The HfP chat thread – Monday 1st November

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• AngryOctopus says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:01

  Just going to throw this out there,

  Brother recently applied for gold amex (£36k salary new grad job, no previous credit card just lloyds bank current account for couple years on the credit report) we put in household income which was over £150k (not sure if even relevant) but he got approved immediately with £13k limit.

  This was over 2 months ago, he has paid off in full 2 statements. Is it worth applying for the BA premium card for 40k bonus? not sure if wise to apply for another credit card so soon, especially as its his first credit card…

  • LewisB says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:08

    He won’t qualify for the 40k bonus anyway as he’s had another personal Amex within the last 24 months.

    • Youllnever says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:09

      No, he will for the BAPP – it only specifically excludes BA cards in the past 24 months.

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:12

    Go for it. Can always get a credit limit transfer if the BAPP limit isn’t usable

  • Jonathan says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:15

    He should’ve gone for Platinum !

    • AngryOctopus says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:34

      Actually got the card 1/2 days before the £200 was announced, bad timing all round but no outlay on the annual fee for platinum I suppose

  • George K says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:15

    2 months is fine, I think.

  • SteveJ says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:48

    Unless he’s planning on applying for a mortgage or loan or some other important credit in the next 6 months then he’ll be fine.

• Michael C says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:14

  Without wishing to be scolded for being a travel divvy after reading HfP every day for years….!
  -for an overnight trip to Madrid tomorrow, I’m fine to enter with NHS paper letter covid pass + Spanish Govt online form?
  -to return, NHS letter + locator form with day 2 LTF code included?

  First write-off client dinner in 2 years, hurrah!! Will do a mini report on NH Collection Suecia, said to be great.

  • Yvo says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:18

    Nobody has been a divvy since 1993 so you should be fine 😜
    Yes to the above, upload documents in advance if travelling BA, I arrived in Alicante yesterday and there was a barriered section to scan the Spanish QR code from your health declaration and automated temperature machines.

    • Michael C says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:36

      ;o)))))))

• Diydegsy says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:15

  Any ideas for a hotel on California coast line for 2 nights next May? We are flying back from LA and wanted a coastal property for a change at the end of a 2 week cross country vacation but the prices seem very high. We will have a car so north or south of LA doesn’t matter. Thanks

  • AJA says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:28

    How about the hotel that featured in Some Like It Hot? It’s a Curio hotel by Hilton in San Diego

    https://hoteldel.com

    • Diydegsy says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:35

      Thanks AJA hotel looks great but no available rooms for the weekend of 27th May 😩

      • JDB says:

        1 Nov1 November 10:34

        Coronado is also not in a good location. Not sure if you are wanting to be in the city, but if not worth looking a bit further up the coast around Del Mar or La Jolla – the latter is a really nice town and has lots of good restaurants and easy to walk around whereas some of the coast towns are rather strung out so you need the car to go anywhere.

      • JDB says:

        1 Nov1 November 10:44

        It will be busy/expensive as it’s the Memorial Day weekend. If you do venture up the coast anywhere near Torrey Pines, you can either play golf remarkably cheaply on a top course as it’s a state facility rather than member’s club or just enjoy the beach/cliff/forest in the State Park.

    • Richie says:

      1 Nov1 November 10:12

      I’ve visited. It get’s overrun with day trippers taking the appropriate photos.

  • Travel Strong says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:55

    LXR Hilton Santa Monica has a base rate of 95k hiltons (cash rates $400-800!)

    • Guernsey Globetrotter says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:58

      +1 for the Oceana – decent hotel in cracking location. If Marriott is more your thing then there’s also the JW Marriott on the beach other side of the pier. Also think that Amex Fine Hotels (or indeed Emyr) could apply to either Shutters on the Beach or Casa del Mar. Have only stayed at the Oceana but have walked past the others plenty times and they look good and are well reviewed. Santa Monica in general would be a great place to spend a couple of days at the end of your trip!

  • The Savage Squirrel says:

    1 Nov1 November 13:51

    Santa Barbara is the spot for you. Don’t get put off by Harry and Meghan. Far enough away from LA to keep out casual day trippers. Good food scene and arts district. Scenic with excellent walkable coastal paths. Loads to do.

    There’s a couple of Hilton options including a larger seafront resort, (and representaiton from most other chains) if you want points. For cash, my suggestion would actually be at the West Beach end which is slightly quieter and more residential with some nice smaller options. The Eagle Inn down that end is very pleasant and half a block off the beach.

  • berneslai says:

    1 Nov1 November 14:00

    Prices have been nuts for a while – I’d be redeeming points if possible. Santa Barbara, Laguna Niguel and Santa Monica are all good choices, particularly if you want to splash out and Ritz-Carlton/Waldorf Astoria.

  • Lyn says:

    1 Nov1 November 14:45

    This sounds like a lovely idea. Hope you can find a reasonable place to stay, or perhaps be able to use hotel points. As JDB says, it is the Memorial Day holiday weekend, so the unofficial start of the summer in the US. Unfortunately everywhere is likely to be rather more expensive and rather more fully booked than usual, especially along the coast.

