The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 26th October

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• SteveJ says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:20

  DP : Solihull to Che still declining larger amounts this morning (that would previously work) but allowed a smaller amount, ~£500).

  • Pid says:

    26 Oct26 October 08:12

    Do you need to pay off straight away with that route?

    • SteveJ says:

      26 Oct26 October 08:28

      To avoid interest? Yes.

  • Reney says:

    26 Oct26 October 09:06

    have you tried deleting your Solihull card and adding it back on the Che app? Is 2FA popping up for you at all?

    • SteveJ says:

      26 Oct26 October 10:37

      The 2FA pops up, so not tried the remove and re-add approach, might give that a go tomorrow.

  • Anna says:

    26 Oct26 October 09:49

    That’s exactly what’s happened to me. I’m wondering if they’ve gone back to a daily minimum/weekly spend? Wasn’t it £700 per week (though even then I’ve done more than that yesterday)?

    • Guernsey Globetrotter says:

      26 Oct26 October 10:53

      I’ve found in the last few months that there was a hard cap of £1,800 on Che for me (across 3 cards). For a while it only applied to mine and not player 2’s card, so whatever limits were the roll-out was not done simultaneously. Nothing about their IT surprises me anymore…

      • SteveJ says:

        26 Oct26 October 11:19

        GG – Was the 1,800 per day or per week for you?

        • Guernsey Globetrotter says:

          26 Oct26 October 16:52

          Per week 🙁

      • G says:

        26 Oct26 October 16:22

        Good shout. Managed £1000 last week and then not letting me do the same again this week. Did £800 just now and went through. So seems to be £1800 a week.

        • SteveJ says:

          26 Oct26 October 19:18

          Thanks GG, and good to know G. I’ll give it a go up to that amount and see what happens

• Roy says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:34

  What’s safe holiday location for Christmas break.
  I have BA 241 VOUCHER to use.

  • Graham C says:

    26 Oct26 October 07:45

    You could always book something then FTV it to extend the voucher. It’s been discussed here numerous times.

    Your definition of safe will be different to others – in terms of COVID or the city itself?

    How far are you going and in what class? New York has lots of availability for example and is a great place for a long weekend.

    In Europe, German cities have the best Christmas markets that I’ve experienced so far. I’d say that’s a waste of a 2 for 1 but it’s your voucher.

    • Roy says:

      26 Oct26 October 08:13

      Thanks.
      I am looking for sunny beach destination.

      The eye was set on MRU or SEZ but currently no availability.
      Also hoping for trouble free travel without any isolation or other such issues at destination.

      • Blenz101 says:

        26 Oct26 October 08:21

        Dubai?

      • JDB says:

        26 Oct26 October 08:26

        Mexico?

      • SteveJ says:

        26 Oct26 October 08:52

        For THIS Christmas? Might be too late to get the dates you want on a 241 for summer sun.

        • Spurs drive me mad says:

          26 Oct26 October 09:00

          Do you mean this Christmas? You might get lucky but normally any destination over peak holiday season will be snapped up at 355 days out. They just released loads of seats for Mauritius but you missed them will they release more who knows.
          Set up seat spy alerts for places you are interested in and you may get lucky.

      • Spurs drive me mad says:

        26 Oct26 October 09:02

        As for hoping for trouble free at destination you need to be prepared for anything, surely the last 2 years have taught us all how quickly things can change and best to be prepared for it.

      • Anna says:

        26 Oct26 October 09:59

        If you’re really desperate for long haul sun, use your 2 4 1 to any American city with availability then get a connecting flight to Florida or the Caribbean. Even at Christmas some of these can be quite reasonable, e.g. NAS or CUN.

        • Mikeact says:

          26 Oct26 October 14:55

          We like Aruba…

• Gary says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:38

  T2 plaza premium. Does a 4 year old count as a guest?

  • Gary says:

    26 Oct26 October 08:48

    No is the answer.

• SteveJ says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:41

  Review of Crowne Plaza London Albert Embankment.

  – Points stay, available at good rates (~30k/night)
  – Clean, newly furnished hotel and room, pleasant 15 minute walk to London Eye along river, or Parliament Square over the river. Good location for Southbank, Parliament, Horseguards etc. 30 minute walk to the West End (Regent Street/Covent Garden). Convenient grocery store right next door.
  – Spire benefits : rewards room upgraded to river view (direct view of MI5 Millbank, over to side can see Parliament & the scaffolded Big Ben from the room). 2pm checkout offered and accepted.
  – No upgrade to club floor, check-in mentioned that as this is a franchised hotel they only offer that as a paid for supplement, not complimentary
  – Clamped down, non stealable high end toiletries. Decent toilet paper.
  – Nespresso coffee machine, £5 kettle, free biscuits and water in room. Empty fridge. Chocolates in room daily and topped up by turn down service later in the day.
  – Room had desk, desk chair, single arm chair and small coffee table by window. Nice flat screen TV, lots of USB ports and even an HDMI port on the wall (didn’t use). WiFi was very good, good enough for video streaming on a tablet.

  Overall a nice hotel, with good attentive staff. Was hoping Spire Elite might get a club room upgrade, obviously that’s no guarantee, was very happy with the river view for ~30k points.

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    26 Oct26 October 07:46

    Don’t they have to offer club lounge access as a welcome gift? Might be subject to availability or something

    • SteveJ says:

      26 Oct26 October 08:31

      I don’t believe that’s an officially listed benefit AFAIK.

