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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.

  • Imran says:
    29 Sep29 September 16:17

    Getting a quote of £120 on Just Park for Park & Fly at Heathrow. Is it possible to get parking for 2 weeks any lower than this?

    • Craig says:
      29 Sep29 September 16:52

      Have a look at Your Parking Space, got a good rate at the Thistle, right next to the 423 bus stop. I think it was about £5 a day.

    • Jane says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:36

      Nope, I’m also looking but finding about that rate. Looking at Hilton stay, park & fly for £195 so might go with that.

    • Paul says:
      29 Sep29 September 20:30

      Just returned from 13 days in Canada. £84.89 meet and greet, booked on 29th July. All about timing I guess…

  • Chrisasaurus says:
    29 Sep29 September 16:20

    We’re mere hours from October and still no clarification over what ‘early’ November looks like for listing of restrictions into the US.

    Other than thanksgiving nearer the end, are there any other milestones anyone can think would be connected to the date that gets chosen or is this really just a crapshoot and there are capacity and revenue planners having kittens at the major TATL carriers?

    • David says:
      29 Sep29 September 19:42

      Election day on Nov 2? It’s mostly local elections rather than any big national elections, but maybe Biden wants to get past that first

    • bafan says:
      29 Sep29 September 22:36

      If it doesn’t get pushed back…

  • His Holyness says:
    29 Sep29 September 16:30

    I’ve read the Curve terms and it seems cash recycling is only defined as withdrawing cash from an ATM to then deposit. It seems I’m not in breach of their terms after all.

    They’ve lost the plot.

    • Reney says:
      29 Sep29 September 16:33

      Did you send the requested statements in the end?

    • Rui N. says:
      29 Sep29 September 16:44

      You should go read the Curve Community thread about the Ernie email (just google Curve Community and the thread is then called “Unexplained email about transactions at NS&I”). Not only for entertainment value, but because it offers some tips on what you might want to say if you still decide to go with a FCA complaint.
      Today they’ve asked for anyone that received the original Ernie email and afterwards didn’t receive another email with an apology to get in touch with them.
      ” If you received an apology email from them letting you know that you were contacted about this issue in error then please be assured that the support team don’t currently need to discuss your account with you and will be in touch again in the future if this changes. If you didn’t receive an apology email from the support team then they’d still like to discuss this issue with you.”
      You can’t make this stuff up.
      (Of course, like your case proves, no one should contact them, as that will get them to make the request they made to you.)

      • JDB says:
        29 Sep29 September 16:57

        You suggest a complaint to the FOS might be in order. What are you suggesting would be the basis of any such complaint and what would your measure of actual loss? An email sent in error?

        • Rui N. says:
          29 Sep29 September 17:38

          I’m not suggesting any such thing. The OP was the one that mentioned complaining to FCA. For me, I won’t bother any way or the other. I’m just here for the entertainment.

    • JDB says:
      29 Sep29 September 16:44

      I think that like others yesterday, you have only read the first couple of sentences of the one paragraph re cash recycling. The later sentences give additional examples of it. Also, bear in mind that Curve T&Cs require you to comply with the T&Cs of the underlying credit card.

      • His Holyness says:
        29 Sep29 September 17:25

        I’ve no intentions of sending them any docs. I’ll just wait to be shut down and see what the fee refund is.

      • Rui N. says:
        29 Sep29 September 17:43

        “Curve T&Cs require you to comply with the T&Cs of the underlying credit card.”

        Then, with Fronted, Curve is enticing consumers to go against the terms of the underlying CC. And, on top of that, is charging for it.

    • The Urbanite says:
      29 Sep29 September 18:15

      Plenty of biting the hand that feeds here. I don’t get the vitriol towards Curve when there one of the best things that have happened to serious points collectors, so long as you respect their boundaries!

  • Aliks says:
    29 Sep29 September 16:33

    MCOL question. BA are refusing to pay up the statutory EC261 compensation for flights cancelled with less than 14 days notice. Having informed BA that I will proceed to county court, its time to fill in the MCOL forms.

    I need to claim compensation for myself and wife, but although we were both on the same PNR, the MCOL website seems to says that you can only make claims for one person.

    Do I have to make 2 MCOL claims, or can I just claim 2 statutory compensation amounts on the one PNR?

    • meta says:
      29 Sep29 September 16:44

      Yes, 2 separate claims are always best. Split the costs in two. In my LBAs, I always mention that should this proceed to court, the claim will be separated and that there will be extra charges. So BA will need to pay MCOL fee twice!

