The HfP chat thread – Sunday 3rd October

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Jamie says:

3 Oct3 October 09:29

On BA holidays can I book different travel classes on outbound and return? Is this something where I’d need to ring?
- Louise K says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 09:33
  
  You need to ring them, unfortunately.
- Andrew says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 09:35
  
  You can do it online. Start by booking flight only, with the class mix you want, then when it gets to a later screen in the booking process, it’ll start offering you cars and hotels to add on.
  - Anna says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 10:18
    
    If you do it that way, you can’t just pay the deposit, you have to pay the whole thing up front. It’s a huge PITA.
    - JDB says:
      
      3 Oct3 October 10:50
      
      If you book it as a holiday so as to pay only a deposit, can you still get the 15 Avios/£1 on the hotels? Sometimes those 15 Avios prices are more expensive, but can also be the same or cheaper.
      - Anna says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 10:57
        
        I don’t think it works like that because the hotel prices will be different – the total avios you will get for the holiday shows at the time of booking though, so you could do a dummy booking and check.
      - JDB says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 11:04
        
        Thank you Anna.
    - James says:
      
      3 Oct3 October 11:09
      
      You can 100% book this way online using a deposit.
      
      Select your flights and combination of classes and then it prompts to add a hotel at which point it becomes a holiday with low deposit.
      - Anna says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 11:17
        
        I’ve tried to do this loads of times and it won’t let me just pay a deposit. It may be that you have to select a hotel or car for the entire trip though. What exactly has your experience been with it?
      - Anna says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 11:34
        
        Yep – just tried again, and if I try and book a 2 weeks duration trip but only add the hotel for 5 nights, I get asked to pay the full amount up front, no option to pay a deposit. So just not flexible enough for me.
      - Alan T says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 11:56
        
        Anna.
        
        I’ve had the same but it seems to depends on the mix of factors? Just got deposit offers on LA and NYC, mixed class on BA or BA and AA and full stay hotel, but not Vegas with mixed class on BA and AA and full stay hotel, or when I cut the hotel or car duration to less than full duration.
        
        I did note if it gave me a hotel suggestion after I selected the flights I got the deposit option, but not if it didn’t?
      - James says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 12:10
        
        I have only had hotel/car for the whole duration so that might be a condition of it?
      - Alan T says:
        
        3 Oct3 October 13:11
        
        James.
        
        I think it’s more likely just the wonders of BA’s IT, given that using the other booking tools I can easily get deposit offers on none mixed class holidays that either don’t have car or hotel for the full duration or open jaws or multi-city flights.
        
        I always end up playing around with them to see what gives the best outcome and choice, it’s not always consistent on the same trip tried different ways in my experience!
R says:

3 Oct3 October 09:44

Changing flights with EasyJet

I just want to double check something. If I’ve bought a front seat (and thus received a speedy boarding and two pieces of cabin luggage) and changed the flight, do I lose the seat and the money when I change my flight (and need to pay for a seat again)?
- Anna says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 10:26
  
  I did this twice recently (when changing dates and destination) and the seat selection for row 1 migrated through both times with no problem.
  I don’t know what would happen if someone else on the new flight had already picked those seats though.
  - R says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 11:14
    
    Personally I had to buy a new one and now the reservation shows that I have two seats. I’ll probably try to get in touch with them tomorrow
Karl says:

3 Oct3 October 09:51

Is there anyway to get the BA low fare finder working for UK destinations? Seems to be typically glitchy.
- Andy says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 12:28
  
  An an alternative you could use google flights, you can filter by airline so should be pretty equivalent to the low fare finder
  - Karl says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 13:13
    
    Thanks Andy. I’ve tried using ITA matrix which gives an idea of which days may be the cheapest but prices can be a fair way out.
Peter Taysum says:

3 Oct3 October 09:52

Looking for some advice please.

I’m wanting to go to Vegas for double Tier Point holiday. Does the whole holiday have to be completed by 31st March? I’ve found a flight OUT on 31st March but don’t want to take it if I won’t get the double tier points…

Thanks
- Peter Taysum says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 10:12
  
  Sorry a follow up too…
  
  I think JER is IN the UK to meet BA holiday requirements, but not for APD.
  
