The HfP chat thread – Sunday 3rd October

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• Duster says:

  3 Oct3 October 15:53

  Haven’t see any mention of the Amex Amazon Business card sign-up offer of a £100 Amazon voucher – no min spend. Any views?

  • Toaster says:

    3 Oct3 October 16:23

    Card has been around a while but the sign up offer varies.

    https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/11/11/amazon-business-credit-card-review/

  • BJ says:

    3 Oct3 October 19:29

    Been advertised in recent weeks under every product when I’ve been signed in at amazon.

• Super Secret Stuff says:

  3 Oct3 October 16:01

  So with Australia semi opening up (from what I have read mainly around Aussie passport holders being allowed in and out), any indication or something I have missed about business travel opening up?

  • Blenz101 says:

    3 Oct3 October 16:25

    Fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents they are ‘planning’ for a November reopening of the border.

    Nothing but ‘working towards’ everyone else.

    • Andrew says:

      3 Oct3 October 16:27

      Don’t hold your breath.

      • The Savage Squirrel says:

        3 Oct3 October 18:10

        This.
        You can’t even travel freely between all states yet and no foreseeable plan fror this changing (especially WA).

  • Harry T says:

    3 Oct3 October 20:32

    I’ll believe it all when I see it…

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      3 Oct3 October 22:08

      Same but I need to do a work trip out there in the next 6 to 9 months! Hoping to avoid any major headaches like 10 day quarantines etc.

• HBommie says:

  3 Oct3 October 16:49

  Any BAPP retention offers?

  Player 2 is due an annual fee this month.

  • A says:

    3 Oct3 October 17:26

    I had a “spend £3k on 3 months, receive 10k Avios” when I phoned mid- last month. Stacks nicely with the “spend £5k get 10k Avios” offer that was widely available.

    • Swiss Jim says:

      3 Oct3 October 17:58

      Yes, got the same an likewise I’ve assumed that stacks. But the retention bonus doesn’t appear in my list of saved offers. Is that usual with retention bonuses, they are tracked separately? Or should I ask to be added on. It’s in my chat though…

      • A says:

        3 Oct3 October 18:22

        Yep – it does stack. Both lots of 10k Avios have hit my account in the last few days.

        • A says:

          3 Oct3 October 18:23

          (Just to add, the retention offer doesn’t appear in the list of saved offers)

        • Swiss Jim says:

          3 Oct3 October 19:40

          Excellent. Means I can make up shortfall to the £5k via Billhop, make a small profit, then focus spend on the Platinum £6k target. Might downgrade BAPP also as will have triggered 121. 121 is valid I think for 2 years + 6 months, so should cover Feb 24 half term…

  • Harley says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:51

    Nothing when I tried on friday

  • BJ says:

    3 Oct3 October 19:32

    10,000 avios for spending £3,000 in 3 months. Stacks with the general spend £5k get 10k avios offer.

• Boi says:

  3 Oct3 October 17:20

  Is it too early to be hopefully either Mexico or Dominican Republic will be off red list?

  When do the changes get announced?

  • Boi says:

    3 Oct3 October 17:23

    To be hopeful…. I know it is “how long is a piece of string”…..
    I am thinking of booking a flight for my sister a day before the announcement (before prices shoot up), then cancel under 24h cooling off period if it doesn’t materialise. Am I crazy?

  • Anna says:

    3 Oct3 October 17:42

    Isn’t it tomorrow? It was supposed to be in time for half term which is only 3 weeks off. Someone posted before that it looks like most of the red list countries will be downgraded.
    Who are you thinking of booking with? In theory it’s a good idea but cancelling things isn’t that easy at the moment.

    • Boi says:

      3 Oct3 October 17:50

      Good question Anna! I don’t know who I will book with. Just considering her options. Dom Republic and Mexico are cheaper from U.K. and it will be easy for us to meet her in Mexico from Canada.

      If that plan doesn’t work we are considering Bahamas or Barbados

      • Anna says:

        3 Oct3 October 18:22

        Lovely, I wish I was going somewhere warm this winter!
        Bear in mind that unless something has changed the only direct flight from the UK to the Bahamas is the BA 253 to Nassau, so they charge accordingly, having no competition! You might actually find the odd avios seat, though, as the LHR departure doesn’t seem as popular as Caribbean routes from LGW.

        • Anna says:

          3 Oct3 October 18:26

          Something has changed as Skyscanner is now showing that Virgin also flies this route. Glad I checked now, having just joined Flying Club and been approved for the MC!