    • John says:
      29 Sep29 September 16:49

      We did a joint MCOL claim but cannot be done online

      • meta says:
        29 Sep29 September 16:55

        Separate it, it’s only £35 extra. I appreciate that you might want to save money, but if it is a slam dunk case, BA will pay more and ultimately that’s a good thing for all consumers.

        • Anna says:
          29 Sep29 September 17:03

          You are truly a consumer champion @meta! We need a compilation of all the times you’ve challenged hotels and airlines, it would be like the holy scripture of HFP 😂

          • meta says:
            29 Sep29 September 19:03

            No, never had much issues before covid or if I did it was resolved on the spot without any prompting or challenging. It’s just that covid has become such a lame excuse for providing bad service or not providing service at all and pretending that’s normal.

    • Harry T says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:04

      Won’t they just claim it was a cancellation due to covid and conveniently dodge paying compo?

      • TGLoyalty says:
        29 Sep29 September 17:35

        What a cancellation for covid these days and why didn’t thy do it more than 14 days before take off

    • Richie says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:04

      Isn’t Mr & Mrs Claimant in the box ok?

    • davefl says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:09

      Please keep us posted. I’ve got the same issue with VS cancelling MAN-JFK with 12 days to go. They’re refused compensation citing covid, but it was purely a commercial decision and could easily have cancelled with 14+.

      Advice here was not to go the MCOL route so I’d be very interested to hear what happens.

      • JDB says:
        29 Sep29 September 18:14

        If you received advice here not to try MCOL, there may have been a good reason. The prospects of success in any case will depend on the specific facts surrounding the cancellation, what you were offered or asked for, any steps you took to mitigate your loss and/or give VS a final chance to put it right and of course what is the quantification of your loss.

        • davef says:
          29 Sep29 September 18:36

          just as I said above. I had a flight booked man-jfk, they cancelled 12 days before take off. rebooked me LHR-JFK at roughly the same times which is completely unnaceptable so I cancelled the rebook and still waiting for the refund of points although they have refunded taxes/charges.

          Loss is their statutory payment under EC261 for canceling 12 days before dep, rather than 14 or more which they could easily have done.

          • JDB says:
            29 Sep29 September 18:43

            I think that in the current environment VS will cite all sorts of direct and indirect covid related reasons for the cancellation and may attract some sympathy from the Court. Have you looked up to ascertain what the official reason for the cancellation was?

          • davef says:
            29 Sep29 September 19:06

            Wierd, cant reply directly to your comment, JDB

            They just havent restarted the route. Commercially the decision could easily have been made 14+ days before. Nothing happened politically or covid wise in the following week

            I booked it in good faith 10 months ago.

          • Ken says:
            29 Sep29 September 19:24

            There is virtually nil chance of them entering a successful defence. Covid ? How can this be a defence when they are running flights from LHR.
            No court will have any sympathy. They will judge on the facts.

          • JDB says:
            29 Sep29 September 19:35

            @Ken, Davef can give it a go, but he shouldn’t set his expectations too high and it seems that was the general advice (not mine) given on HfP previously. Set against the fact that VS did operate flights from LHR, they did offer him the LHR option which is less than 200 miles away and VS would no doubt have paid the extra transportation costs. We don’t know the official reason for the MAN flight cancellation that might also help one way or the other.

  • Polly says:
    29 Sep29 September 16:36

    For Bonvoy experts on here. Just cancelled a card now, having earned a hotel voucher this year, do we earn another voucher with a new card starting in a couple of months? Or would we have to wait til after January to start the clock ticking? Card year v calendar year, that’s the query pls? TIA.

    • Harry T says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:05

      You spent 25k on the UK Amex Bonvoy card? Impressive.

      I would think that a completely new card account would be able to earn a new voucher within the same calendar year.

      • Babyg says:
        29 Sep29 September 17:25

        agreed! ive got sign up bonuses that need funding, i would never push £25k through the Marriott card for a redemption worth 25,000 points or less…. better off pushing £25k through the BA or Amex Gold card – much better return on spend.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          29 Sep29 September 17:36

          Depends what you spent it on…events at Marriott hotels etc 6 Bonvoy per/£

        • Polly says:
          29 Sep29 September 17:53

          But we get 2pts/£ on the bonvoy, and they gave me the SUB by mistake, thank you! The gold is not so good? Bacc, waiting til Dec to upgrade to BAPP for the new 241, as we want to use that o/w from HKG next Nov.
          Choosing bonvoy and gold was deliberate, as we will use the Marriott in HKT eventually.

          • Harry T says:
            29 Sep29 September 18:21

            Nice work on the accidental SUB. I think you’ll probably get another voucher on a new card, as I said. Just be aware they aren’t that useful with the current Marriott categories.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            29 Sep29 September 20:23

            Cambridge UA will do nicely.

