The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 29th September

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Grant says:

29 Sep29 September 15:26

Igloo email to customers confirming it is ceasing to trade
- @mkcol says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 15:31
  
  Shame for the customers. Website & Twitter still not updated.
  - Grant says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 15:33
    
    There is a banner across the top of the home page
    - @mkcol says:
      
      29 Sep29 September 15:49
      
      Good to see they’ve done so now.
- rams1981 says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 15:50
  
  not allowing me to log in which is poor. I did screenshot my balance earlier this week just in case
  - Rui N. says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 15:57
    
    Login worked just a few minutes ago – and if you read their statement, they even say to submit meter readings and save the numbers yourself as well. But the website was very slow and got a lot of “sorry, couldn’t load this page” so they might be just overwhelmed with traffic.
    - Danny says:
      
      29 Sep29 September 16:16
      
      You can still access via the app; just clicked on the three bars on the top left corner.
- Sam G says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:15
  
  Symbio gone too, shame for me as I was getting a crazy good unit rate from them & our usage is quite hig
- Youllnever says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:24
  
  Another one bites the dust.
Pete M says:

29 Sep29 September 15:30

TfL is looking for a new sponsor for the cable car, presumably Emirates have had enough exposure:

We’re looking for a creative, ambitious and innovative new partner to sponsor our cable car across the Thames.
Register your interest in sponsoring the London Cable Car by emailing: LondonCableCar@tfl.gov.uk

Anyone on here interested? 🙂
- Anna says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 15:55
  
  Can they install a cable car from Manchester to London?! Might be cheaper than going by train at the moment.
  - AndyGWP says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 20:43
    
    I don’t know about that… isn’t it 7 or 8 quid just to cross the Thames on it? 🤣
- Tariq says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 16:47
  
  HeadForPoints Air Line?
- Super Secret Stuff says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:21
  
  American Express Air Line, complete with lots of marketing about air miles. I bet you
@mkcol says:

29 Sep29 September 15:33

Kimpton Charlotte Square Edingburgh is £460 for a room this Sunday night.
Think that’s a good use of my free night certificate.
- @mkcol says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 15:34
  
  *Edinburgh obvs.
  Frozen fat fingers!
  - Anna says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 15:56
    
    That is a good use, we are using an expiring one there after Xmas but the room rate was a measly £260 or something.
    Though I’m surprised they are accepting reward bookings of any kind if they are busy enough to charge that kind of cash price.
    - Clubx says:
      
      29 Sep29 September 17:16
      
      IC the George is better. Still has access to Kimpton gym and pool but much better elite treatment. Used certificate and upgraded from standard room to Club room (though no lounge in the hotel) before getting junior suite the night before. Service and finishes are nicer than Charlotte Square in my opinion. Excellent breakfast too.
      - Anna says:
        
        29 Sep29 September 19:29
        
        I’m there in a couple of weeks with a friend on her Ambassador certificate so it’ll be interesting to compare.
JandeW says:

29 Sep29 September 15:44

Need a Boston, USA hotel in late, pre-Christmas December. Do any of the Amex offers include US hotels? Or are any of the hotel groups running something tempting? Any ideas welcomed!
- Harry T says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:02
  
  Just checked Marriott and Hyatt amex offers – only UK and Europe hotels included.
Mark says:

29 Sep29 September 15:48

Spoke to Creation this afternoon about the Marriott triple points promo, and I’m fuming. No points will be given for any spend made with Curve. They wouldn’t give any reason, but did acknowledge that it was related to Creation no longer accepting any transactions made with Curve.
- Matt says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:02
  
  If most/all of your spend was normal spend, not MS then raise a formal complaint and threaten to take it to the ombudsman. If it was all MS cycling cash through NS+I then just leave it!
- Harry T says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:02
  
  That’s absurd. Did the terms and conditions explicitly exclude spending on Curve?
- Peter K says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:04
  
  Wow, that’s a massive omission to have not put in the original t&c’s. I can’t imagine that would stand up to scrutiny before the relevant authorities.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 17:32
    
    It won’t if it wasn’t in the original terms. Make a formal complaint … genuine spend or not.
wee paul says:

29 Sep29 September 15:58

I have just converted an avios 241 booking to mco to an FTV. I know the new bookings have to be in the same names, however what I’m not clear about is whether both people have to travel together going forward and what that means for 241 and total no. of avios e.g could we both travel to mco on different dates?
- Anna says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:22
  
  The two passengers would have to travel together on a new 241 booking. Otherwise I think you’d have to get the voucher refunded and start from scratch, if your voucher hadn’t expired by that point.
Stephan says:

29 Sep29 September 16:00

Any news of an HFP event? Been to a couple conferences and covid doesn’t seem to have stopped people from coming and no masks.
- Rob says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 17:31
  
  We are in two minds about it but it won’t happen this side of Christmas. Sinead is back next month so we get another pair of hands.
AL says:

29 Sep29 September 16:00

Long time VS lover being flirted with by BA, who I usually only using domestic and some route-dependent short haul. So…

I’m looking at a flight to the US. The WTP price is reasonable, which is good. I then want to upgrade to CW using Avios.

There is reward availability according to ExpertFlyer in CW.

My understanding is that this costs the difference between the CW Avios rate and the WTP Avios rate, as published on Reward Flight Finder.

1) Is this understanding correct?
2) Do I need to book my WTP ticket in any particular class or does it not matter so long as it’s a cash ticket and there is Avios availability in CW?
3) I assume the calculate Avios upgrade is one way?
4) Is it easier managing the upgrade online or on the phone?
5) Any other gotchas?
- Lady London says:
  
  29 Sep29 September 16:14
  
  Even though true tax is same for PY and Club, BA will want 3 figures? ,more £ as well in ‘tax’ and not just the differenve in avios.
  - Sam G says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 16:25
    
    You can book any WTP ticket. Always book online first and then call in to upgrade – call centre or “book & upgrade” tickets might be more expensive to start with (you might be able to do it online but never works for me)
    
    You can calculate the expected YQ difference by pricing up the ticket in WTP & CW on ITA Matrix and compare the numbers there
    - AL says:
      
      29 Sep29 September 17:02
      
      Gotcha. And spend six hours waiting for someone to answer 😉
      - AL says:
        
        29 Sep29 September 17:10
        
        £90 difference for this flight in particular, which isn’t too bad… CW on a 777 better be nice!
    - Asim says:
      
      29 Sep29 September 17:05
      
      Never understood why “book and upgrade” online is more expensive than booking first, then taking up a call centre agents time to upgrade with Avios over the phone.
      
      Sometimes upgrade using Avios through MMB also works
      - Sam G says:
        
        29 Sep29 September 17:14
        
        the cheaper WTP fares are upgrade fares linked to an underlying economy fare (DIF – dual inventory fares). The book and upgrade tool can’t sell these, only a straight forward T/E/W class fare. If you’re booking a more expensive fare it’d probably work fine but that is why the cheaper ones don’t!
  - AL says:
    
    29 Sep29 September 17:02
    
    Oh – this is good to know. A hidden sting in the tail there, then!