    I can’t comment on individual hotels, but all the areas suggested above would be nice places to stay – as far as Santa Barbara to the north, or San Diego / La Jolla / Del Mar to the south.

    Depending on the timing of arrival at the hotel and your flight from LA, you may need to take LA and coastal traffic into account. For instance, driving from San Diego to LAX can take anywhere from 2 1/4 hours up to 4 hours with heavy traffic and traffic jams. If timing is tight, places closer by like Santa Monica, as already mentioned, or perhaps somewhere like Laguna or Newport to the south, could be good options.

  • Al says:

    1 Nov1 November 17:27

    We stayed at The Surfrider, Malibu a few years ago when doing a road trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas (via LA). Lovely little boutique hotel, ocean views, walking distance to food/shops.

• Pid says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:16

  My wife got rejected for the Amex Marriott card yesterday. First time she has ever been rejected despite having held Amex cards for a long time. A bit of a pain as I wanted the 24kMR points for the referral! Does the rejection prevent her from getting another Amex card eg plat, as I was hoping to refer her for that before the restaurant deal expires.

  • Rui N. says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:19

    No, it does not. I was rejected a couple of months agor for one Amex, and just last week got approved for another one (to get my OH ref. bonus on her BAPP).

  • TGLoyalty says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:46

    does she any other credit cards with Amex? worth closing a dormant one?

    • xcalx says:

      1 Nov1 November 18:29

      I wonder if that’s an issue. I have a Nectar card I never use and got rejected for the Bus BA card last week also a first ever rejection.

  • Pid says:

    1 Nov1 November 10:24

    Just had a further email from Amex stating they only allow you to have 4 cards and if she wished to continue with the application to contact them and close one of her other cards. Interestingly she had done that a few days before so the system must not have picked up she had cancelled them.

    • mark2 says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:57

      Exactly the same happened to me: too quick off the mark!

• Si says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:18

  Morning all, I’m trying to produce a FTV for an expiring companion ticket. I’ve booked the flight and now ready to cancel it.

  Is it the generation of a ‘Single eVoucher’ I need to select to generate a FTV (I can’t see any other options, but want to make sure doing correct thing).

  Thanks.

  • Jonathan says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:40

    BA will decide what you’re issued, you don’t get a choice. They’re both near enough the same, only an FTV must use a helpline to redeem, and eVoucher can be used online without any call centre booking agent requirement.

    • Si says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:54

      Ok. Thank you.

• Anna says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:42

  Morning all. From what I can gather, a single jabbed teenager would not be allowed to enter Germany, even with a negative test. Does anyone have any insider knowledge of whether this is likely to change in the next few weeks?

  • Pete M says:

    1 Nov1 November 10:49

    I am afraid you are correct, Anna – unless you have your Spanish passport already? Even so, they would need to quarantine for 10 days (reduced to 5 with a test), although this isn’t enforced. https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/coronavirus?openAccordionId=item-2330838-1-panel

    • Pete M says:

      1 Nov1 November 10:49

      Doubt it will change, frankly, with our cases high and Germany’s going up.

      • Anna says:

        1 Nov1 November 11:04

        Thought so – he’ll be staying here with Grandma then!

  • Tracey says:

    1 Nov1 November 11:35

    If single jabbed teenager has certain medical conditions or lives with someone who does, they would be eligible for a second jab 8 weeks after their first.

    • Anna says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:37

      Thanks Tracey, no we’re all fit and healthy! Hopefully they will relent and let them have the 2nd jab soon to bring us in line with the rest of the world, otherwise they’re all going to have waning immunity in a few months anyway!

• estrangeiro8 says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:43

  OT: Targeted Amazon promotion – £5 off any £15 purchase for products sold and shipped by Amazon. Limited to the first 10,000 coupons and valid until 7 November.

  • Andrew H says:

    1 Nov1 November 09:47

    OT?

    • estrangeiro8 says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:54

      Off-topic.

  • Crafty says:

    1 Nov1 November 10:02

    Thanks!

  • Gavin says:

    1 Nov1 November 10:03

    Used this on Friday.

  • Aston100 says:

    1 Nov1 November 11:13

    Anyway to use this to topup Amazon account?

  • Pete1968 says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:17

    Good way to get the new Jack Reacher for £4.99.

    Got mine waiting to be read – excellent ‘like new’ Ebay prices currently if you want to read it then get your money back/ small profit.

    • Anna says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:38

      Just read it, I do think he’s lost his edge though over the past few years!

      • David S says:

        1 Nov1 November 17:58

        Agree – book was ok but not as exciting or convincing as earlier ones. And it seemed shorter

• Mark says:

  1 Nov1 November 09:48

  Hmm… my Amex Gold anniversary was mid August. I still have not been charged the AF given I’m into my 2nd year now. Normal? Or I’m just super lucky?

  • Benilyn says:

    1 Nov1 November 11:05

    Lucky

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