The HfP chat thread – Monday 18th October

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• Mark says:

  18 Oct18 October 16:53

  On top of the 3% FX fee for non-GBP transactions, how are the FX rates for Amex? What is a rough mark up on the spot rate?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    18 Oct18 October 17:29

    All of the major card issuers have 0.25-0.75% margin vs spot

    The rates are published somewhere if you google you should be able to compare to the fx rate the previous day.

  • Ls says:

    18 Oct18 October 17:51

    Amex are one of the best. Far better than visa, and usually slightly better than Mastercard.
    Far cheaper using revolut. Unless you need S75 protection.

• Ian M says:

  18 Oct18 October 16:57

  Marriott 7 night certificates from their travel packages.. Anyone know if the expiry date is a book and stay by date or simply the book by date?

  • Matthew says:

    18 Oct18 October 17:51

    Pretty sure it’s book and stay by.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      18 Oct18 October 17:55

      It needs to start by not sure if it needs to end by the date. Used to be a pretty active thread on flyertalk about these packages.

• Briand says:

  18 Oct18 October 17:04

  A gentle reminder please..need to book two Avios flights to the US… one out to Chicago and one back from Atlanta. Do I book two one ways on line….with over the top charges etc. Or do I have to call to join them both together to at least save a few £’s. Thanks for your help…it’s been some time….

  • Rob says:

    18 Oct18 October 17:17

    You need to call to book it. As you know, doing 2 x one-ways online means crazy fees and they will no longer let you merge a separate return with a tax adjustment.

    • Red Flyer says:

      18 Oct18 October 19:49

      I did an open jaw booking recently on IB using Avios. MAD-EZE and GIG-MAD back. Did I stuff up booking separate 1 way redemptions online and should I have called IB to book these instead?

      • Rob says:

        18 Oct18 October 20:31

        Probably not given how low IB taxes are. Only an issue on North America anyway, for most other places there is little difference between a return and 2 x oneway.

• Amy C says:

  18 Oct18 October 17:56

  People familiar with Hotels.com: I am trying to redeem a reward night which it tells me is worth £163. When I apply it it gives me a discount of only £117. WTH is going on? Is it something obvious that I just can’t compute?

  • Rob says:

    18 Oct18 October 18:00

    It’s not valid against taxes. So … a UK hotel costing £163 is £135 + VAT (assuming you are booking for when VAT is back to 20%) and so the maximim discount is £135.

    To get £163 off a UK hotel you’d need to be paying £196.

    • Amy C says:

      18 Oct18 October 18:07

      Ah ok so it’s that maybe, it’s in Marrakesh, average nightly rate of £129, £35 total taxes for 3n.

  • Amy C says:

    18 Oct18 October 18:04

    Think I’ve worked it out. Hotel I’m trying to book is £117 a night approx. Stupid me thought it’d take £163 off the total. Bugger.

    • CarpalTravel says:

      18 Oct18 October 18:08

      That’s right, to get the full value you need to book for nights above the value of the redemption. In the checkout screen you expand the menu to see the nightly cost and how the redemption is applied. Remember also there is a £2 fee per bonus night if done via the web, it’s free if via the app.

      • Amy C says:

        18 Oct18 October 18:50

        Much obliged. Gracias.

      • Andrew H says:

        18 Oct18 October 21:10

        £4 per night on web I think. Free on app.

  • Blenz101 says:

    18 Oct18 October 18:05

    Vouchers only work against the base room rate. You will need to check the breakdown of VAT, local taxes as well as anything the hotel is excluding from the room rate e.g. your voucher won’t cover a seaplane transfer in the Maldives but would cover the room itself.

    • Amy C says:

      18 Oct18 October 18:07

      Thank you.

• Nick Booker says:

  18 Oct18 October 17:57

  I Just got my Expert Medicals test results from day 2 test having returned from Dubrovnic on Thursday. Good news its negative, just a bit surprised I got them at all in mind of not being on approved list and some stories on here!

