The HfP chat thread – Saturday 2nd October

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HBommie says:

2 Oct2 October 17:21

Stansted Hampton, is it best to park at the hotel or the multi-storey? Wouldn’t want a meet n greet service.

Also, unrelated question – US car hire as UK resident is stratospheric, change it to AUS or many other and the price tumbles to a third. I imagine the downside is insurance terms?
- Reney says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:03
  
  Are you a UK resident, hiring a car in the UK and want to do this on a US website because it is cheaper? Don’t, I tried it the other week, they will not let you have the car unless there is minimum insurance on it (the US website don’t include this hence cheaper) even when I had it confirmed with Amex Plat that it would be ok. It is some regulation thing. They had to add the insurance on at the counter which is more expensive than had i just booked a car off a uk website.
  - HBommie says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 18:21
    
    Pick up in the states, UK resident but I ‘may’ have a second home in AUS (I don’t).
    - John says:
      
      2 Oct2 October 18:37
      
      Do you have an AU driving licence? (I do, but it’s in Australia)
      - HBommie says:
        
        2 Oct2 October 18:45
        
        No but I have an EU one.
  - Michael says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 22:48
    
    I tried hiring via a US site for a UK rental, relying on car hire insurance via Amex Plat. The car hire counter wanted to preauthorise the value of the car on my Plat!
Rosie says:

2 Oct2 October 17:24

Do you get points /platinum elite benefits at cosmopolitan Las Vegas
- Travel Strong says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 17:29
  
  https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/marriott-bonvoy-at-the-cosmopolitan-of-las-vegas
  
  Arrany of things, but best benefits are Wicked Spoon VIP line and 15% discount, and free coffee at autograph lounge… can also probably check in there if front desk is busy.
  - Rosie says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 17:32
    
    Thanks , I see they are selling this hotel
    Off , we have booked to middle of Jan, will we still get the benefits etc
    - Travel Strong says:
      
      2 Oct2 October 17:43
      
      Very likely to be same in January as it is now.
      … screenshot the benefits that were listed at the time of your booking though just for insurance.
- David says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 17:48
  
  Book via FHR (amex) if you can or Emyr and get upgrade etc and ask for a double upgrade.
David says:

2 Oct2 October 17:55

Does anyone have any idea of current Virgin Atlantic wait times on the phone?
- paulm says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:02
  
  1.5 hours last night around 9pm
- Sean says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:57
  
  1hr 42 mins at 1pm
  - David says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 19:36
    
    I’m on 1hour 52 now
- Paul says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 20:46
  
  Forced to give up after 1h10m
David says:

2 Oct2 October 18:06

and …… if they have changed my flight number and timing by more than 4 hours can I ask for a different routing ? ie from LHR-LAX to MAN-LAS (one stop) ?
- ChrisC says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:43
  
  Flight change number = a cancellation so you can ask for a refund or be rebooked to a future date on the same route.
  
  You can ask but it would be down to their policy and good will but it’s not legal a right.
  - David says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 18:51
    
    thanks Chris.
Peter says:

2 Oct2 October 18:30

I have some Avios in my Iberia account, I haven’t credited anything there in past year. Tried to move them to BA (through Iberia or BA website) and it only allowed BA->IB, I tried 1 point and it went straight away. Is there a way of moving all my Iberia points to BA?
- David says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:37
  
  Yes open an avios (aer lingus account) – transfer them to that and on to BA
- cabal of rabid baboons says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:40
  
  yup, use avios as an intermediary
- Graham Walsh says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 18:48
  
  I went through this the other day. As others have said, login into avios.com with your Aer Lingus credentials and then combine your avios. So IB to Avios, then Avios to BA. Just make sure you check the right box in which way you want to transfer. All transactions are instant.
  - David says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 18:53
    
    Wasn’t the transfer from Iberia to BA stopped as a result of the unfortunate 90k Iberia offer ?
    - Graham Walsh says:
      
      2 Oct2 October 19:12
      
      Maybe. Can’t remember.
    - Rob says:
      
      2 Oct2 October 19:30
      
      No
- Rob says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 19:32
  
  Yes – https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/04/01/how-does-combine-my-avios-work-moving-avios-points-from-iberia-to-british-airways-2/
  - peter says:
    
    2 Oct2 October 19:36
    
    Thank you all, it worked fine! I had to create AerLingus account though and managed to move points from IB to BA.
Graham Walsh says:

2 Oct2 October 18:55

Here’s a new one on me, called BA to use a FTV which was booked for later this month to next year for honeymoon, turns out it was 600 Avios more from LHR (rather than LGW).

Anyway, reason for the post was that I was talking to the agent and I said it was for our honeymoon next year. She asked if I had booked the hotel yet, so I said no, planning on Stella Island. She said that if I booked via them I’d get 15 Avios per £1, so she looked it up and I’d earn 92,500 points for the booking. But that was most expensive room type. She said they will add other rooms to the site over time, and gave me her email address to contact her to find out at a later date. Her email was an avios.com address. If they can price match, then I’d use them for the bonus points.
Jaime says:

2 Oct2 October 19:43

What are the requirements to enter Sweden arriving from UK with a EU vaccination certificate?
The rules on their website are so confusing 😕
- Sandgrounder says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 21:17
  
  It seems that holding an EU Covid pass is enough for entry. But, up to you!
  - Jaime says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 10:22
    
    Thank you
Dominic says:

2 Oct2 October 20:31

On Hilton, I knew diamond in the US was starting to see some hotels giving credit instead of breakfast for diamonds. I didn’t realise this was official policy throughout the US… a sight of what is to come outside of the states?
- Harrier25 says:
  
  2 Oct2 October 21:02
  
  Yes, but apparently it’s only a trial that ends on the 31st December. Lets hope the trial is a complete disaster!🙏