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The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 21st September

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Comments (443)

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

  • Paul says:
    21 Sep21 September 13:45

    Does anyone know if lufthansa are flying first class to anywhere at the moment?

  • S says:
    21 Sep21 September 14:15

    Abit niche but I’m hoping some of the more seasoned travellers might be of help. I read on a flyertalk thread that the one-way stopover perk of paying $100 on a one-way partner award on using Krisflyer miles can no longer be done?

    I was hoping to stop in Cairo from Dubai on the way back to the UK via this method. Some on the thread have advised it is just agents who don’t know how to run the IT. Anyone booked a one-way stopover on a partner award using KF miles over the last year or so? Thanks in advance.

  • Anuj says:
    21 Sep21 September 14:25

    Does anyone have an eon next refer link?

    • JDB says:
      21 Sep21 September 14:32

      Here you go share.eonnext.com/umber-bee-72

      We get £50 each!

      • Anuj says:
        21 Sep21 September 14:43

        I’ve fixed the link for you https://www.eonnext.com/refer-a-friend?referral=umber-bee-72
        I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to switch before British Gas have moved me over from pfp but I also don’t want to be stuck with British Gas for however long they take. Anyone know how long it usually takes to finish the move once a supplier has gone bust?

        • Anuj says:
          21 Sep21 September 14:56

          I’ve realised if you switch to octopus go using a octopus referral link you get £50 credit but also the octopus go tarrif is fairly cheaper than any currently available tarrif. They’ll probably close it soon.

          • Aston100 says:
            21 Sep21 September 15:00

            Are Octopus likely to go under too?
            Seems to be talk of only the ‘big 6’ left standing next year.

          • JDB says:
            21 Sep21 September 15:02

            Isn’t the Octopus Go tariff a night time rate for EV charging? Whatever tariff Octopus is now charging, I think it is due to go up next month, unless you take their fix, which I just checked for me would be 24.13p/kWh vs E.On Next current fix 16.3p. Obviously it varies by location and whether you are single/dual fuel.

          • Rich says:
            21 Sep21 September 15:03

            Potentially all of them could be in trouble – even the big six. I don’t know how well hedged they all are.

            The biggest problem is not ‘will my supplier go bust’, it’s ‘how much will I be paying this winter and next year’.

        • Ben says:
          21 Sep21 September 15:07

          They’ve given me a start date of 30th September but doubt the cheapest fixes will still be out then

    • BlueHorizonUk says:
      21 Sep21 September 14:48

      https://www.eonnext.com/refer-a-friend?referral=iron-otter-455

    • Toby says:
      21 Sep21 September 17:34

      Aston100, I’m not associated with Octopus in any way, apart from having used them for a few years and like them.

      I doubt they’ll be in trouble as they’re part of a big international company and seem very confident they’ll survive this, which I take to mean they’ve hedged well and think they can survive this winter. Or, they’ve got access to cheap finance through their group companies so aren’t worried.

      The ones in trouble seem to be the smaller companies who didn’t hedge, they got away with that for a few years but now……they are on deep trouble.

  • Munch says:
    21 Sep21 September 14:38

    Datapoint: Virgin flights to SFO end of September booked with the 50% discount on points combined with a 2 for 1 voucher. Flight moved from the PM flight to AM flight but never accepted the flight change. Completed the online form as a flight cancellation and requested moving the flight to next July. Confirmation email this morning, flight moved and no extra tax or points required.

    • Magic Mike says:
      21 Sep21 September 20:35

      Well done, my similar request for rebooking with VS got me told I couldn’t have the dates I wanted – and I even picked dates they were still selling reward seats on.

      I have replied quoting EC261…

      • Babyg says:
        21 Sep21 September 21:37

        i find a please works better with virgin to be honest… EC261 probably has a special folder in their inbox (even thou they will eventually have to honour EC261)

        • Magic Mike says:
          21 Sep21 September 21:43

          Oh I said please as well, I just don’t understand why they refused my dates and suggested alternative dates (that do not work for us) when they are still selling reward seats for our first choice dates.

  • bill says:
    21 Sep21 September 14:58

    easyJet planning to launch a Cabin Bags product guaranteeing the use of trolley bags on board to improve customer journey and raise revenue. In their July trading update they said it would be “later this year”. Has anyone got anymore up to date information about when this will be launched ?

