The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 5th October

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• Sam says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:12

  I made a BA avios booking to Hong Kong last year for later this month. I cancelled it online – not paying much attention, I ended up with a Future Travel Voucher instead of a refund of the cash and avios I paid.

  Realising what happened, I contacted BA less than an hour after this happened, but they are refusing to cancel the voucher and give me my cash and avios.

  Is there anything I can do?

  Thanks

  • Sam G says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:17

    Call back – you can definitely get a Avios FTV refunded for cash+avios -£35 fee.

  • Ashraj says:

    5 Oct5 October 15:03

    Its a easy mistake to make. I dont know why BA have stopped giving the option to cancel for a refund for a avios booking online. It would save them and us alot of time and hassle.

    • meta says:

      5 Oct5 October 18:25

      Because 95% of people just accept the voucher and think that’s a refund. BA wins here and gets to keep your cash. Soon we’ll have people with vouchers that they won’t be able to use.

• r* says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:15

  I’m probably hoping for something that doesnt exist, but does anyone know if theres any good value/cheap options to get to Tahiti on points/upgrade with points in either premium or business to save me from having to book a UA cash economy ticket? 🙂

  I have VS pts and avios but am okay with either transferring amex pts or buying points in different programs, but when I checked AA, to buy the points wasnt worth the $ cost, so wasnt sure if there was a good option I may have missed..

  No flights available on Hawaiian using VS, no flights on AF using VS were showing but they were also something like 140,000 pts iirc which isnt worth it in this instance. ANA routing via HND and HNL on VS doesnt work for me and I cant really consider NZ region as who knows if they will allow transits.

  Only need 1 way as a I have a cash booking for return flight.

  • Colin MacKinnon says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:25

    At the moment, I have two singles in Air Tahiti Nui from Tokyo in business for early June and early August, plus a return PPT-TYO in late June and an outbound in early Aug with American LAX-PPT and return late August.

    Will be cancelling the June ones soon, and one of the August opotions.

    40,000 AA points plus c£25 each way in business TYO-PPT, 80,000 AA points plus c£50 each way LAX-PPT .

    You can also get a ticket online Helsinki-TYO-PPT – so presumably UK-HEL-TYO-PPT if you were to call AA. I think that is about 75000 points in business, so even buying AA points is a great deal!

    AA points can be acquired via Marriott via Amex. AA will hold flights for about 4 days while you sort out the points, or buy for c2 cents a point at the moment.

    Be aware, sometimes when you search on AA it comes up as can’t find that destination. So change your days until you get on Air Tahiti Nui flies on and then you’ll get the option of a calendar view.

    • meta says:

      5 Oct5 October 13:58

      Yes, my plan for the future is BA 241 to Tokyo and maybe return from SFO. Spend a few nights there then use AA miles for Air Tahiti Nui to get to PPT. Use Hilton points to stay at Moorea and Bora Bora or Moorea. This is by far cheapest option I looked at. You could to it via LAX or DFW also on Air Tahiti Nui. It seems more expensive though, but maybe not now with that new style BA vouchers. I am waiting to earn the second one, then I’ll see how it can play out and avoid fake BA charges.

      • Sprout says:

        5 Oct5 October 15:50

        Can you use avios for the American Airways redemption on Air Tahiti Nui – or is it the other kind of AA points (I forget the name now).

        • Colin MacKinnon says:

          5 Oct5 October 17:01

          Sadly not. The AA deal with ATN is a one-off, not through an alliance.

          So Aadvantage points only.

• Sprout says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:17

  Does anybody know if you can still buy prepaid visa / mastercard in stores? I checked in my local Argos, Boots and Morrisons and no joy. I was wondering if they have been pulled for some reason as they used to be everywhere? thx

  • Sina says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:28

    If you have Perks at Work, you can buy them there!

    • Sprout says:

      5 Oct5 October 13:36

      I’ve got a few one4all vouchers I was looking to get out of and was wondering if they might be an option. thx

      • Andrew says:

        5 Oct5 October 13:54

        The trouble is One-4-All Gift cards are generally sold at £90 for a £100 card, so retailers would be making a loss on every sale of other cards.

      • Reney says:

        5 Oct5 October 13:59

        Not sure I have ever seen those visa/mastercards cards available at stores that you can use one4all in.

        Depend on how much loss you are willing to take, one4all will pay out in cash to you for an admin fee.

