Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Sunday 24th October

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

We are running this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions.  With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page.  If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here.  This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

Category

General

Comments (455)

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

  • Oz says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:19

    I have a FTV with BA booked originally with Avios and then flight cancelled by BA. They are fine with changing the direction of the travel, but insist there has to be availability for Avios bookings. Is that correct, I thought they could book regardless of availability? Worth trying HUACA? Many thanks

    • Lady London says:
      24 Oct24 October 12:08

      Changing direction makes it different travel so it counts as a new booking.

      Keep same routing, at least origin and destination as ticket currently written, and they have to give you a revenue seat if they’re selling it and not allowed to insist on avios seat availability for your reroute flights.

      • Louie says:
        24 Oct24 October 13:51

        Even if they’ve accepted a FTV?

        • ChrisC says:
          24 Oct24 October 13:58

          If you are using an FTV then it’s a new booking and avios has to be available to book – just as normal.

          There doesn’t have to be avios available when a cancellation is involved and the routing is the same and you are rebooking that.

          Taking an FTV means you forfeit the rebooking rights.

    • John says:
      24 Oct24 October 16:27

      An FTV is just a credit note for the amount of avios and cash you paid; there is no “direction of travel” as you can book any route you like, but as they said there needs to be availability.

      If BA cancelled the flight you should not have taken an FTV but just left the ticket open until you were ready to rebook – in that case you would not need to pay anything, but the origin and destination would have to stay the same unless BA was willing to make an exception.

  • The Original Nick. says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:19

    BA Blue status Question – My partner has now dropped down to Blue – she is flying CE with her friend who is flying in Economy who is also Blue. Can she take her friend into the lounge?

  • Peter Taysum says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:35

    For a brief period yesterday I had three return flights to SEA from NCL on the same day (out bound). I missed the last sale, so bought “premium economy” with car (holiday double TP) for around £2600. Decided to get CW with Avios instead. Then prices dropped with the current sale. Best price was £2600 for LHR to SEA First.

    Interesting routings available so am doing LHR to PHL (A) to SEA (I) out for 350 TP. Back is via DFW for 250 TP. Not double as not holiday. But wanted to get my new AMEX 2:4:1 voucher. Cancelled Avios flights for £35, for Holiday they can’t issue FTV over the phone (?!) so did this online (advised easier to do via “Covid” than “manager my booking” so won’t lose £150 of my deposit). Then NCL to LHR on RFS as wanted CE and was expensive.

    As I’ll be arriving early at LHR early with around 4-5 hours in the Concord Room on 28th December thought a “car” probably not be a good idea…

    I was thinking of going for GGL with reduced TP requirement and double TP on holidays; but don’t think I can manage it.::

    My head yesterday trying to sort out the best thing really was ready to explode! 🤣

    Hoping 2;4;1 voucher arrives quickly, as fancy Maldives, needing the extra “availability”!

  • Tom says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:41

    I got affected by the direct flight suspension between Morocco and the UK. Original flight was BA Club Europe so got moved to Iberia with the final leg to London being in economy. They didn’t serve any food and apparently alcohol is not available in economy full stop. Is this definitely right? If that’s their policy I will never fly with them again.

    • Sam G says:
      24 Oct24 October 09:46

      Only since COVID, used to be BoB. I believe even in Biz you only get a drink with your meal, no extras allowed

    • Jonathan says:
      24 Oct24 October 10:23

      BA would’ve cancelled the flight anyway even Morocco didn’t ban direct flights ATM. I booked with BA to fly out in mid September, and Return the first week of October, both flights were cancelled, and none of their planes had been for there almost certainly many months

      • Nick says:
        24 Oct24 October 12:21

        Actually not true. BA operated a charter to Fez a couple of weeks ago, and had stood up the RAK local airport team to start receiving flights again from this week. They were definitely going to resume… until the announcement from the Moroccan authorities.

  • Jessica says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:44

    Can you access the lounge if you lost your priority pass card (via amex gold)

    • Pete M says:
      24 Oct24 October 09:46

      You can use the Priority Pass app?

      • Jessica says:
        24 Oct24 October 10:04

        can anyone confirm, not sure if a replacement will arrive in time.

      • Travel Strong says:
        24 Oct24 October 10:25

        As per Pete M: install the app. I never carry the card. If you can’t login on the app, call priority pass. 100% possible to get up and running in 10-20 mins with no card.

    • Can says:
      24 Oct24 October 11:15

      I never even used the plastic card. The app is good, you can add the virtual card to your ios wallet as well.
      Just make sure your phone has enough juice.

  • Russel says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:48

    Can you apply for free BA card if you already have BAPP?

  • TOBIAS L says:
    24 Oct24 October 09:57

    Just received my Virgin Atlantic+ Credit Card. Much to my astonishment, it doesn’t seem to work with Google Pay (only Apple Pay).

    Is it OK to use this card through Curve? In light of recent events with Creation + me not really knowing how Virgin behaves towards Curve usage I’d rather not do anything too hastily…

    Any input appreciated – thanks!

    • John says:
      24 Oct24 October 10:05

      If you are spending on “normal” things I wouldn’t worry

    • Reney says:
      24 Oct24 October 10:12

      No one really knows since Virgin hasn’t acted yet (if it will at all). Not saying all credit card issuers will act like Creation, but people who said they have just done normal spending through Curve because Creation did not work on apple pay are also getting shut down.

      Most of us on here don’t know the answer, at the end of the day it is your own risk appetite that matters. Some here would say no way and have even shut down their Curve cards, others have carried on. Basically, it comes down to how upset you would be if your card gets shut down. For the sake of carrying a physical card around…

    • Tom says:
      24 Oct24 October 10:19

      No issues using Virgin+ card with Curve for me

    • Jonathan says:
      24 Oct24 October 10:32

      If they cancel your card, what’s to stop you applying again in the future ?

      If they take creation ihg route (we’re all hoping creation ihg are the only ones who’ll take this sort of action) then if you apply again in the future and get accepted, you’ll know not to use your card with them via Curve

      I mainly use my Virgin card via Curve, no MS !

      • Reney says:
        24 Oct24 October 10:45

        @Jonathan – a few people who got their Creation Black card shut down went and applied for a white card straight away, got accepted, received the card, then a letter to say the white card was getting shut down. Looks like a black list is in effect.

        • Jonathan says:
          24 Oct24 October 10:52

          If this were the case, it depends on their IT system, people have managed to apply for a card within 6 months of cancelling the other and get accepted without any problems.

          The creation ihg route might be a signal that they’re trying to exit the UK credit card market, but currently that’s anyone’s guess

  • Charlie says:
    24 Oct24 October 10:08

    Apologies if this has been asked a million times but the .gov website is annoying.
    Going to egypt in 2 weeks, I know I need to a lateral test on day 2 when I return but do I need to do a PCR before entering egypt? I’m fully vaccinated

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

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Learn more on our About page.

VAA

Latest comments

Latest Forum Posts

Get 30,000 points bonus with American Express Platinum

Amex Gold

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.3 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

Get 20,000 bonus points and your first year free with American Express Gold

Amex Gold