The HfP chat thread – Thursday 4th November

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Rob says:

4 Nov4 November 13:39

Whatley Manor?
Ian says:

4 Nov4 November 13:50

Hi,

Is Four Seasons Hampshire still available on Virtuoso? I can’t see it for some reason. What’s the best way to book a stay at the Four Seasons. Is it still possible to get extra benefits by not booking directly?

Thanks
- DaveL says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 13:53
  
  Talk to Emyr…he’s booked us there on a number of occasions…benefits including an upgrade $100 F&B credit and daily breakfast…
  - Ian says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 13:53
    
    Thanks – will give him a call
    - Rob says:
      
      4 Nov4 November 13:58
      
      Yes, Emyr has FS Preferred Partner status.
      
      If you have Amex Plat, the 4pm guaranteed check-out benefit via Fine Hotels & Resorts is also worth considering. I often book this place via FHR and not Emyr purely to guarantee a 4pm Sunday check-out.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        4 Nov4 November 15:29
        
        To be fair Emyr can confirm 4pm with the hotel if it’s important to get booking over the line.
- Harry T says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 16:49
  
  Agreed, Emyr is the best shout as he’s a preferred partner and can Chuck in plenty of extra benefits. I agree with TG that Emyr can get a 4pm checkout confirmed – he’s done it for me before.
DaveL says:

4 Nov4 November 13:52

Are BA no longer offering the option to reduce RFS ‘taxes’ down to £1 on bookings? Trying to book a reward flight in Feb and wanted to use this option (so as not to be on the hook for £35 cancellation if needed) but I can’t see it anywhere…all the way through the payment page and no option to reduce. Is it just me? It is just certain routes?
- ChrisC says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 14:14
  
  There should be a line saying something like “other pricing options”. It’s before the payment page
  
  But if you haven’t earned an avios in the last 12 months you can’t get RFS
- FatherOfFour says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 14:36
  
  I realise I gave wrong advice yesterday to someone when I said RFS couldn’t apply with a voucher. I think that what I meant was that the alternate pricing options are not available when booking with a companion voucher. Not sure if you are using a voucher or not. (Seems to default to use one when doing an avios search now, however I think previously you had to manually select to say that you want to use it)
- Joe says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 15:14
  
  If you’re using a 241 voucher you can’t reduce it to £1 either.
  - DaveL says:
    
    5 Nov5 November 01:20
    
    Ah that was it – thanks Joe
Scott says:

4 Nov4 November 13:54

Is this correct?
Just looking to book a rapid antigen test at T5 and ExpressTest come up on the Heathrow website. Select T5 and only get the option to book at T2 or T4 for that test.

If I had been driving, I could have used the drive site across from the Staybridge.

Either I’ve got to get the tube to T1-3 tube station and walk to T2 from there (no idea how far), or wander down Bath Road to the Collinson walk in centre.
- Scott says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 13:58
  
  Looking at things, since I’m arriving at Kings Cross, easier to nip across the road to St. Pancras and pay £40 to Collinson for one.
Charlotte says:

4 Nov4 November 13:55

Any consequences if you no show for the return leg of an avios flight?

Have a return to Singapore booked for later this year that I’d like to combine with a short hop to Thailand. Given the transit challenge coming back through Changi, we were thinking of just abandoning the return and flying back direct from Bangkok.

Thanks in advance!
- BuildBackBetter says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 14:08
  
  Why not change the return leg to depart BKK? It becomes an open jaw ticket. Of course, you need to wait for availability
  - Sam G says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 14:10
    
    BKK doesn’t start again until Jan unfortunately! If it’s not using a 2-4-1 voucher then another airline could be a possibility
- Sam G says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 14:09
  
  currently you could FTV the return half once you get there. Or if there are still seats available/open up then FTV now and rebook and get another FTV for the difference.
  
  But otherwise BAU wise no harm, just lose the points.
  - JDB says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 14:25
    
    I thought that once you have flown the outbound of a return Avios booking, you can no longer get a refund for the return??
    - Rob says:
      
      4 Nov4 November 14:26
      
      Correct, usually, although FTVs may be more flexible.
    - Sam G says:
      
      4 Nov4 November 16:39
      
      Yes usually. Only change to a flight from the same “zone” within 1 Yr. But FTV are possible on a part flown flight
  - Charlotte says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 15:14
    
    Thanks very much all!
    And I’ll keep my fingers crossed for S’pore rules to change…
  - Harry T says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 16:49
    
    90% sure you can FTV the return leg. Double check flyertalk BAEC forum.
JDB says:

4 Nov4 November 14:05

The Feathered Nest at Nether Westcote, near Burford or not Cotswolds, Five Arrows Hotel at Waddesdon.
thefuzzbox says:

4 Nov4 November 14:15

Hello, mildly frustrating interaction with Amex this morning. My first BA PP statement came in a short while ago, but the 40K+ Avios (inc. welcome bonus) hadn’t transferred across to BAEC. Via Amex live chat, turns out BA rejected the number provided by Amex (confirmed as being the right one, and same one that I’ve recently successfully moved MR to Avios with on my gold card). They’ve raised a Back Office case, indicating 10 days timeframe. I was hoping to cancel the BA PP this month for pro-rata refund but now will likely end up paying a 2nd months worth of fees. Albeit suggestive of a problem the BA end, feel aggrieved that no indication of the rejection was sent by Amex, and it needed me to try and join the dots and raise.
- Genghis says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 15:49
  
  At the start of 2021, my wife had the issue that her full name on Amex (including middle names) did not fully match BAEC (on Amex she was Mrs Genghis Temujin Khan but on BAEC only Mrs Genghis Khan). Changed middle name on BAEC by submitting passport. Then told Amex to reconnect. No idea if this applies to you. It only seemed a new process for 2021.
  - thefuzzbox says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 17:59
    
    Thank you very much
Michael C says:

4 Nov4 November 14:35

Our year-old FTV “you have to ring to book” was just changed via an email to an e-voucher: used it for a Feb GRU-LHR-GRU for GBP390 on Hotline!
- Anna says:
  
  4 Nov4 November 15:23
  
  Was that for an avios flight, Michael? That would be Xmas come early!
  - Michael C says:
    
    4 Nov4 November 16:58
    
    It was the return leg of a cash flight, but locked into the previous Call Us regime!
    - Anna says:
      
      4 Nov4 November 20:06
      
      Darn, guess they wouldn’t make it easy to use avios!