    • Sam G says:
      21 Sep21 September 15:26

      that’d be good. I have a Jan booking and all the extra leg room/up front seats are gone already so I’m faced with having to buy checked in which is a pain. The ryanair model of selling 90 priority boarding/trolley case passes seems to work well so hopefully something along those lines

  • Cup says:
    21 Sep21 September 15:14

    With the us border reopening, planing to bring a few fit to fly antigen test kits with me.

    Can I use it for trips say from Canada to usa? That would save me a lot of money.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      21 Sep21 September 15:43

      Take With you from where to where?

      USA border opens in November when the requirement for pre flight antigen to the U.K. will have been removed for fully vaxxed travellers.

      • Cup says:
        21 Sep21 September 16:31

        Would a test to fly certificate issued by a uk based company be accepted if I fly from the Mexico or Canada to the states.

        As much as I hate paying for tests it’s actually better for me to buy some test kits and bring them with me on my travels then having to pay double for the same thing at the local pharmacy. Savings would be great for a family that’s travelling.

    • The Canuck says:
      21 Sep21 September 16:14

      Yes, this is how I get into the US on a weekly basis. To be honest, only the airline cares about the certificate, and just a cursory glance at that…

  • Chris says:
    21 Sep21 September 15:39

    Has anyone got the points from their “spend x get x avios” on the BA cards? If so, how long after hitting the spend req did the points come through? TIA

    • JDB says:
      21 Sep21 September 15:42

      Both the small MR points for £x spend last month came through within a couple of days for for me and my wife. The BAPP £5k/10k Avios also posted in two days after reaching the target.

    • Mattb says:
      21 Sep21 September 15:42

      Wife had an email saying she had used her spend £5k get 10k avios offer on the weekend and points in account yesterday.

    • Rob says:
      21 Sep21 September 17:18

      Based on my card, Amex is not counting FX fees on foreign spend. You may need to go beyond £5k if any was done abroad.

      • Chris says:
        21 Sep21 September 17:24

        All spent in the UK, on the primary card and no refund etc. Amex have confirmed I’ve spent over the threshold but say the generic “points will be applied in 90 days” etc

    • CarpalTravel says:
      21 Sep21 September 17:49

      My email was about 24hrs after hitting the target, points added (showing in the amount to be transferred) about 36hrs after (over a weekend).

    • Peter K says:
      21 Sep21 September 18:12

      I had to chase and have a ticket raised. I assume the back office sorted it as I got the “you’ve redeemed this offer” a long time after I last had a purchase. All on main card, included PayPal purchases.

  • Aston100 says:
    21 Sep21 September 16:19

    Heathrow to Phuket for £1600 in business class on Lufty group during English schools summer holidays next year. Outbound on Swiss and Inbound on Austrian.
    Is this about as good as it gets for that time of year? (Not you BJ, you seem to expect change from a £50 note for that part of the world).

    Also, are we definitely sure Phuket and perhaps Bangkok are going to be good to go by late July 2022?

    By the way, I can see Seoul for around £1400pp from London (Finnair) and £1500 (Swiss) from some regional airports during the same period of time as above. Is that a normal price? not really thought about Korea before.

    • Rob says:
      21 Sep21 September 17:17

      Historically I would have said pull the trigger if you see a sale fare below £1750.

      Obviously these are not normal times though. You would usually expect to pay £3000 to fly to Dubai in Business with 3 days notice. Rhys got it for £1300.

    • Andy says:
      21 Sep21 September 19:52

      Aston worth noting that Finnair at that price is business light (no priority check-in and boarding, no checked luggage, no lounge), although if one has OW status and travels light that could work out pretty well I guess

    • Clive says:
      21 Sep21 September 21:54

      Travel from somewhere else such as AMS where we have picked up the same flights for £850

      • Aston100 says:
        21 Sep21 September 22:14

        You paid £850 for a business class return journey from Amsterdam to Phuket during the English schools summer holiday?

        Please do share the details as that is a huge bargain.

        • Allan says:
          21 Sep21 September 22:46

          Not Phuket but BKK used to be £850-£900 with BA ex AMS for several years 2016-2019 at least.

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