The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 3rd November

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

• Aliks says:

  3 Nov3 November 14:34

  Sigh, there are so many out of date messages on forums, I feel I have to ask these questions one more time . .

  What is the current status of BA “Book with confidence” for cash flights? If I pay cash today for a flight, and I subsequently cancel it, do I get a choice of full cash refund, or a just an e-voucher for the cash spent, redeemable for future cash flights marketed by BA?

  • Rhys says:

    3 Nov3 November 14:44

    1. BA have a 24 hour cooling off period from booking where you can get a full cash refund
    2. If you have a non-flex ticket (and these are ludicrously priced) then the best you will get is a voucher

  • Aliks says:

    3 Nov3 November 14:47

    Answering my own question – I finally tracked down the BA website page that gives the rules:
    https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/incident/coronavirus/vouchers-refunds

    Not sure why that wasnt the top a google search for BA Book With Confidence

    • ChrisC says:

      3 Nov3 November 16:23

      Why not just go straight to the BA website?

      There is a link to their Covid policy pages on the main page.

      • Aliks says:

        3 Nov3 November 16:32

        I couldnt find it on the BA site when I first looked – I searched for “Book with Confidence” and turned up some ancient PDF

• MarkS says:

  3 Nov3 November 14:49

  Quick question, with platinum and centurion lounge access, I can see the US cost is $50 per person but can’t find the equivalent cost for the UK? Planning on using the T3 lounge on Sunday but we’re a family of 4 with a couple of 2 year olds.

  • MarkS says:

    3 Nov3 November 14:55

    Never mind, just found it’s the GBP equivalent and $30 for 2-17 year olds. Sadly the lounge closes at 6pm so probably not worth it for my 8pm flight

  • TGLoyalty says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:07

    doesn’t your partner have a supp card? its 2 guest per Platinum card so you’d get 4 in.

• Peter says:

  3 Nov3 November 14:49

  When do amex offers start to appear? Got the platinum card last week but still 0 offers :/

  • MarkS says:

    3 Nov3 November 14:51

    I think you have to spend something on the card to initiate it

  • Alex says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:04

    It took between 4 and 5 weeks for me. Card received early Sept.

  • Peter K says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:20

    Usually a few weeks after getting it.

  • jj says:

    3 Nov3 November 16:19

    I have always found that Amex offers start to appear the Monday following first spend on the account. My recent Platinum card followed that usual pattern.

• Rich says:

  3 Nov3 November 14:53

  Plat Travel Insurance

  Claiming for a stolen mobile phone. Axa has asked for confirmation that I booked my trip using Amex Plat.

  My understanding is that you don”t need to book it on an Amex at all for general insurance benefits – only for travel inconvenience. In any case, I booked my flights to and from UK on my Gold card, and some other travel on a MasterCard.

  Is it best just to send them my Gold statement, or what?

  • Rich says:

    3 Nov3 November 14:53

    * from and back to the UK

  • Anuj says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:13

    I presume you could, although if they cause issues, and you bought the phone within the last 90 days on your card, you may find the chubb damage and loss insurance much easier to claim on.

  • Rich says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:27

    Hmm. I was mistaken – you do need to have booked ‘the Trip’ on ‘the Card’ for personal belongings cover.

    If Rob is right that the definition of ‘the Card’ includes any personal Amex, then there shouldn’t be a problem with that. Although ‘the Trip’ could cause problems if they want all elements of transport paid for by Amex. That would seem unreasonable though.

    I paid NCL-PMI and Lyon-CDG-NCL on Amex, and the stuff in-betweeen (trains and a plane) on Virgin.

    Sadly way longer than 90 days, so no purchase protection.

    • Andrew says:

      3 Nov3 November 20:27

      Yes any personal card account in your name is fine – otherwise anyone with a Platinum card and a BAPP would never use it to book flights.

• LewisB says:

  3 Nov3 November 15:08

  DP – Just had an email from Virgin Money saying that my credit limit is being increased from £4,200 to £5,300. I had been hitting the limit recently and I haven’t asked for an increase so this is very welcome. For clarity, I have the free card.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:32

    looks like a few of us have had their limit increased by £1k or so recently. I had an in app notification and credit limit was increased to £8,500 immediately

• Neal says:

  3 Nov3 November 15:08

  Called Creation and was told they are not going to credit any points to my IHG Rewards account after the closure letter date and not going to credit the free night certificate (My year-end is Jan). I have NEVER done any MS and only used Curve with it when doing non-£ purchase overseas. Lodged a complaint with them. No sure what will happen next but really infuriated as have put quite a lot spending through this card this year to hit £10K.

  • blenz101 says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:22

    You have been tarred with the same brush. Although you did circumvent the forex fees on the Creation card by using Curve in conjunction the card overseas so from their perspective you still acted in such a way to avoid the published fees for the card.

    It’s obviously debated daily if them no longer wanting you as a customer as a result of this entitles you to points whilst on notice of closure or deserving of a free night. All feedback to date is that Creation are going to play hardball with standard form letters leaving you with the option to sue them or involve the regulator.

