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The HfP chat thread – Thursday 16th September

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Comments (538)

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

  • David D says:
    16 Sep16 September 16:07

    Email from Virgin red today: Switch to Octopus Energy and earn up to 7,400 Virgin Points. You also get the chance to win a whole year of free energy*. If that still doesn’t spark your interest, we have 125,000 points to give away as runner up prizes.
    So c£52 worth of points + entry into the comp? Doesn’t look too bad but would need to check pricing.

    • Rich says:
      16 Sep16 September 16:28

      The Virgin points are only awarded month by month, IIRC. The RAF credit is straight away. The competition entry may swing it though, if you’re definitely staying with them.

    • JDB says:
      16 Sep16 September 16:50

      To get the full 7,400 you need to switch gas + electricity and stay for 3 years. “Following your allocation of Virgin Points for signing up with Octopus Energy (5,000 points for dual / 2,500 for single), all future Virgin Points will be allocated on a monthly basis from month 13 to 36 within 45 days of the end of each month.”

    • Chris says:
      16 Sep16 September 17:55

      I value the 125,000 points over the years worth of free energy.

  • Harry T says:
    16 Sep16 September 16:16

    Does anyone have any hot tips for making Avis rentals cheaper?

    • KS says:
      16 Sep16 September 16:25

      30% off + President’s club through one of the two:
      1. HSBC WE
      2. Amex Plat (using promotional code Centurion while signing up)

      • KS says:
        16 Sep16 September 16:26

        #2 is not the advertised benefit

      • Harry T says:
        16 Sep16 September 17:03

        Thanks. I’ve just attained the PC benefit via HSBC WE MC route but there isn’t any discount vs when I was looking before as an entry level Avis member. Does the discount apply in all countries?

    • Rich says:
      16 Sep16 September 17:27

      The Plat does seem to offer a genuine discount, although a little underwhelming. I seem to remember I had a lot of toing and froing with Avis, before it got ‘added’ to my existing Avis account. I couldn’t add the Plat discount myself, so I think it’s there in my profile now.

    • Allan says:
      16 Sep16 September 18:11

      The BA AWDs sometimes knock off 10%

    • Reney says:
      16 Sep16 September 19:13

      Not Avis, I found the cheapest car rental from expedia.com no .co.uk it doesn’t come with insurance but I have the Amex Plat for that.

      • Andy says:
        16 Sep16 September 19:50

        Does Amex Plat cover you if you have no insurance at all? I thought it covered excess insurance

        • Reney says:
          16 Sep16 September 19:59

          for car rental amex actually tells you to wave the insurance. but if you can’t wave it they will be the top up.

          • JDB says:
            16 Sep16 September 20:58

            @Reney I don’t know what you have booked, but you seem pretty savvy! In principle, as long as you haven’t paid for any extra insurance beyond the basic offered/included you should be OK (as then Amex plat or other car hire excess insurance steps in) , but as always you need to satisfy yourself that you are covered rather than relying on strangers for such important issues.

          • Reney says:
            16 Sep16 September 21:31

            @JDB, I will give Amex insurance a call (again) tomorrow. I was more worried the rental place won’t let me have the car without selling me insurance.

        • Reney says:
          16 Sep16 September 20:01

          from their website, see point 2

          Key exclusions and limitations
          * Commercial vehicles, motor homes, caravans and trailers
          * Cover applies only when rental agency allows refusal of their insurance
          * An insured person must be named on the rental agreement

        • JDB says:
          16 Sep16 September 20:19

          In fairly much every country, the car hire company cannot rent you a car without the statutory minimum, eg in the UK, third party insurance. It is your own car’s insurance that is sometimes added in/included at a basic level, often with an excess, that can then be reduced or removed at an extra cost. Amex, and other car hire excess insurances, usually require you to waive any voluntary insurances.

  • Paul says:
    16 Sep16 September 16:35

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/heathrow-airport-turkey-thailand-tipped-21552206.amp

    Thailand going green?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      16 Sep16 September 16:53

      The rumour is that Amber scraped and it’s green (with no tests for vaccinated and perhaps an nhs lateral flow on day 2) and red is red for everyone.

    • Thom says:
      16 Sep16 September 16:59

      I would be very happy if Thailand came off, unfortunately there are variances between news sites and no mention of Thailand on the sky news / i news coverage. Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

      • Doug says:
        16 Sep16 September 17:52

        Tbh the whole thing with red list sound like a bit of a diplomatic war, I’m booked to go to Brazil this Xmas for family, but it is full 14 days quarentine in and 10 days uk hotel back, yeah sure I will spend about a month stuck being double jabbed

  • Gavin says:
    16 Sep16 September 16:39

    Staying at a Hampton by Hilton as a Honors Gold: no perks, right?

