The HfP chat thread – Monday 1st November

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• Ian_H says:

  1 Nov1 November 11:34

  Ive tried searching for an answer to this so apologies if its been covered before.

  VS Credit Card 241/UPG Vouchers.
  We have them coming out of our ears at the moment but spend most of our time in Cyprus now,

  I was wondering if all departures have to be ex-UK or whether we could for example route TLV-LHR-CPT or something and whether this would require a single voucher or one per sector?

  Any pointers gratefully received,

  Thanks

  • Andrew H says:

    1 Nov1 November 11:49

    I thought VA 241 didn’t have to be ex UK.

    Hopefully not as I plan to go ex NY on one next year

• Red Flyer says:

  1 Nov1 November 11:39

  Virgin 2 for 1 question – can I book 4 PE (checked and is availability) online or do I have to call?

  • Gary says:

    1 Nov1 November 11:57

    Need to ring for all redemptions utilising vouchers.

    • Red Flyer says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:12

      👍😎

      • Rob M says:

        1 Nov1 November 14:21

        Can you let us know how it goes on the phone? Someone had an issue trying to use two vouchers at once a while ago – seems to be luck of the draw with which agent you get. (Assuming you are using 2 vouchers to get 4 PE for points price of 2)

        • Gary says:

          1 Nov1 November 14:58

          Yes CSA dependent as VS vouchers are applied manually. Paid 125k points & used 3 vouchers for four UC Long haul seats. In CSA’s thoughtful words, many vouchers might as well use them.

        • davef says:

          1 Nov1 November 19:53

          I called sunday morning, got through in 21 mins, was passed someone on the UC team as the lady who answered the phone said she was new and wasnt allowed to do UC yet.
          Open jaw booking, paid with points, and upgraded with voucher. Call ended after minute 29.
          Exceptional service.

• Nigel says:

  1 Nov1 November 11:53

  Is anybody else having trouble today (error message) searching for avios seat availability with a Companion Voucher selected…?

  • MisterE says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:16

    Yes – had the problem since last evening

• Mouse says:

  1 Nov1 November 11:53

  Does anyone know how BA allocates first class seats on flights which are sold as 3 class but are flown on a 4 class plane? I.e., how and when do they decide which business class passengers can sit in the first class seats?

  • FatherOfFour says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:18

    There is a pretty good thread on flyer Talk about this (maybe search “Flub”). but some key points: 1) They will only use it on the day, if the Club cabin is FULL, as crewing the extra cabin obviously comes at a cost. So if there are a lot of no-shows, people who thought they might get seated in First, will get moved back into whatever is left in CW.
    2) Status seems to be a key factor in determining who might be able to move into that cabin.
    3) Checking Expert Flyer 3 days before flight will probably give an inkling as to whether it will be used (seats not blocked) or closed (seats in F blocked). However, bear in mind point 1) above and on the day changes.

    • Lady London says:

      1 Nov1 November 12:28

      Hum. And F apparently can be blocked off as crew rest area.

  • Anna says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:48

    We were lucky enough to have this happen to us, on our last flight to GCM in 2019!
    I don’t pay for CW seats so when I came to check in at T-24 I noticed that we had been seated in an F-style seating plan and sure enough we were in the F cabin. I assumed this was because the flight was pretty full and we hadn’t pre-booked seats in CW (which paid off awesomely!)
    It was a great flight, the other pax in F were the captain’s family and he spent quite a bit of the flight in the cabin chatting and handing out goodies from the Club Kitchen! I think the co-pilot got a rough deal that day lol.

    • Anna says:

      1 Nov1 November 12:49

      None of us had status then apart from Blue, though OH did hit Bronze from that trip.

      • Alan H says:

        1 Nov1 November 15:37

        I’ve had the same from GCM as well although we were in CW and both silver. I asked for it at check in and whilst there was initially some push back they agreed ‘on this occasion only’.

        • Anna says:

          1 Nov1 November 16:52

          Hi Alan H, hmm I wonder if this would work on our (provisional) return leg next year when OH and son are in PE and I’m in Y?!!

          Have you booked your flights now they’ve waived quarantine for the double-jabbed?

      • Alan H says:

        1 Nov1 November 17:01

        Hi Anna, I got my half price flights from October 2020 rearranged to early January so we’ll see if they continue to run the flights and whether the border opens, although still lacking any detail on that aspect. Fingers crossed!

        • Anna says:

          1 Nov1 November 19:29

          Oh yes I remember now!
          Borders opening from November 20th in that fully vaxxed pax won’t have to do any period of quarantine (unvaxxed including children have to do 10 days so no good for a holiday). The Americans are complaining that even so they can’t get there as there are very few flights from the US till next Spring and the ones that are running are extortionate (so they know how we feel now, anyway!) I think you still have to apply for permission to travel at the moment but they are speaking in terms of easing up more in the coming months so we’ll see. Cayman News Service has pretty much daily updates on the developments.
          If we still can’t go next July due to the single jabbed teenager I’m going to try asking BA if we can be re-ticketed to NAS and jump off there instead!

