The HfP chat thread – Sunday 24th October

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• Simon says:

  24 Oct24 October 10:08

  Datapoint. Managed to exceed 0.6p per IHG point (got 0.64p) at the Intercontinental Montreal. Appreciate the reviews are mixed but it’s only a short stay en route to the new Club Med in Quebec and we’ll out sightseeing most of the time.

  • John says:

    24 Oct24 October 16:21

    I got 2p or so at some dinky Holiday Inn Express which had super high rates for some reason.

• SwissJim says:

  24 Oct24 October 10:21

  Does anyone have an Airtime Rewards referral code they want to share. I realise the referral bonus isn’t life changing…

  • Optimus Prime says:

    24 Oct24 October 10:23

    FYNVL86Y

• YFP says:

  24 Oct24 October 10:28

  Does anyone know if the PLF code for lateral flow tests are different to that of PCR? Flying back to Scotland in 2 days and tempted to book a lateral flow as Nicola is obviously delaying the change to show she’s different. Can anyone who’s booked let me know?

  • Phil W says:

    24 Oct24 October 10:55

    🎣

    • YFP says:

      24 Oct24 October 12:12

      sorry my emojictionary is not up to date, context?

  • BP says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:20

    The form will likely accept it anyway. It was never that advanced – lots of people were not booking the official PCR when that was required for returning to Scotland.

    • YFP says:

      24 Oct24 October 12:11

      Thanks, might try it in that case, don’t know why ScotGov hasn’t announced when they’d accept lateral flow tests

      • BP says:

        24 Oct24 October 20:53

        To be different as you say.

        • Jill (Kinkell) says:

          24 Oct24 October 23:21

          ….and to be seen as ‘more caring’

• VickyTM says:

  24 Oct24 October 11:02

  Hi, sorry – I know theses questions come up a lot, but, do 13 year olds get a NHS “fully Vaccinated” certificate when they have had their one dose? Want to take my son to Italy and and finding the specific info annoyingly hard to find. I know that we need to have a negative test result with 48 hrs of arrival, and a day 2 test upon return. Is there anything else I’m missing? Thanks

  • Sean says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:07

    If they have had 1 dose of a vaccine designed to be given in two doses (moderna, Astra, Pfizer) then they are not fully vaccinated after 1 even though that is all they will have had at the moment. (gov still unsure as to whether to give 2 and gap in between).

  • JDB says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:14

    @VickyTM please don’t take the word of a random stranger and check it for yourself, but my understanding for Italy is that 1 dose doesn’t count as fully vaccinated, but minors are exempt from quarantine if travelling with adults who are themselves exempt. See the FCDO links to Italian govt sites/questionnaire.

    “ From 0 to 17 years of age, minors are exempt from the requirement of self-isolation if they are accompanied by a parent who is also exempt from such requirement because of the possession of a certificate of vaccination (or a certificate of recovery, if applicable based on the history of travel in the previous 14 days).”

  • Richie says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:24

    Btw Italy is reviewing their requirements and may advise 25th Oct.

    • VickyTM says:

      24 Oct24 October 11:44

      Ok great – Thanks. It looks like he needs to be tested every 48 hrs to get the green pass, but treated as fully vaccinated in terms of entry into Italy and returning to UK. Well, till Monday anyway when it may well all change! Thanks for the help

• FatherOfFour says:

  24 Oct24 October 11:08

  Heads up: Just found out that CaxtonFX charge a dormancy fee of £2 per month on their currency card. We hadn’t used since 2018, but the fee started 2 years later. I’m sure it is in their T’s and C’s, so no point crying, but thought I’d bring to attention in case anybody else has one in a drawer with money on.

  • Lady London says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:56

    Check your original ts and cs.

    If it wasnt in your original ts and cs then for it to apply they have to have given you whatever notice is provided in the ts and cs as of when you bought, typically 60 days? before it applied. You would have had the chance to close it getting all monies back if you didnt want to accept the change. If they didn’t notify you (and, I believe, could prove you’d received) the change then they can’t apply it and you should get your money back.

    Ts and cs for stuff typically received when something is bought or started, or you’re shown a link to download, and/or take screenshots, or physically with something bought either as paper or writing on the box or terms on the back of a sale note delivery note, invoice etc. Best to keep and ideally notify any discrepancies between promo/ts and cs and what happens as soon as you become aware of it happening/not happening.

    If you’d loaded it and kept it in a drawer till needed, taken it out to use and only just found out about this and it wasnt in ts and cs when you purchased and they can’t prove you received their notification in accordance with the ts and cs then you’re entitled to it all back and complain to FOS and any other regulator mentioned in their ts and cs if they refuse or dont give it all back within 8 weeks

    • FatherOfFour says:

      24 Oct24 October 12:26

      Thanks for the advice. I’ll see if I can find the original T’s and C’s

      • FatherOfFour says:

        24 Oct24 October 13:42

        Can’t find the original, but they sent out a “change” by email 01/04/20. It seems as though the 2 year limit may have already been in place, but has now changed to 1 year. I think I’ll use up the balance and consider a currensea card.