    • Rob says:
      16 Sep16 September 16:47

      Yes. You don’t even get points on F&B spent at a Hampton IIRC.

      • His Holyness says:
        16 Sep16 September 19:49

        Incorrect. That was changed several years ago.

        • Bigmaggot says:
          16 Sep16 September 20:15

          Bristol airport hampton soft drink and snack. No points from restaurant spend despite challenging with Hilton direct 🙁

    • Harry T says:
      16 Sep16 September 17:59

      Don’t you get a free snack and drink? Or you can choose welcome points?

      • John says:
        16 Sep16 September 19:56

        Snack and *water*, or goodbye points (you get them when the stay posts). Usually can get both if you ask

    • John says:
      16 Sep16 September 19:58

      Sometimes they say they gave you a nicer room. All rooms are pretty much the same in a hampton, but I do seem to get bigger sized rooms (when looking at the floor plan) or corner ones with a better view.

    • Gavin says:
      16 Sep16 September 20:12

      I have also got outsized rooms. And one time got given 4 water bottles which seemed a trifle sarcastic. Got points for F&B too.

      • The Savage Squirrel says:
        16 Sep16 September 22:48

        “And one time got given 4 water bottles which seemed a trifle sarcastic.”
        😀 😀 😀

  • Vit says:
    16 Sep16 September 16:58

    Hopefully Thailand is going green! Almost 3 years now since last seen the families and yes, only 100 days till X’mas anyway (sorry I said that! :D). Not that we normally celebrate X’mas anyway but it is fascinating how festive BKK can be! Fingers crossed we can get in by then! 🙂 Have a good evening, everyone!

    • Sina says:
      16 Sep16 September 17:06

      I’ve got a trip planned for October! hopefully, it goes green, however, I’m not sure if it is!? it went red last month!?

    • Michael C says:
      16 Sep16 September 18:08

      Thai Airways (and Garuda) have suddenly started appearing on summer ’22 searches!

      • Aston100 says:
        16 Sep16 September 20:24

        Garuda?
        Is this in conjunction with a KLM flight to AMS?
        Or have I jumped to conclusions and wrongly presumed you are based in the UK?

  • NC says:
    16 Sep16 September 17:12

    Today I’ve had the following added to my Miles & More account statement, with 1 mile deposited.

    M&M CREDIT CARD
    Expiry Protection

    Could this suggest that those of us who held the former Affiniture card may not be subject to hard expiry in December?

    • Alex says:
      16 Sep16 September 17:51

      What does your expiry date say today vs what it said previously? Some people were showing export on Sept 30. If your account was one of those, maybe now it’s been bumped up to Dec 31?

      • Rob says:
        16 Sep16 September 17:52

        I had 1 mile as well, which I saw as pushing any expire to 31st December – which was the promised date, after all.

        • Alex says:
          16 Sep16 September 17:58

          Assume so as well. I was showing the correct Dec 31 date previously. Will check whether that’s changed as soon as I get to a desktop browser. I can see the 1 mile posting as well.

    • Tical says:
      16 Sep16 September 18:50

      Same here – also seems I no longer have miles expiring in Dec-21, which is very welcome

      • Alex says:
        16 Sep16 September 19:08

        Oh, that’s news! What does it say for the first lot to expire now?

      • Alex says:
        16 Sep16 September 19:16

        Actually where do you see the expiration dates? I can’t find it on the website and am sure I saw it earlier this week…

        • Rob says:
          16 Sep16 September 20:43

          You only see it when you have miles expiring next quarter.

          • Alex says:
            17 Sep17 September 01:01

            Then maybe it’s true that miles that were supposed to expire in Dec have also been extended. I can’t see an expiration date anywhere at present…

          • NC says:
            17 Sep17 September 09:33

            Three days ago my account statement said some of my miles would expire in December, and now it is silent and says nothing about expiry.

  • Jaime says:
    16 Sep16 September 17:43

    I have 2 Randox day 2 test that where never delivered to me, now I need to return to UK from Greece and need to by day 2 tests again.
    Any experience on using the codes again on the PLF?

    • Steve says:
      16 Sep16 September 17:58

      Worked fine for me a couple of weeks ago (but I did actually have the test, it arrived between trips).

    • Yuff says:
      16 Sep16 September 18:00

      If you haven’t used the code previously give it a go.
      They didn’t even check PLF’s at Stansted this week at e-gates

    • Richie says:
      16 Sep16 September 18:03

      Perhaps wait and see what tomorrow’s announcement brings.

  • Alex says:
    16 Sep16 September 17:52

    Regarding Plaza Premium visits with AMEX Plat, can the cardholder bring a guest (or two?) in along for free? The Premier Pass is up to 2 guests, right?

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