      • The Urbanite says:
        29 Sep29 September 18:17

        @Harry T that can be done in one fell swoop with the right resources!

    • Polly says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:50

      We literally are sitting on so many avios right now, thought we would try for Marriott points. Helping with kids rents! and a house move, very very easy to put 25k through when we are talking property…. And not done yet. 1st time for everything. Used curve metal with hsbc WE for stamp duty, and estate agents fees, so the points were rolling in. Just prepaid solicitor lots by curve and WE cards, and they did bacs transfers. Time consuming but couldn’t allow bacs and earn nothing.
      But Tnx for info all, am also doing our PRG cards x 3 the remaining bits.
      Never really did hotel points before, despite Genghis encouraging me at the HFP parties ! Wow, did they really happen, so long ago…
      Think we will chance it, only had the other one for 3/12.
      Otherwise will just use the golds…

      • meta says:
        29 Sep29 September 18:37

        If you have enough Avios and MR points and just want Bonvoys, I don’t see any issue with spending £25k on Bonvoy Amex. And you can find outsize value even on 25k points voucher, just not in the UK. For example, pre-covid I have used it at Accra Marriott where the rate was usually £250+ for base room.

        I believe you can hold as many as cc free night certificate as you want. I currently have two due to extensions.

        • Polly says:
          29 Sep29 September 22:56

          Thanks Meta and Harry T, good info. I do follow the hotel info on here, but don’t comment as we have our fav hotels in Asia so never bothered really. And don’t really understand the hotel point complexities !
          Genghis, we are fine Tnx, house move, wedding, grandchild, soooo busy this year. So now am collecting bonvoy, as finally the OH has seen the light, and we can hopefully get some Marriott nights in HKT whenever we visit Asia again…so will see how we go…

        • Harry T says:
          30 Sep30 September 00:07

          I just wish the Bonvoy card stilled earned three points per pound! The six points per pound at Bonvoy hotels is handy though (shame the UK was mostly in lockdown when it was temporarily 10/£)

      • babyg_wc says:
        29 Sep29 September 18:43

        Sounds like youre already a level above me! Struggling with my BA prem sign up bonus currently as I just completed my amex plat ICC spend bonus… At this rate I may have to get a fully refundable flight or similar

      • Genghis says:
        29 Sep29 September 20:35

        Hope you’re keeping well, Polly!

        • Polly says:
          29 Sep29 September 23:02

          Tnx, all good, missing travel big time tho…ferry trip to France for 10d was great tho.

  • Zara says:
    29 Sep29 September 16:38

    Does anyone know if the 1 week passport service is “guaranteed”? Earliest London appt is 15th October (so SHOULD arrive by 22nd) – and we would need it by the 22nd as we are due to fly on 23rd.

    • Zara says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:08

      FYI- For anyone interested a whole new batch of times has been uploaded for next week! Hurray! My normal application has now gone past 4 weeks and they said there’s no sign of it moving in the queue (but they can’t say more than that!) so desperately happy to have an appointment booked for next week.

    • Damian says:
      29 Sep29 September 21:20

      Mine took 5 days when I went to Peterborough in July as no London appointments were available.

  • DaveL says:
    29 Sep29 September 17:05

    I might be late to the party but just got on the nectar bonus points weekly offers train…and now they seem to have disappeared in favour of some dreadful nectar prices rubbish. Anyone know if the bonus points offers still live on or are gone forever?

    • Super Secret Stuff says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:18

      I have both but honestly no clue what is going on

    • Youllnever says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:29

      I’ve just received this week’s offer for both the Nectar bonus point offers and Nectar price offers.

      • ChrisC says:
        29 Sep29 September 19:00

        I hope that is what will happen in the future

        Friday is my offers day and last week I didn’t get any of the usual offers.

        I’ve not used smart shop but shouldn’t the offers appear in that app and not the nectar app?

  • OP says:
    29 Sep29 September 17:15

    First world problem… but no more Champagne in the Galleries lounges?! Currently sat in Galleries North and when asked told this was ‘new policy this week’.

    • Anna says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:26

      Are they providing another type of fizz then? I need bubbles with my bacon roll! (And not fizzy pop).

    • Richie says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:35

      Did they say ‘would you like Cava/ Prosecco’?

    • babyg_wc says:
      29 Sep29 September 18:47

      Disaster, the galleries was only doable because of the bubbles, as it made the food
      almost edible..

      • Andrew says:
        29 Sep29 September 19:51

        I’m hoping this is only Galleries Club and Galleries First will continue to serve Champagne? They had Lanson rosé a couple of weeks ago which was reasonably palatable.

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