        60 days notice of account management fee changes
        As a result of the changes we’re making to help our active customers use their balance within the UK, we have had to make a few changes for those customers who do not use us at present. To reflect this, we’ve made some important changes to the account management fee we charge for account inactivity. We’ve reduced the period from 24 months to 12 months from the last transaction. This brings us in line with industry standards and will come into play in 60 days. You will not be charged if you have zero balance. Please refer to these changes in Section 21 of our Terms and Conditions.

        • Lady London says:

          24 Oct24 October 15:23

          If it’s a significant change, which I would class this as, then they have to draw your attention to the specific change in what they send out. So on the notice it should be specifically drawn to your attention. They can’t just say “here’s some new ts and cs”. They have to also state to you what’s different ie draw it to your attention.

          Complain if they didn’t.

• Jim’s says:

  24 Oct24 October 11:10

  That moment when your family of 5 miss your outward 8am Avios flight to Ibiza. You luckily manage to somehow snag 5 more seats on the 4pm flight -but still the biggest nightmare unfolding is thinking you’ve lost the return portion of the ticket, scheduled for the last day of half term, and there are no seats anyway, cash or Avios coming back….and BA Exec club agent won’t budge or help…..

  ….then after 2 HUAC’s you wishing you hadn’t booked it as a rerun you suddenly realise you DID make the booking as 2 one way bookings after all!

  Newbies…ALWAYS book avios returns as 2 singles I’d at all possible.

  • Ed says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:30

    I found myself in the reverse position a few years ago. Two singles. Flight out of LCY cancelled because of snow. Return flight was flying, so had to pay to move it.

    • Lady London says:

      24 Oct24 October 12:04

      If airline cancelled you should not have had to pay for that. They may also still owe you the outbound.

      Read EU261 text it’s solid and very readable. Unfortunately BA and other airlines seem to disregard those rights (which outrank all BA’s ts and cs and anything BA says they or their systems cant do). You can still get what you should have had up to 6 years later (statute of limitations). Plus any charges they made incorrectly you’re entitled to demand back as well

      • Nick says:

        24 Oct24 October 12:28

        @LL you might want to read OPs closer this morning 😊 Ed is saying he had two separate bookings so had to pay himself to move the one that was unaffected by cancellation… entirely true and he’s owed nothing by BA for it.

        Above, the Caxton dormant fee is – and has always been – in the T&C, so no recourse to FOS.

        I mean this in the nicest way… have a cuppa, then tackle HFP 😊

        • Lady London says:

          24 Oct24 October 15:28

          Hi Nick, yes I’d missed it was 2 separate tix. At least OP would have got the outbound reroute for free.

          Re Caxton that’s pretty much what I told the OP to check. Interestingly he’s said it was only introduced in April 2020. So clearly not there originally.

    • Sam G says:

      24 Oct24 October 12:37

      Yep been there. Even the CR person thought it was ridiculous – it was BA who hadn’t got me there! In the end they gave me enough Avios to book a RFS which an OK outcome

      OP – Heathrow would have rebooked you – either £60pp or maybe even FOC – they have quite a bit of on the day leeway nowadays with so many paperwork and testing mishaps going on

  • TGLoyalty says:

    24 Oct24 October 13:09

    Did you miss Bag drop or checked in but boarding closed ?

    In future you can claim an FTV right up until the moment check in closes if you’re stuck in traffic etc but BA are actually pretty good at sticking you on the next available flight for free and you don’t lose your return seats in that case.

  • Jimc says:

    24 Oct24 October 14:15

    Sadly it was my mistake that got us to the airport at 7.40 for the 8am flight. The check in agent tried to help move us to the later flight but he needed to go through the exec club….who were having none of it.
    I cancelled the flight on my app at 8.11 but FTV declined…At that point that was the last thing on my mind but I’m kicking myself now for not cancelling it by 7.59…oh well 100,000 Avios gone.

    Thankfully we can still get there though, was very surprised to see 5 award seats in Y or J on a half term get away weekend.

    • John says:

      24 Oct24 October 16:24

      I think you needed to do it at 0659 to get the FTV

• Shaun says:

  24 Oct24 October 11:11

  Assuming you can actually get through. Does anyone know if there are BA agents that can deal with Avios and cash tickets at the same time and which is the best number/ phone option to try.
  I am a lowly Blue, but have a booking to Dubai where my wife, toddler and I are in Avios and other son is on a cash ticket and I need to make some changes.
  Thanks in advance. 😀

  • Memesweeper says:

    24 Oct24 October 11:23

    This may depend on the agent you get — both their willingness to help, and having the right training/systems access. I’ve managed to make changes to two mixed bookings on one call a few weeks ago, but also be told no previously.

• Andrew says:

  24 Oct24 October 11:12

  For those who like trying long haul business class seats on short haul routes – AA are operating a lot of 777s on their domestic routes at the moment. JFK to Miami is nearly all operated by 777s, most of which are four-class 77W – if you book row 1 and 2 you’ll get the first class seat with its face the windows desk seating position. Avios availability wide-open at 16,500 one way and a laughable £4.10 taxes/charges.

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