Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 29th September

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Comments (539)

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

  • njb says:

    Any advice appreicated for my dealings with Marriott following my overbooking at Domes of Corfu.
    I was transferred to Domes Miramare, my taxi arranged to airport and my hotel bill of 72 euros covered.
    However my understanding – as Gold Elite – is that I am entitled to 200 euro and 90,000 points.
    Marriott Guest services offered 40,000 points and say that Domes of Corfu offered me the room I had booked after two nights as an option. Absolutely not true.
    The hassle of resolving this is ridiculous.
    What next? Thank you

    • meta says:

      $200 so less in euros, but 90k points yes.

      From your post it seems they did cover the first night at Miramare and if the overall cost of Miramare was the same as at Domes Corfu, I’d say that 40k points is fair. Other than that, the option is to remind them again of their own rules and tell them you’ll write negative review on various platforms/social media.

      But the complaint should have happened on the spot involving sending an email to Marriott/call Marriott in case the hotel was unresponsive straight away. It would have been much easier to deal with it while you’re still at the properties to make things right for you.

    • Blindman says:

      “The hassle of resolving this is ridiculous”

      Then let it go.

      You got 40K + a free night and free taxi.

      What more do you want? The managers first born???

      You’re not exactly top tier are you??

      • njb says:

        Gosh – bit rude

      • njb says:

        Actually what I wanted was the hotel and the room I had booked and paid for. Managers first born would have been a bonus but maybe that is only handed over to titanium’s.

        • Phil W says:

          To be honest, the managers first born should be handed over to ensure quality service floor future visits.

          • meta says:

            Ultimate Reservation Guarantee applies to all elites from Silver above.

            I agree with @ Phil W, you are not doing this for yourself only, you’re doing it for the next guest. If you go hard on them, they’ll stop such practices or at least think about it before doing it.

        • Lady London says:

          Exactly. Great inconvenience stress and disappointment. Personally I don’t think USD200 is enough, and 90,000 given future costs in points of nights there is a bit miserable.

          Keep at IHG cc’i g thf hotel and ensure they honour every last point and cent of this pretty miserable guarantee. Social media threats round #3 or possibly round #2

      • Rob says:

        It’s in the programme rules – he should definitely push it.

        This is NOT a one night business trip to Bristol, it is a long-planned family holiday and should be looked at in that context.

        • meta says:

          Yes, ultimately it is down to @njb to decide how much he further he wants to go. I always push for more, but the next step would definitely involve more hassle and time.

        • njb says:

          Thanks Rob – it was a long planned holiday and the location/hotel was carefully chosen. It is in the programme rules.
          Marriott post holiday customer service is somewhat slow.

        • Harry T says:

          Agreed, take them to the cleaners over this. The programme T&Cs are in your favour.

          • meta says:

            @njb I outlined it above in my first post. Send them another email. You’re probably on round 2 if not 3 as @LadyLondon says, so a mild threat is necessary. Just word it politely and remind them of the own rules and mention something about reviews on sites/social media. I’d also copy Domes press/marketing person in the email. I am sure if you Google it would be easy to find their contact details.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      We’re you actually walked from the hotel you booked or changed before hand?

      • njb says:

        I arrived at booked Domes of Corfu in the taxi they had arrived for me. Two hours later I was transferred in a taxi to Domes Miramare 45 mins away. Walking would have been the last straw!

        • njb says:

          arranged not arrived!

        • Tom H says:

          Ha! TGLoyalty is referring to the practice of a hotel moving you to a different hotel on arrival due to overbooking! It’s called being Walked. Love the idea of been shown the door with a map and told to walk it though

        • TGLoyalty says:

          What a shitshow! Then you’re owed 200 usd (equivalent) and 90k points. Saying the hotel had a room for you after 2 days means nothing as you were still walked.

  • Lady London says:

    Sunguy the other line to Uxbridge, the Piccadilly, is always being cancelled and having to change onto the Met line almost constantly for years and years now.

    It’s so predictable it’s comical. In fact it’s a shock not to have to change onto the Met Line at Rayners Lane or somewhere if you thought you’d boarded a Piccadilly Line train to Uxbridge. Not wonderful with shopping, luggage, pushchair or elderly grandmothers as often requiring to change platforms.

    And meanwhile the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly Line, for which there is a performance guarantee, miraculously seems to grab all the trains leaving everyone else stranded every time there’s a problem

  • Ryan says:

    Intern rate at Sheraton Park Lane:

    I booked a £250 / night a few months ago but later double booked myself (and relationship failure) so really didn’t want to have to go on my own

    Phoned the hotel and told them I tested positive for C19 and after providing “proof” I’ve now received a full refund!

    Result

    • Babyg says:

      you could have taken me… i would have taken the sofa…

      • meta says:

        I stayed recently and it turned out not so great, but at least I got it for free in the end. You haven’t really missed much.

        • Nick B says:

          Meta. I have the rate booked for Jan 22. Can you clarify why it was not so great. Cheers.

    • Tariq says:

      That is definitely not where I thought the story was going…!

  • jotaele says:

    I have a 241 expiring 24 Oct 2021. Not planning on flying anywhere before that date. Is there anything I can do or will it just go to waste?

    • Sam G says:

      book a flight to Manchester and then request a future travel voucher. You’ll be able to then use that to book where you want to go up until 2023 topping up the Avios +cash

      • Anna says:

        BA are going to start wondering why so many people booked one way domestic flights this year, then changed their minds!

  • David D says:

    On PRG Priority Pass: Is it correct that only the main cardholder gets the 2x passes on their main card, and supp cards do not get additional passes?

  • A says:

    Possible daft question, but it is only the second flight I have taken in the covid era:
    At LHR T3 (VS) can I check in without a test result?
    Or, do I have to take it (it is a rapid antigen test) and then wait around for 40-60 mins to actually have the result with me in order to check in?
    US only seems to require a declaration and the result. Is this stuff verified at check in, or boarding?

    • Liam says:

      While I’ve not flown VS in some years, I have flown internationally a few times in the last 18 months, and these negative tests have always been checked at check-in, not at the gate.

      • A says:

        Thats what I figured..it was certainly that was ex JFK anyway a few months ago, with some dude dong a pre-check of test results before the checkin desk.
        Oh well, an hour-ish of suspicious loitering it is.

  • Tracey says:

    Is it possible to see if you have unused expired 241s? I have a niggle that one of them may have gone into the ether. If so is there a way of retrieving it?

    • meta says:

      All my vouchers expired/used are listed in My vouchers section. I think they go back 3 years. You could also check congratulations emails from Amex and reconcile that way.

  • Anuj says:

    Anyone have any idea how long nationwide mobile phone insurance takes once you post out the claims form? I’ve also emailed them proof of purchase.

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