• MKB says:

  1 Nov1 November 12:02

  Bit of a vent.

  Apparently, £89.00 for a day-use room (from 09:00 to 18:00) at the Hilton London Euston booked directly on hilton.com is “highly discounted” and ineligible to earn Hilton points.

  I am not due an overnight credit, but I was expecting points. Nothing during the booking process indicates the rate is not eligible, and it doesn’t seem cheap for day use to me. Three emails to Hilton and their not budging.

  • MKB says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:03

    Oops: “They’re”. (How embarrassing!)

  • AL says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:34

    I just looked at the terms for a 3/11 day use and there is nothing in there about not earning points, although the rate is £119 so I wonder if that’s the ‘proper’ rate and you had different terms? Further, workspacesbyhilton.com has earning listed as a benefit.

  • Rui N. says:

    1 Nov1 November 12:55

    I’ve never even heard of rates at Hilton not giving points. Never come across that.

  • TJones says:

    1 Nov1 November 13:22

    Should earn points plus 1 night’s credit. I had one in March at Hampton by Hilton Blackburn (£35) which didn’t credit, and I finally had to contact Hilton who added it plus 10k points for my trouble.

  • Harry T says:

    1 Nov1 November 13:27

    Should earn an elite night credit and points.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      1 Nov1 November 14:10

      Agree did a few in 2020 for about £30 each. Someone is obviously talking crap. Sometimes Twitter works or flyertalk has an official lurker.

      • Harry T says:

        1 Nov1 November 14:24

        Yep, I used a few of these last year (used for sleeping between night shifts) and received points and elite night credits, whilst only paying £35 for each day.

        • Harry T says:

          1 Nov1 November 14:25

          Hilton Twitter are responsive and helpful via messaging.

      • Rob M says:

        1 Nov1 November 14:24

        Same – always received points and night – even at super cheap day rate – less than £30

  • BP says:

    1 Nov1 November 13:52

    I’m sure Rob has indicated that day rooms at other Hiltons do earn points and credits.

    • Rob says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:54

      You ARE due an overnight credit. Hilton’s website for day rooms is very clear that they do earn. Who are you emailing, the hotel or HH?

      I was paying £30 for the ones I did last year and got full credit.

      • MKB says:

        1 Nov1 November 15:22

        I’ve been emailing diamond@hilton.com

      • Jimmy says:

        1 Nov1 November 15:34

        I did one last week in Birmingham- got night credit, points and the bonus points – although it was only £15 cheaper than the whole night.

  • Can says:

    1 Nov1 November 14:10

    You got both the night credit and the points — I did it many times this year. Sometimes for £30 or £40 in central London.
    Contact hilton and ask for even more points for the trouble.

  • Chas says:

    1 Nov1 November 17:36

    I’d definitely push back – only tangentially related, but I got points and nights credited to my account last month for a stay at Hilton Deansgate which was fully comped as service recovery. Given that my invoice was £nil when I checked out, I hadn’t expected to earn any points, but they unexpectedly turned up a few days later based on the rate I had expected to pay.

    • John says:

      1 Nov1 November 18:23

      Someone must have coded the credit wrongly

• Nick says:

  1 Nov1 November 12:40

  Still possible to extend the ba 2 4 1 voucher buy booking domestic flight and then cancelling?

  • Guernsey Globetrotter says:

    1 Nov1 November 14:18

    Yup – cancel for a Future Travel Voucher should extend to April 2023. Usual caveats apply – e.g. book a cheap flight if you don’t want much cash tied up in the FTV and the passenger names from the original booking are locked into the FTV also.

• John says:

  1 Nov1 November 12:53

  Sorry maybe a stupid question but regarding the UK PLF

  I read on here that some people had problems getting their vaccination proof accepted.

  I moved the NHS app’s PDF to my laptop and took a screenshot of the dose 2 QR code which I uploaded to the PLF. There was no message to say if it was accepted or not, does that mean it’s all good or does the system not actually verify it at the time? I can’t submit the form yet as not 48 hours before my arrival, just want to be prepared as on my first overseas trip in 2021

  • Pete1968 says:

    1 Nov1 November 13:17

    Sounds fine. I uploaded screenshot of the #1 & #2 QR codes and it immediately threw me out (PLF requires #2 only, as you mentioned). So not getting thrown out = success.

    • Lady London says:

      1 Nov1 November 13:28

      Pete1968 tx for yr reply page 1 I have asked a supplementary sorry for being dim

• Demetra Patros says:

  1 Nov1 November 13:09

  I have had an Avios account for years and use it when i fly with British Airways, can I also earn Avios points through purchases made with John Lewis and Waitrose?

  • Rob says:

    1 Nov1 November 13:58

    John Lewis – yes, for online orders via BA’s e-store. Nothing with Waitrose.

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