      • BJ says:

        26 Oct26 October 09:28

        Correct, it isn’t.

  • ianM says:

    26 Oct26 October 07:58

    Toilet paper, wow we didn’t need to know that level of detail

    • SteveJ says:

      26 Oct26 October 08:29

      I believe that’s an Aston100 “thing”, I stopped short of describing how many sheets per wipe!

      • SteveJ says:

        26 Oct26 October 08:34

        Forgot to mention, hangers very much of the stealable variety. Robes and slippers were also decent quality.

        • Super Secret Stuff says:

          26 Oct26 October 09:10

          Now that is what we really wanted to know, stealable hangers is a true sign of quality hahaha

      • Aston100 says:

        26 Oct26 October 17:22

        🚽 💩🧻 👍

  • Ryan Gill says:

    26 Oct26 October 08:08

    I got a couple of drinks vouchers with snacks included as a Platinum Ambassador recently. No mention of a room upgrade. Children under 12 get free breakfast with a paying adult. Think it was £15. I’ve just stayed at Holiday Inn terminal 5 en route to Malaga using points and was pleased to be offered a couple of drinks here too.

  • DJ says:

    26 Oct26 October 19:22

    I thought most hotels are franchised?? I don’t think there are many that are actually owned by IHG.

    • SteveJ says:

      26 Oct26 October 21:37

      Yes, it was more of a ‘not all crowne plazas will give the same spire elite benefits as we’re franchises’ type statement. That’s in response to my surprise that club upgrade wasn’t on offer. Got to give it a go!

• Lyn says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:42

  Thanks very much to everyone who kindly answered my detailed questions about filling in the PLF form correctly for overnight transit at LHR; the 423 bus diversion and stops; and twilight check-in at T5. It really helped ensure an uneventful transit so far. Even the T5 e-gates cooperated.

  And especially to WaynedeP for his gentle suggestion of leaving such planning to my OH, which really made me smile!. If I had done that we’d no doubt be found still wandering around T5 two or three days later in a slightly demented condition.

  It feels quite strange being back on British soil after two years, albeit it for less than 24 hours. And even stranger to finally be able to use the First class award I booked last year with 50% avios after all the route and flight cancellations and rebookings made to it since then.

• Mr. AC says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:45

  Flying from LCY today with BA status. What’s the lounge situation? Breakfast at a restaurant or nothing at all?

  • Andrew says:

    26 Oct26 October 07:48

    Nothing. Never been a lounge at LCY apart from a small gate lounge area with some refreshments for the JFK service. It’s buy your own breakfast time I’m afraid.

    • Mr. AC says:

      26 Oct26 October 08:11

      Pre-COVID you got a free meal at a restaurant in lieu of a lounge…

      • Andrew says:

        26 Oct26 October 08:16

        Only for JFK – not other flights. 90% of BA travellers from LCY have status – the restaurants would be queueing our the door!

        • Pete M says:

          26 Oct26 October 09:25

          I’ve always thought LCY could take the Ko Samui approach and make the whole airport into a lounge like Bangkok Airways do there… Will obviously never happen, but a nice idea!

        • Mr. AC says:

          26 Oct26 October 09:26

          That explains it, I only ever flew out of LCY to JFK before. Thanks!

        • Spurs drive me mad says:

          26 Oct26 October 11:49

          @pete m … do they still give away free snacks and drinks? Can’t see that happening at any airport in UK lol

        • Pete M says:

          26 Oct26 October 15:41

          I believe so, @Spurs

• Ron says:

  26 Oct26 October 07:53

  Hello, our trip to Hawaii this summer was cancelled and postponed to Aug22, but my silver ends in Jun22, is it likely for BA to extend my membership for two months if I ask nicely? Main reason is for free seat selection. Thanks.

  • Harry T says:

    26 Oct26 October 07:54

    Nope.

  • Andrew says:

    26 Oct26 October 07:57

    You’ll get the “soft landing” to bronze though, so you can select seats 7 days before departure and still get a start on those without status and unwilling to pay.

    • Matt says:

      26 Oct26 October 08:05

      Thought you could book your seats for free as you’re silver at the moment?

      • Ron says:

        26 Oct26 October 08:12

        Yes, we have, but some reported BA system kick you out when your silver ends.

        • Andrew says:

          26 Oct26 October 08:16

          Correct

        • Terri says:

          26 Oct26 October 10:36

          I dropped from silver for a time in 2019. I kept the seats I had prereserved for later in the year – 2 twin pairs at the back of a BA 747 to Miami in both directions.

          Unfortunately turned out to be my last flights on a 747 – the plane was older than the flight attendant but he was clearly very proud of it when we chatted to him.

          Keep your fingers crossed there is no plane swap – as this will boot you out of your seats and then be unable to reserve again till much nearer the flight date.

        • Ron says:

          26 Oct26 October 11:34

          Yes, I’ve heard about the plane swap thing. We are on an A380 upper deck 53J&K at the moment. My membership ends 30Jun22 and we fly on 29July22, so hopefully, if they don’t do plane swap after 30Jun, then I’m ok.

• Patrick Cold says:

  26 Oct26 October 08:05

  My thanks to those who advised regarding my stay @ Hilton, Nicosia last week when there were fire alarm issues. The hotel returned 3/4 of the points I had paid which was impressive on their part.

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