    • Char Char says:

      3 Nov3 November 16:55

      Well that is certainly an assumption that he was blocked for using Curve to save on fees, the first time I heard that before!

      It is a lot simpler than all that, people who used Curve got cancelled, its possible everyone has been cancelled but they haven’t got around to it.

      • Blenz101 says:

        3 Nov3 November 18:22

        I said he got tarred with the same brush by linking and using the card with Curve as everyone else.

        He did use the card to avoid the published forex fees. Others printed themselves endless points and obtained free rooms.

        How proportionate the response is close linked accounts and not offer them benefits will be decided by the regulator / courts.

        • John says:

          3 Nov3 November 18:57

          Yes, but wouldn’t have used the card for those transactions if curve didn’t exist. So creation received extra merchant fees that they wouldn’t have otherwise

          Don’t know what creation pays for forex or what they pay for IHG points but potentially they aren’t actually profiting from forex fees as they give double points on non-UK transactions (including ebay which was processed in Luxembourg until recently)

        • Blenz101 says:

          3 Nov3 November 19:32

          But he did use that card abroad. And did earn points. And did avoid forex fees.

          Creation have reacted badly to Curve. Amex also pulled the rug. Others may well do the same in time. Curve flex is now offering to go back in time and remove the underlying cards ability to collect interest and advertising undercutting them. Which card provider is going to support that?

        • Lady London says:

          4 Nov4 November 00:17

          If I had bothered with Curve it would be so that I could just use one card no matter where I was and what I was doing, for everything it would work to do, without thinking. I don’t think Creation has any right to say someone using it abroad was deliberately breaching card conditions… Creation’s problem is they are now trying to make up things and cgange terms and conditiobs after the fact. It’s reprehensible

          In the UK you don’t have to put up with this.

  • Anna says:

    3 Nov3 November 16:13

    Did they give you a reason for withholding the points and free night certificate? They seem to be taking this stance with everyone, regardless of usage, so I am wondering what their explanation to the FOS is going to be!

    • JDB says:

      3 Nov3 November 16:22

      That will no doubt/hopefully be in any final decision letter so you know how to address their position.

      Some have mentioned they intend to go straight to MCOL, but this came up in a different context on here today. It isn’t an absolute requirement, but one would need to give seriously good reasons to the Court not to have tried the FOS first, as that is a statutory remedy specific to most financial service products – this is in the Civil Procedure Rules referenced in the MCOL guidance notes. You can still go to MCOL if you are unhappy with the FOS decision (but may be unlikely to change outcome unless for example the FOS made a mistake on a point of law) but you are unlikely to be able to go to the FOS after MCOL because of the six month FOS deadline.

    • Neal says:

      3 Nov3 November 20:42

      They told me that points and the free night cer are “promotions” and because they are closing my account these functions are removed. Basically loads of BS.

    • Lady London says:

      4 Nov4 November 00:27

      Mcol will get a fair user of the card, the contract being enforced and points, nights and unused months paid out as a minimim I think if presented correctly.

      FOS will (should, at least) provide different satisfactions.

      Mcol is where I’d go first as Creation’s breaches are clear.

  • Char Char says:

    3 Nov3 November 16:57

    Yes rather pathetic of them, what is worse is that they think its acceptable to do this.

• Shaw West says:

  3 Nov3 November 15:21

  5 days since Amex MR to Virgin points on OH Account and still not reflected in her account. First time transfer

  • Nigel W says:

    3 Nov3 November 16:35

    A friend had this issue. As it is the first time, it can take up to 10 working days.

  • Travel Strong says:

    3 Nov3 November 17:54

    Call amex. It will be sorted instantly.
    Always call to do the first transfer to virgin.

• Jon says:

  3 Nov3 November 15:22

  Is anyone else seeing some funny Avios pricing on Reward Saver flights? The taxes seem to have jumped. Is that as a result of the budget? I haven’t seen any chat about it on here but I may have missed it. It doesn’t simply seem to be £35 for economy and £50 for Club Europe any more. Sad times.

  • Rhys says:

    3 Nov3 November 15:27

    You only see RFS pricing if you’ve earned an Avios in the past 12 months. You also often have to pick it from a lineup – it is normally around £35/£50 however.

    • Jon says:

      3 Nov3 November 15:34

      Thanks Rhys. I reckon that’s the issue. I’m booking with my wife’s account as she has a Companion Voucher hanging around (not a great use for a Reward Saver flight I know but we’re not going long haul before it expires). I’ll trade some AmEx points into Avios for her account. Thanks for the help.

      • AJA says:

        3 Nov3 November 15:45

        Did your wife not get a bonus 1 Avios credited to her BAEC back in August or September? BAEC added that to many accounts to help with this RFS issue and also to reset the 36 months expiry counter.

      • FatherOfFour says:

        3 Nov3 November 16:55

        The companion voucher explains it- you only get standard (not RFS) pricing when using a voucher.

        • AndyW says:

          3 Nov3 November 17:28

          That’s not correct. Only true on long haul RFS, works fine on standard RFS

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.