tried 3 times yesterday.

      • ChrisBCN says:

        15 Sep15 September 08:26

        If it’s the same flight number then they haven’t cancelled your flight. What did they actually tell you? Any reason why they cancelled?

        • stairali says:

          15 Sep15 September 08:49

          No reason given. They didn’t even tell me – I found when I was checking my itinerary online. It could be because there is now only 45 minutes before my onwards flight from Lisbon to London.

        • ChrisBCN says:

          15 Sep15 September 08:51

          Ok, this was critical information, you are connecting?

        • stairali says:

          15 Sep15 September 09:02

          Yes, apologies ChrisBcn. Faro – Lisbon – London all booked as a single ticket. I think they will use the excuse that the flight being 20 minutes later means I won’t make my connection in Lisbon.

          However, it’s possible to book the 17.20 right through to lhr albeit with a later connection in Lisbon.

        • Nick says:

          15 Sep15 September 09:46

          Ok so this is where we have to look at what is ‘reasonable’. It’s not reasonable to expect TAP to break MCT rules for you. And in covid times, a few hours different would very likely also be considered reasonable, particularly if it’s still a day flight rather than overnight. But only a judge can rule on that.

          It sounds as if you have two choices, take a morning flight from FAO to connect with your original one to London, or take a later one but with a later connection. I don’t know what works best for you but they both sound ok to me. A true HFPer would be filling the time in LIS with a lounge crawl anyway…

          I’m really not sure whether a judge would consider this a ‘reasonable’ case in terms of demanding a completely different airline. I suspect not given the circumstances, but it’s not an easy assessment. In any case, however, you never have the right to demand a specific airline. You can ask, of course, but they do have the right to pick which one you get.

        • Stairali says:

          15 Sep15 September 10:33

          Nick, I think you have hit it on the head here. Considering it in full, I think I was just unlucky. Given the reduced connection time, instead of putting me on later second flight, they bumped me from the first flight to a much earlier one.

          So its a 6 hour earlier departure, instead of an arrival in LHR 1 hour later. Its not great from them, but I agree that I think I would struggle to claim back anything if I went ahead and booked another flight with a different airline.

          Lesson learnt though – this is the second time I have flow with TAP and the second time this/something similar has happened. I am just grateful I checked my itinerary this week as TAP failed to send out any communication regarding this.

        • Lady London says:

          15 Sep15 September 18:42

          ChrisBCN has correctly spotted what’s happened. TAP has taken more bookings in U, perhaps a group booking, and has offloaded you. Being offloaded because the airline wants to sell your seat for more perhaps as part of a bigger booking will be presented to you as a flight cancellation. The fact that Y is full on your flight proves this.

          If it was just the 20min move of the flight timing then as you say TAP has a later flight still connecting to London, normal practice would be to keep your original outgoing and just shift you to the later connection from Lisbon.

          I am sure you have perfectly reasonable reasons for the 1100 flight not working for you eg other activities booked, distance to come at that hour, it would effectively deprive you of a day of a very short trip etc. TAP is making you suffer because the 1700 flight from Faro and possibly the connection, or the later connection from Lisbon are quite naturally more wanted by passengers.

          If my reason for 1100 not working is reasonable (it shouldn’t have to be as this is unfair but best to have a reasonable reason) then I would go Section 75 or MCOL if I have to. Section 75 better as TAP’s bank accounts were seized in Germany due their multiple non-payment of court judgments against them.

          Meanwhile I’d still tell TAP you can’t physically make the 1100 flight and try to get reinstated. If they then don’t say so in the call you can suggest after that shifting to later ex-LIS connection as well.

        • stairali says:

          15 Sep15 September 19:58

          Thanks Lady London. It’s good to hear another opinion on this. Its actually a mini-moon so losing a day is fairly disruptive.

          I just couldn’t understand why TAP didn’t at least offer a later Lisbon departure, but it makes sense to think that the original flight was overbooked and we got unlucky.

          I’ve requested s75 from Amex so I’m interested to hear if they will support it first and to simply bide my time until then with regards to accepting any changes/taking a refund from TAP.

• TimM says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:23

  ‘intern rate’ defn. The proportion of guests held to work for the hotel, usually because they can’t pay their bills.

• Gruntfuttock says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:38

  Happy Birthday Amy🥳 it’s my wedding anniversary today, an intern rate lasting 42years. Cheap gag I know but hey! those nectar points on a bunch of Sainsbury carnations smell so sweet.

  • Amy C says:

    15 Sep15 September 08:11

    Happy anniversary to you and Mrs Gruntfuttock!

• Gruntfuttock says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:40

  Darn those duplicate posters, why don’t they read the rules for heaven’s sake?

  • KBuffett says:

    15 Sep15 September 06:50

    Most people repeat their bad jokes when no one responds!

    • Gruntfuttock says:

      15 Sep15 September 06:59

      Quite! That minute between postings was agony for me. 😁

• Yorkshire Rich says:

  15 Sep15 September 06:50

  A few new offers arrived on my BA premium card today. Spend £300, get £100 back on eastern airways is one of them.

  • Andrew says:

    15 Sep15 September 07:04

    Is Eastern owned by BA? I was surprised to see this today on BAPP as normally Amex is quite strict at not loading other airline offers to the BA card or other hotel chain offers to the Marriott card.

    • Memesweeper says:

      15 Sep15 September 08:59

      It’s not IAG owned … I’m not sure they actually compete with BA on any routes though so perhaps that’s allowable?

    • AL says:

      15 Sep15 September 09:02

      No – it’s separate. I don’t think they have a codeshare agreement with BA, either; the only one I know of is with Aurigny. Perhaps BA are trying to scope whether there’s interest in an agreement to extend CityFlyer to LBA, NCL, CWL and SOU… (wild speculation!)…

  • Sandra says:

    15 Sep15 September 09:41

    Yes I got this too on my PRG card, thought it a bit of a strange one.
    I also noticed this morning the C in my Creation app is now green as opposed to orange – any significance to this other than it doesn’t easily stand out amongst all the other apps on my ‘phone?

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