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The HfP chat thread – Thursday 30th September

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We are running this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

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General

Comments (587)

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

  • aviosnewbie says:
    30 Sep30 September 18:19

    Is there an easy way to find which dates have lowest redemptions on Hilton hotels? We’re planning a week away in December, and I’m flexible on dates – but the points required are as much as 1million per night! The standard redemption rates are only 95k at this hotel, but how can I find which dates have the usual rates (other than putting each date in the search)?

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:22

      Better to ask tomorrow as your comment will disappear among hundreds of curve comments.

      • CarpalTravel says:
        30 Sep30 September 18:27

        Pretty sure tomorrow (and weekend) will be no different! @Rob/Rhys: When you open tomorrow’s bits chat, can you make the first post something like “Curve – yes we all have received the email”. 😀

      • Harrier25 says:
        30 Sep30 September 18:28

        Yep, it’s going to be an entertaining evening on here, reach for the popcorn. No need for Sky Atlantic this evening! 😀

    • Anna says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:28

      I don’t think there is a way on the website but someone has probably done an article on a travel blog about it if you do a search.
      Marriott is about the best for telling you this stuff, I think.

    • Tom1 says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:45

      Yes there is – when you choose The dates just tick the “my dates are flexible”. It then gives you a monthly calendar with points per night.
      I thought it was desktop only but just tried on mobile and worked as well

    • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:53

      Flexible date search worked fine last time I checked. It’s an option when choosing dates. Only can do one hotel at a time and for standard redemptions only.

    • John says:
      30 Sep30 September 19:23

      Choose the option “my dates are flexible” on the website.

      However this only shows you the points required for the first night.

      Sometimes different points rates will be available for different stay lengths, but you can only find out by clicking all the way to the final page before booking.

    • cabal of rabid baboons says:
      30 Sep30 September 19:35

      click on flexible dates tab at the bottom of the calendar displayed as you input your arrival date.

  • Save East Coast Rewards says:
    30 Sep30 September 18:31

    I’m really surprised nobody has mentioned it here yet.

    Email from bendy, the stiff bendy now has a 10,000 monthly limit for MS and Ernie is now part of that.

    Apparently they’re now allowing cryptocurrency purchase too.

    • Paul Pogba says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:37

      The fees for card use on crypto exchanges are going to mean its hard to make that work.

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:50

      Will be fun if people start buying crypto and get slapped with cash advance charges or get blocked.

  • Peter K says:
    30 Sep30 September 18:32

    Anyone else have an email from curve? 😉

  • FatherOfFour says:
    30 Sep30 September 18:36

    I wrote earlier about booking Avios hotels. Well, a couple of data points, plus some information I didn’t know…
    DP: Called BA bookings number at 16:30. Answered within 10 mins but told I needed the Avios team. Was transferred and agent answered 40 mins later. Booked new flights with an FTV (241) very easily. Very helpful agent then sold me the hotel, using the Avios hotels deal 15 points per £. She explained that as I had booked this at the same time as my flights, it was a package and she explained the cancellation terms.

    I was unaware you could join a hotel booking to a companion flight to make it an official package. I had previously booked a hotel with BA Holidays and asked for it to be linked to my other companion flight PNR (by email) but doubt this had much official stature.

    I should have asked the agent, but was pressed for time, if I can use a cancelled BAH FTV, to pay for a new Avios Hotel booking on the phone. Although, next time around I plan to wait for the January sale before booking my hotel.

  • Ian M says:
    30 Sep30 September 18:53

    I’m rather confused what transactions are “Curve Fronted”. Is it any transaction where the underlying card is a credit card?

    • Toaster says:
      30 Sep30 September 18:57

      Any transaction where you cannot pay with a credit card is likely to be “fronted”.
      Example, deposit to savings/investment account

    • Rob says:
      30 Sep30 September 19:41

      Any transaction which is effectively a cash transaction, eg paying HMRC or your credit card bill.

      • Toaster says:
        30 Sep30 September 20:27

        Metal has fronted with no 1.5% so you probably wouldn’t have had any prompts.
        On Curve app in Android, account > settings > features > fronted.

  • His Holyness says:
    30 Sep30 September 19:00

    Well, you need Fronted to pay off Brighton and its not worth 1.5%. I think Nikolay is 4829 and not 6012 at Barclaycard and with Curve pass-through there is no benefit.

    Another couple of months of Brighton and that’s it. If Barclays got rid of FX I wouldn’t use Curve at all.

    This effectively kills Curve for me. Will keep the Blue for a little travel but the rest is over. RIP.

  • r* says:
    30 Sep30 September 19:01

    Just had an email –

    We are writing you regarding your upcoming reservation for the Crowne Plaza London – The City. We regret to inform you that the hotel will remain closed and anticipates to re-open on 01 March 2022. Because of this, they will be unable to honor your reservation for your stay.

    Id booked that for NYE incase there was anything going on this year, even the premier inn near there is now more than the rate I booked this at.

    How does IHG guaranteed room work in terms of being allocated a different hotel? Do I have to pick the hotel I want to be moved to or just make the request and then they will come back with something? If they refuse, is it an mcol slam dunk?

    • Anna says:
      30 Sep30 September 19:32

      There has been a similar discussion earlier today and at other points this week – @meta and @LL advise to contact IHG and press them to move you to a comparable hotel as per the contract represented by your booking.

  • BP says:
    30 Sep30 September 19:02

    Anyone get a txt from Creation? Curve is being blocked.

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

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