The HfP chat thread – Sunday 31st October

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• Sina says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:08

  I’ve got the Amex BA Accelerating card, if I apply for Amex business gold or plat, would I get the SUB?

  I haven’t had a personal card for more than 6+ months.

  • Rob says:

    31 Oct31 October 12:00

    According to the rules, yes.

    • Sina says:

      31 Oct31 October 18:58

      Thanks, Rob.

• N says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:10

  Oh crap I didn’t realize this. Is this specified anywhere? Couldn’t find anything clear online

• Grimz says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:16

  Rob, sorry if I’m being dumb here!! yesterday you said ACC Bus card 1st. What card is that?

  • Sam says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:30

    Prob this one
    https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/09/02/british-airways-accelerating-business-credit-card/

    • Grimz says:

      31 Oct31 October 08:45

      Thanks, do you know if these points can be amalgamated with your BA household account .

      • Rob says:

        31 Oct31 October 11:55

        Yes. In fact there is no choice as Avios only go into personal accounts.

  • Peter K says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:30

    BA accelerating business card.

• N says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:16

  When travelling, how do you find restaurant/food recommendations? Do you ask friends? Tripadvisor? Google? Zomato?

  • Jamie O says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:19

    As vegetarians we use Happy Cow website

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:21

    Yelp is my preference

  • Benilyn says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:26

    Tripadvisor
    Food blogs
    YouTube videos (Mark Wiens etc)

  • John says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:34

    I walk around and see where looks busy. Maybe read the negative reviews on Google and TA if I can’t decide between two places.

    Or read food blogs in advance – so I know whether I agree with the blogger’s tastes

  • Peter K says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:34

    TripAdvisor
    Gluten free food sites

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:36

    my preference is something the locals use – obviously varies depending on the destination. Google Maps/TripAdvisor/Michelin guide are solid generic options.

  • JDB says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:51

    I avoid TripAdvisor – the quality of the reviews is so poor/lacking in insight or detail, makes no allowance for quality vs. price and I think people seem often afraid to admit they had a bad experience at a highly regarded restaurant everyone else raves about. Local reviews can be good and in bigger cities, there are expat sites that can be helpful, Time Out can also be good. I find all of these useful as they give you an idea what the place is like and if that style suits you, you can look at the menus online which, for us, are the real guide [if you stay in a pub with rooms, often a better bet than hotels, I have noted a direct correlation between the menu and the rooms! Stuffed mushrooms = fusty rooms etc]. The Michelin only has a small selection, but beyond the starred ones, the other restaurants, notably ‘bibs’ are a reliable indicator.

    • Harry T says:

      31 Oct31 October 09:33

      Agreed that tripadvisor is largely composed of inexperienced troglodytes who write poor quality reviews.

      • Tony1 says:

        31 Oct31 October 20:43

        That would be me then – my cave is nice though

        🙂

  • K says:

    31 Oct31 October 09:06

    Michelin guide usually rates good foodie places. I don’t mean the Michelin starred expensive restaurants. Just to be featured in the guide means the food is pretty decent. Having a Bib gourmand grade means a very good meal at under £30 per person.

  • Sukes says:

    31 Oct31 October 09:08

    -OpenTable / The Fork if exists in the location
    -I’ve found some great places by just looking up restaurants around my hotel on Google Maps
    -when further off beaten track if I find foreigners working there (scuba instructors on SE Asian islands for example) I just stop one and ask which local places they go to

  • Can says:

    31 Oct31 October 10:54

    I hate hate tripadvisor. I use HappyCow unless I want to splurge. Then it is blogs and foodie websites

  • memesweeper says:

    31 Oct31 October 12:31

    Be aware tripadvisor is used heavily by American tourists who may not have the same interests as you — remember this and you’ll be fine 🙂 I’ve posted reviews on Tripadvisor as I do think it provides a useful guide when all else fails.

    Google reviews are equally suspect.