        • Boi says:

          3 Oct3 October 23:10

          Lovely, thanks everyone. I will keep an eye on the torygraph, Avios and VS availability.

          So you haven’t been collecting VS points Anna? How have you been paying your creatives? I paid up to my VS limit then switch to the honourable one……..
          ( my limit on beardy is only £133300 which doesn’t cover my che monthly adventures in my usually threesome relationship )

    • JDB says:

      3 Oct3 October 18:00

      Grant Shapps is speaking at an event at the Conservative Party Conference at 1pm on Tuesday with lots of airport/port representatives on the topic BUILDING BACK BETTER – ARE UK PORTS AND AIRPORTS THE KEYS TO RECOVERY? so maybe it will be before or at this event??

  • Aaron C says:

    3 Oct3 October 17:45

    Lots of media speculation that pretty much everywhere will be downgraded. This is more in keeping with much of Europe (including Ireland) which has very limited or no restrictions for the vaccinated.

    • Boi says:

      3 Oct3 October 17:52

      Fingers crossed

      • meta says:

        3 Oct3 October 19:19

        Papers said it will be announced on Thursday. I think that’s when the next three weekly review is due more or less.

  • Harry T says:

    3 Oct3 October 20:33

    The Torygraph is reporting a gutting of the silly red list this coming week, which is well overdue. As it’s travel news from the Torygraph, it’s 99% likely to be true, as they seem to have a direct line to government.

• Jim Ledwith says:

  3 Oct3 October 17:41

  Has BA removed the option for transferring Avios to a friend if you are Gold?

  • Rob says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:55

    No, was still there last week.

    • Jim Ledwith says:

      3 Oct3 October 23:13

      Hmmm cant see it – couldnt login last week – it errored eveytime – now the share Avios is missing – only options are gift/purchase.
      might be a website issue but its not been working for over 2 weeks now.

• Yorkshire Rich says:

  3 Oct3 October 18:06

  Booked a cheap week away next week. staying at the Hilton East Midlands and got the package “8 days park and fly” for a price considerably cheaper than the radisson. However, the reviews do look better for the radisson
  Anyway, has anyone got any restaurant recommendations for the Saturday night. Also, we are looking to watch the super league grand final if anyone before I do any research knows where it may be showing. If sky sports is in the room that’s even better

  Thanks all

  • Degsy says:

    3 Oct3 October 20:32

    Hi Yorkshire Rich, Im not aware of any decent restaurants within the immediate vicinity of EMA, so you will need to travel a little. Melbourne is a lovely Derbyshire village about 5 miles away and will have some good options. And if you are happy to go a bit further the Nottingham has decent options (including two Michelin starred restaurants- Sat Bains and Alchemilla)

• Rosie says:

  3 Oct3 October 18:20

  when using a card overseas ie USA which brand gives a better exchange rate (Ignoring the card fees) Visa or Amex or do they use the same exchange rates

  • Yorkie Aid says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:31

    But the fees will have a much bigger impact than the FX rate!

  • Jonathan says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:31

    Halifax Clarity is one of the best

  • Youllnever says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:31

    Typically Mastercard will be best I believe, but Visa isn’t too different. Amex converts whatever local currency you’re purchasing into USD dollar first before then converting it to GBP, so I believe Amex is the worst.

    • John says:

      3 Oct3 October 19:06

      That’s true about Amex but it doesn’t make their rate the worst, Visa’s rates can be much worse because Visa calculates its rates in advance. The forex fees are what makes Amex poor.

      Amex converts some GBP spend in the UK to USD too – when I had a fraud alert for a UK online spend they asked me if the transaction was XX US dollars.

  • Doug M says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:35

    How much are you spending? To give context 10,000 dollars with VISA is about £10 more than the same with Mastercard on Friday’s rates. Since Amex will charge you 3% the exchange rate is not the concern.

• JM says:

  3 Oct3 October 18:57

  Any hope of BA restarting Abu Dhabi before the end of the year? Looking for Dec and other options quite limited or £££!

  • JSemity says:

    3 Oct3 October 18:59

    it would be great if they started flying to Abu Dhabi again. I’d certainly book. But I think the likelihood of them returning to Abu Dhabi is slim.

  • Harry T says:

    3 Oct3 October 20:35

    I think there’s hope, as Abu Dhabi is slowly becoming less ridiculous about its entry requirements and quarantine. There have been a few positive changes in recent months.

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