  I’m thinking of having a holiday in JER (NCL to LHR to JER) with my car pick up. Then go JER to North America reduce APD and do ANOTHER holiday so “stacking” holidays for double tier points…
  - JDB says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 10:59
    
    Jersey isn’t in the UK, it is a Crown Dependency but hopefully someone can answer how BA treats it for these purposes.
  - Nick says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 11:02
    
    Hmmm consecutive trips will be fine, but overlapping (if spotted) is likely IMO to be considered abuse of the offer as you can’t legitimately be in two places at once. Remember that the double points are being adjusted manually by BAH so chances of it being picked up are fairly high.
Paul says:

3 Oct3 October 10:09

Thanks to those that responded to my question last weekend about re-booking my non-cancelled VS flight booked under the Black Friday half price points deal; especially Munch who advised using the online form. Pleased to say that worked out, and I’ve got the flights I wanted next year with no more £/points payable. Result!
- Gary says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 10:52
  
  Thanks for update and well done. Unsure why BA cannot adopt this. Waiting for Dec 22 LHR CPT seats to open to move ours (cancelled by VA) as form looked very simple.
- Munch says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 20:22
  
  Pleased it worked out. I’ve had colleagues who called CS regarding moving flights and VS wouldn’t play ball, seems the online form is the way forward 🤔
Js says:

3 Oct3 October 10:24

Does the QR code on vaccine actualy get scanned when you travel?
also is a letter from a doctor/NHS enough proof that you have had the vaccine?
- Andrew says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 10:50
  
  When you complete PLF it scans the QR code to evidence you’ve been vaccinated – make sure you scan the second dose QR though, if you scan the first it thinks you’re not fully vaccinated and you have to start the form again.
- James says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 11:10
  
  If you can get the QR scanner to work then yes on the PLF
- Sandra B says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 13:26
  
  My QR code didn’t scan but my daughter’s, done at the same time did. I had it on my phone and a print out but no-one asked me for it. As far as I know a doctor’s letter will not suffice as you need the barcode or QR code. (Scotland was lagging behind so it was originally a barcode). Everything was checked thoroughly on the outbound though with the Spanish documents and the NHS barcode/QR. Well sort of! They didn’t pick up that my daughter’s QR was Dr (maiden name) and her passport was her married name as Mrs (married). Ah well!
LewisB says:

3 Oct3 October 10:27

I think I just had my first experience of the BA Holidays line ‘messing up’. I booked WTP to San Francisco next March for two. Called to upgrade to Club World and I got quoted 50,000 avios and £0 in taxes and fees. The avios should’ve certainly been 100,000!?
- LewisB says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 10:28
  
  Just to clarify, this was to upgrade us both!
- Andrew says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 10:52
  
  Is that one way or both ways you upgraded? 25k per person one way upgrade form WT+ to Club is about right.
  - LewisB says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 12:17
    
    Both ways.
- Graham Walsh says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 11:31
  
  Just be careful that when you check in they could query it. I had a booking of a re booking and moved it again, they had all the history and worked out I hadn’t been charged enough Avios. I’m glad it was sorted now and not during check-in in a few months time as it was nearly an hour on the phone sorting it.
  - LewisB says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 12:18
    
    Thanks for sharing that. Perhaps it may be worth my calling sooner towards the booking to get it looked at. Don’t want the hassle at the airport.
Anna says:

3 Oct3 October 10:29

How’s the creative rinsing going? (especially @Harrier25!). I’ve made some fun purchases including Christmas week 2022 in Miami as I can book this far ahead as an RCI member as they extra inventory for rental way in advance. Got the Residence Inn surfside for £1079 for 7 nights which seems a bargain given the peak rates prices through Marriott are around $500 per night.
- Harrier25 says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 11:28
  
  I’ve so far paid my council tax for the rest of this tax year and fed OVO up to the max for the 5% interest benefit. I will be treating Che with some extra funding over the next 2 months too!
  - Anna says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 11:43
    
    I will be competing with you for Che’s affections, Harrier. Also anticipating a very cold winter with OVO. My council accepts Amex so that was all paid back in April for the big Platinum sign up bonus!
    - Chrism20 says:
      
      3 Oct3 October 17:24
      
      @Anna you might be able to forward pay council tax. I’ve “Accidentally” done it in Edinburgh before. They don’t refund the overpayment automatically up here and you have to call them up to move the credit balance to the new year once the bill is generated.
      
      Can’t guarantee that your LA will operate in the same way but if you’re looking for ideas it may be worth a shot
- Reney says:
  
  3 Oct3 October 12:11
  
  Enjoying this thread. But aren’t you worried about a scenario where you might have to cancel any holiday bookings and having to get back the money from Creation after the card is closed?
  
  [side note is there more than one Anna here?]
  - YC says:
    
    3 Oct3 October 12:31
    
    Arguably advantages given points unlikely to be clawed back once transferred
    - BuildBackBetter says:
      
      3 Oct3 October 13:42
      
      As long as you are prepared to wait months to get the refund.
    - Reney says:
      
      3 Oct3 October 15:40
      
      I wasn’t thinking about points claw back rather getting your money back!