    In the UK, Hardens is absolutely fantastic. Extremely difficult to get good reviews as the reviewers are so picky. Definitely HfP type of diners.

    If they cover your City, Time Out is helpful.

• NSL says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:21

  I’ve been offered a price to upgrade my United flight from Honolulu to Santa Ana airport to First Class. This is on a 1998 737-700.

  What should I expect? Do I get first dibs at on a parachute?

  • Nick says:

    31 Oct31 October 09:35

    I’d have no qualms flying on an old aircraft on an airline I know will have looked after it. In fact a couple of years ago I flew on an aircraft built in the 1950s and it was perfectly safe. Look up what happens in a ‘D’ check if you have concerns.

    Anyway, UA domestic F will offer a better seat, a meal and unlimited drinks. Plenty of reviews with photos online if you want more flesh on those bones. Only you will know whether the price is worth it to you.

    • berneslai says:

      31 Oct31 October 11:40

      Thanks for the advice!

  • Jamie O says:

    31 Oct31 October 14:34

    I’ve flow UA 737s between Hawaii and the mainland many times in first and coach. You’ll get there either way but if first is cheap go for it. It’s not great but way better than coach.

• Chrisasaurus says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:22

  Anyone happen to know current free breakfast arrangements for titaniums at Marriott County Hall?

  • Stu287 says:

    31 Oct31 October 15:07

    Stayed a few weeks ago as platinum, me, my wife and 4 year old were all provided free breakfast in their main restaurant which was a pick from their a la carte menu. The full English was OK… kind of an added twist with fried potatoes and a savoury pepper/onion mix… 2nd day I had pancakes and bacon which was v. Nice. The sparkling wine offered in the lounge makes it definatley worth a visit

  • Blair says:

    31 Oct31 October 16:13

    The staff seem to get no indication of breakfast elite entitlement on their breakfast register sheets. I got a sort of slow “Titanium ok….” each morning and on checking out had about £100ish of breakfast food charges removed from my bill.

• KP says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:24

  Still haven’t heard much about the Amex shop small for Dec 2021.Hardly a month left.So 4th Dec is confirmed?
  https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/benefits/shop-small/about.html

  • Crafty says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:32

    What “much” would you like to hear? It’ll be the same as ever, nobody will have bothered to sort out the map, and if we’re lucky the offer will have been further “enhanced” into pointlessness.

    • JDB says:

      31 Oct31 October 09:19

      It’s not worth going out of your way for, but I save it anyway and usually find it triggers in places you don’t expect, last year the most surprising being Intuit Quickbooks monthly subscription, but also Turkish barber and my doctor.

  • Toby says:

    31 Oct31 October 08:53

    I saw an advert for this on the tube yesterday. It didn’t advertise the date, just that it was coming. So I’m guessing they’re getting ready to tell us about it soon

  • Andrew says:

    31 Oct31 October 09:04

    Wouldn’t get too excited KP – it’ll be the same as usual with probably an even higher minimum spend and a lower rebate. Hardly worth the webspace it takes up.

    • David says:

      31 Oct31 October 10:29

      But seemingly worth the negative comments about it. Boring.

    • Jeff Greene says:

      31 Oct31 October 11:29

      It’s £5 here and there. Not worth the time, unless you don’t have anything better to do etc

  • mark2 says:

    31 Oct31 October 11:04

    I am really looking forward to it – money for nothing.
    I have got a spreadsheet which I update from year to year, the map is pretty irrelevant unless you travel around.
    Make sure that you get your full quota of cards and additionals.

    • Mike says:

      31 Oct31 October 12:49

      Mark2 – you are a man after my own heart !

    • HH says:

      31 Oct31 October 12:53

      I have a shared note with my family of locations we update every year, and have a little contest to see who can get all their redemptions first 😜

• Joe says:

  31 Oct31 October 08:27

  VA Upper class for next Spring / Summer to the Caribbean is being loaded now – wide open to Grenada and the others for the return legs (outbound to follow!)

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