  • Rob says:

    18 Oct18 October 17:58

    Do you have any proof they actually processed it though?!

    • Nick Booker says:

      18 Oct18 October 18:04

      Well Rob I have a certificate that says I am negative, but I get your drift. I have just done a lateral flow test too, that is negative so fingers crossed

      • Dayle says:

        18 Oct18 October 18:40

        Do people still actually take tests on returning? AFAIK, we all gave up on that ages ago, are there still people out there who are worried about catching it?

        • Booker1989 says:

          18 Oct18 October 18:55

          Not worried about catching it but dont want a fine!

        • Anuj says:

          18 Oct18 October 18:55

          In the last 42 days there were more than 1 million infections in the UK, we also have some of the highest death rates and admittance numbers in Europe. With minimal changes to our behaviour we could save so many people from getting long covid or death. The difference is the media and people are bored of it so no one is paying attention to the figures anymore.

• Bearing up says:

  18 Oct18 October 17:58

  BA recently cancelled F flights to Chile for next Monday, after many amendments over last 6 months, on previously cancelled and subsequently rebooked 241 voucher in March. Having read the horror stories on here I wasn’t keen on having to phone to sort it out. However, rang at 11- cut straight off, immediately on again (diff no), hung on for 48 mins and then cut off. Rang YouFirst no and answered after 13 mins.
  Very helpful lady took me through options inc rerouting via Iberia/Madrid, refund etc. I queried rebooking to Oct 22 but she confirmed policy changed and only able to rebook 12 months from ticket issue, I.e. to March 2022. She then confirmed I could rebook for March, cancel in Feb and rebook for Oct 22 as she would be reissuing the tickets.
  Result- 2 new tickets in F and will cancel in late Feb 22 for Oct/Nov 22. Maybe not the route most would take but if it works out we’re happy.
  Call recorded, brothers birthday so won’t forget it should the need arise!
  And breathe! 😀👍

  • Anna says:

    18 Oct18 October 18:31

    I hope that lady is still working for BA when you come to make that call … !

  • Harry T says:

    18 Oct18 October 18:45

    I suspect you may be fubared in Feb 22

  • Sam G says:

    18 Oct18 October 19:24

    You’d need BA to cancel the flight though otherwise you’d be relying on Avios availability so no gain over the FTV

    If it gets cancelled I agree with the others , not sure you’ll get a smooth amendment to Oct but you could CEDR / MCOL them to achieve that

    • Lady London says:

      18 Oct18 October 20:47

      Harder now though.
      You only get one chance to choose following a cancellation and he’ll be told that was February. Also as Sam G mentioned then likely to find insistence on avios availability which isn’t needed on your one shot now that has been used up. They might even try to impose £35pp cancellation fees come February.

      Will be very interested in whether BA honours this agent’s promise and what it will take come February.

      • Magic Mike says:

        18 Oct18 October 23:45

        I would be doing a preemptive GDPR request asking for the recording of that call before it gets lost to the archives… (Having visions of the BA tape store that is like the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark)

        • Memesweeper says:

          19 Oct19 October 00:06

          +1

          Get a copy of the call *now* … they are unlikely to just honour this without evidence

• graham says:

  18 Oct18 October 18:34

  Going to Antigua for the cricket next March any suggestions for 6 old guys to stay

  • Bernard says:

    18 Oct18 October 19:54

    Trade Winds Hotel. 10 minutes from the ground. Great restaurant and pool.

• Anuj says:

  18 Oct18 October 18:44

  Does anyone know if I use the virgin card on western union for a money transfer will I be charged a cash advance etc fee?

  • Anuj says:

    18 Oct18 October 18:53

    And If it is, is it like IHG where if you pay it off straight away you get charged pennies interest?

    • Yorkie Aid says:

      18 Oct18 October 18:57

      I wouldn’t risk it bearing in mind Virgin’s quoted fee for a cash advance is 5%

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