    • Andrew says:

      5 Oct5 October 13:52

      £99 for a £100 E-Mastercard is handy.

      • the_real_a says:

        5 Oct5 October 14:47

        Where is this available please? I dont see it on PoW

        • Sprout says:

          5 Oct5 October 15:27

          It is there under e-codes. Problem is finding somewhere to use it! Unless you just want it for shopping etc 😉

        • the_real_a says:

          5 Oct5 October 21:01

          Nope. I really dont have any E-Mastercard listed. Wonder if they are to selected customers only! (Yes have one4all etc, etc)

  • Toaster says:

    5 Oct5 October 15:41

    My local WHSmiths has pre-paid mastercard but there is an activation fee on them.
    £25 – £2.95
    £50 – £3.95
    £100 – £4.95

    You might have trouble buying them with a one4all card as although (as I have found) the till does allow it, the member of staff may be aware that they are not supposed to allow one4all to be used to purchase other gift cards.
    You can use them online to swap/purchase
    itunes
    google play
    Xbox/microsoft credit
    Playstation credit

    https://www.one4all.com/retailer/spend-online/boost.html

    • Sprout says:

      5 Oct5 October 15:48

      Interesting – thankyou.

• Thywillbedone says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:36

  Stupid question incoming: I wanted to avail of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Amex ‘spend £400 and get £100 back’ for half term (which I have on two cards). Unfortunately, my hotel of choice is showing as unavailable during that period on the Preferred Hotels website – however, the hotel itself does have room availability (showing on its own website). I don’t suppose there is a clever way of getting the bonus to trigger? Does ringing up ever help in these circumstances?

  Offer terms: “These Offer Terms (including the offer description above) set out the key terms of our Preferred Hotels & Resorts offer. Available online at http://www.preferredhotels.com and in participating locations. etc etc”

  Thanks.

  • Harry T says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:38

    Is the offer triggered by spend at checkout? If so, and the hotel you want is on the eligible list for the offer, I can’t see why it wouldn’t trigger if you booked direct with the hotel and just paid the bill at checkout.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:40

    It’s just triggered at checkout. Just book direct and give them your preferred hotels membership number.

  • Rob says:

    5 Oct5 October 14:14

    Will almost certainly trigger, because all Amex is looking for is the hotel name on your statement.

    Drop Emyr a note, he may be able to do extra benefits.

    • Thywillbedone says:

      5 Oct5 October 14:19

      Thanks all – will try my luck!

• Ant says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:41

  CEDR claim: so my Nov flights have been cancelled to Joburg and BA are refusing to rebook us in April. I got confirmation of this on chat today.
  Now thinkgin of doing my first CEDR claim.
  But CEDR request” a letter confirming final position. Is the transcript good enough for CEDR? The agent did say this is the final decision.
  What else do i need for my claim? Any help appreciated

  • Richie says:

    5 Oct5 October 13:45

    Read art. 8 of reg 261 regarding later date re-routing again.

• Memesweeper says:

  5 Oct5 October 13:57

  Yolt is closing. They’ve already stopped top ups by debit card.

• Craig says:

  5 Oct5 October 14:02

  Verifly might have been a faff but it certainly made check in at Tenerife very smooth.

• Charlie says:

  5 Oct5 October 14:12

  I booked holiday to Egypt using easyjet holidays back in June, 10nights all inclusive. Got an email Friday saying its been changed to only 9 nights now and they’ve automatically put me on that flight but to phone up to adjust the hotel.
  They now want am extra £400 to book me this shorter holiday because of “Live prices ” …. I’m gobsmacked as I thought I’d get a bit of money back etc…… anybody got any experience with this and do I have a leg to stand on if I take it higher up? I’ve got until the 8th to decide. Thanks

  • Anna says:

    5 Oct5 October 14:53

    That’s very naughty, but in the case of a package holiday that’s cancelled the only obligation on the operator is to give you your money back so you might waste your time pursuing it if this is what’s happened. Have you checked any other travel companies to see if you can get a similar holiday for a better price?

    • Charlie says:

      5 Oct5 October 15:23

      Yea pretty unreasonable! Thanks that is good advice

      • Dan says:

        5 Oct5 October 16:02

        Who with? Name and shame?

        • Mattb says:

          5 Oct5 October 16:35

          I think he already named and therefore shamed

        • Charlie says:

          5 Oct5 October 17:47

          Easyjet holidays

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