The HfP chat thread – Saturday 9th October

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Tazzy says:

9 Oct9 October 14:19

Flying London (Heathrow) to St Lucia in November. The flight was moved from Gatwick and that suits us well as we are based in belfast. The booking was made with avios and 241. I called BA to add belfast to London return and the new cost was an extra £308 which seems excessive. When I look at just buying a business class flight BF to London its the same cost. If I buy as 2 separate flights, will BA allow me to combine the bookings for luggage purposes?
- Joe says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 14:47
  
  Have they just moved these? I’m booked for Christmas to port of Spain but no one else can book…
  - Tazzy says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 14:50
    
    They changed my times and new time didn’t suit so I had to change day to Heathrow flights
- ChrisC says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 14:50
  
  So the cost of adding this to your existing booking is £308 and that’s the same cost as booking separate flights?
  
  If so I’d go for the former as BA won’t interline bags on separate tickets – even if both are BA.
  - Tazzy says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 14:51
    
    Or I can book it for 60k avios (I’ve lots of avios)
    - ChrisC says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 14:58
      
      Well either way you pay for it I would have the connecting flights added to the main booking and avoid having separate tickets and the complications they generate.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 16:07
      
      Even if you have lots use the 60k for £480
      Of sainsburys shopping and pay £300 cash.
- Anna says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 15:05
  
  This is a bit confusing – are you asking them to add connecting reward flights to your booking? If so, all you should be charged is the RFS cash element for whichever cabin you’re travelling. You can’t do this on line so shouldn’t be charged for a phone booking.
  People have reported varying experiences but the last couple of times I have asked, BA has refused point blank to put any bookings on the same PNR. If you get this response you’ll have to claim and recheck your luggage – also I doubt that in any case they would link a mix of award and cash bookings.
  - Tazzy says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 15:31
    
    Yes asking to add the belfast – London as part to avios and 241. They are saying the additional taxes are £300. That’s makes no sense when the same class of booking is less for ticket and taxes . The guy on the phone was as as confused as me but couldn’t really figure it out !
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 16:08
      
      Hang up and call again?
      - Tazzy says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 16:25
        
        The problem is it took me 32 goes to even get into the call queue for an agent! But yes I think I will try again in a few days!!!
    - Anna says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 16:26
      
      Agreed, I would try again. There should be no extra avios cost for the domestic leg, and either £35 pp or £50 pp for Economy/CE RFS fees.
      - Tazzy says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 17:18
        
        The agents don’t have a clue and keep telling me the back office works it out and comes up with the magic number! It’s very frustrating
      - Anna says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 18:31
        
        By any chance did the CSA not realise that Belfast is in the UK and was trying to charge you a non-RFS fare? Have you checked for RFS availability on ba.com? Or trying to book you with a different airline?
GaryE says:

9 Oct9 October 14:31

Best number to try and get through to BA Holidays – or is the 0344-493-0787 the best it gets with the awful music
AJA says:

9 Oct9 October 14:52

Just noticed this morning that my TAP status has dropped from Gold to basic. This was after their status match promo last year. I never got to use the status which is a shame. When do my 14,200 miles that I earned from this promo start expiring?

I searched the awful TAP website and found this:
“TAP Miles&Go are valid for three (3) years from date of collection, except when otherwise specified. Some Bonus Miles (such as compensation miles and some promotions) may only be valid for one annual accrual period.”

Am I safe to assume that the oldest miles will start expiring in Aug 2023?
- meta says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 17:00
  
  Mine was extended actually, but I did credit one flight with them so maybe that’s why. I also don’t know what to do. It seems 400 miles is the maximum amount you can use in business class on Miles&Cash and outright redemptions are costly vs cash. I’ll probably use them on flights to Portugal in economy.
  - AJA says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 17:43
    
    Thanks meta. I think the fact that you flew with them is the reason you got an extension of status. Happy for you. Coincidentally I got a second email today from TAP saying I could donate miles to charity. I’m more inclined to just do a one way economy flight to Portugal and then buy a one way Avios ticket back again. Its just a case of how long I have to wait. I was also trying to work out whether it is worth buying miles and redeeming but I’m not sure that is worthwhile.
Patrick Cold says:

9 Oct9 October 15:35

Does anyone know if Bendy/HH B`card incurs cash charges if making an overpayment to a Nat West mortgage please?
- Reney says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 16:49
  
  I previously used a major supermarket credit card without any cash fee charges if done online. I got charged a cash fee when over paying via the phone to an agent. No need to used bendy, can go direct.
  - Patrick Cold says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 19:56
    
    Many thanks.
John Caribbean says:

9 Oct9 October 15:44

Applied for white IHG card after black cancelled. Card arrived a few days ago, but creation have just realised the mistake and cancelled it.
- John says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 15:45
  
  Already reported!
  - John Caribbean says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 16:12
    
    I thought I wouldn’t be the first, but doesn’t see it on yesterday’s thread, though I might have missed it
    - John says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 16:49
      
      Today’s thread page 3
- StevieKicks says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 15:50
  
  Cancelled immediately, or on 3rd Dec?
  - John Caribbean says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 16:13
    
    Immediately.
    - Youllnever says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 16:41
      
      You haven’t contacted Creation at all after you applied for the white card have you?
  - Jim says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 17:06
    
    Same for me, new white card issued last week cancelled immediately although can only see restricted functionality at the moment, I’ve not been formally notified.
David says:

9 Oct9 October 16:03

I miss the days when people who were late for flights got a slow clap as they boarded – just saying as I sit on a BA flight waiting for passengers.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 16:09
  
  Because it’s their fault the flight they were connecting from landed late?
  - David says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 16:48
    
    I very much doubt that was the case.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 16:58
      
      Yet most of the time that’s why they’ll wait and not just close the flight
      
      Or they were stuck at security and just made conformity (been there)
      - David says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 17:13
        
        Well perphaps so but spending ages stowing their bags and complaining about their seats is avoidable.
Will says:

9 Oct9 October 16:41

Can anyone explain how to complete the uk PLF if unable to receive sms ? Thanks
- Will says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 16:56
  
  Thanks Virgin Mobile for not working in Greece.
- Sam G says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 17:01
  
  Put a friend get them to WhatsApp you the message?
  - Will says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 17:08
    
    How? I already have an account. It already knows my number. No way to log in to change the number.
    - Will says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 17:09
      
      Can I do it when I land at Heathrow before immigration?
      - mzb00 says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 18:47
        
        Just complete without logging in to your account, you can still submit one without creating one.
Don says:

9 Oct9 October 16:52

IHG App not working here either……a
former Curve user.
- Youllnever says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 16:55
  
  All good here – might just be a temporary issue.
- Jim says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 17:07
  
  Fine for me, just made some bookings to use up the 300k points I had sitting in my IHG account
  - Anna says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 17:21
    
    +1. May now be stuck with odd hotels in London next Autumn 🤣, like HI Whitechapel!!
    - Jim says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 19:21
      
      I’ll be in the IC Park Lane if I forget to change these dummy bookings!
      - Anna says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 19:48
        
        I wanted mine spread out so I can get the points back in batches if necessary!
  - Lady London says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 20:43
    
    That could be a very, very good idea for anyone with a large IHG balance to consider especially if they’ve accrued a potentially unnatural-appearing number of points creatively.
    
    The mess does seem to be mainly around Creation and IHG themselves isolated as it’s not them with a problem of incompetence revealed however I wouldn’t take that chance. Just unload to fully flex far ahead and hold your breath or ship out some othet way.
    - Jim says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 20:55
      
      Exactly, most people won’t have 6 or 7 figure IHG points balance from stays or normal credit card spend, given the world has been shut for 18+ months. I’d play it safe and get your balance down with some dummy bookings, most points bookings are fully refundable so no risk. Given everything that’s going on, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the MS players get burned…
      - David says:
        
        10 Oct10 October 00:10
        
        Do you really think that if they are going to do something about this, they won’t just cancel the hotel bookings made with points?
      - David says:
        
        10 Oct10 October 00:22
        
        Or just close the OHG Rewards Account as per the programme T&Cs and as I pointed out in the main cancelllation article/thread… was widely derided for that and interesting to see many of those now rushing to convert their points to stays.