The HfP chat thread – Thursday 11th November

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• Matthew says:

  11 Nov11 November 11:33

  Apologies for repeating a question I’m sure has been asked before but I can’t find the answer by searching the site! If I book on on the Iberia site (same flights are cheaper than on BA site) can I still get tier points or do I have to book through BA to get tier points?

  • Rob says:

    11 Nov11 November 11:59

    Yes, not a problem. Unlike hotels (who insist you book direct) BA will give you Avios and TP irrespective of where you book your flight.

    • Matthew says:

      11 Nov11 November 12:09

      Thank you kind Sir!

  • Paul Pogba says:

    11 Nov11 November 14:58

    If you don’t mind receiving the difference as a BA voucher you could get BA to price match online travel agents under their Best Price Guarantee: https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2020/06/17/british-airways-best-price-guarantee/

    You should get a voucher for 2x the difference (assuming you’re a BAEC member) but they will often try and fob you off with 1x.

    • ChrisC says:

      11 Nov11 November 17:41

      Except you won’t qualify for BPG buying from IB because of this

      “when the cheaper seat is being sold by a codeshare partner under a different flight number”

      • Paul Pogba says:

        11 Nov11 November 21:45

        Fair point but I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find a BA coded flight from a OTA at the same or better rate as Iberia direct.

• Steve says:

  11 Nov11 November 11:34

  Fully vaccinated parents travelling with 2 under 12 children to US – it appears that they will need to take an antigen test there on day 3. Can I just go into a CVS and buy them or even better carry the NHS self tests from here and use them there? What is the protocol, do you know? Additionally, is it mandatory for them to take the test or just a recommendation?

• MJ says:

  11 Nov11 November 11:42

  Has anyone been successful getting a statement of outstanding BA FTV/evouchers? I’ve gone through a flurry of cancellations and not certain what I actually have outstanding. I just tried one agent but couldn’t tell unless I told her the e-ticket number. Thanks

  • Yorkieflyer says:

    11 Nov11 November 11:58

    They’re hoping we all forget

    • Anna says:

      11 Nov11 November 12:19

      They can hope!

  • Anna says:

    11 Nov11 November 12:19

    You should have emails somewhere with the details, unless you are obsessive about double deleting things. I have email folders for all my travel related stuff so have all my emails relating to cancellations and vouchers in one of these (plus back-ups sent to another email address!)
    If you have your booking references from the cancelled bookings, you should be able to search for every email you have in relation to these. Or just might just have to sift through all your BA emails.

    • ChrisC, says:

      11 Nov11 November 13:38

      I have all mine logged in a spreadsheet with ticket / booking refs and amounts and logged against the trips I have used them for.

      I did that because this is MY money and I need to keep a record of it

      BA agent I was chatting to a couple of weeks ago said he has printed the emails out for his vouchers.

      BA systems were just not set up for this sort of thing and the volume of vouchers we need to take some responsibility as well for managing vouchers.

• James says:

  11 Nov11 November 12:03

  Just heard from Amex that the sign up bonus for BAPP was extended from 2nd Nov to 16th of Nov if anyone thought they’d missed the chance

  • Rob says:

    11 Nov11 November 12:19

    This is targeted to you. Public offer is back to 25k.

• Ja says:

  11 Nov11 November 12:09

  Taking my first flight next week in a long time. Flying BA to Toronto. I have booked the jab. I have downloaded ArriveCAN. I have got an ETA. I am thinking I should have hard and soft copies of everything. Do I need anything else? What is Verifly and do I need it? Thanks

• Nick G says:

  11 Nov11 November 12:27

  Sorry not been away in Europe since covid…any suggestions for a cheapo on line companies for self swab if I book to fly to Poland? I understand we don’t need any testing prior to flying?

  Thanks

  • Peter says:

    11 Nov11 November 12:37

    If you DBL jabbed you don’t need a test to fly to Poland, you only need one after returning to UK, the day 2 test.

    • Nick G says:

      11 Nov11 November 12:51

      That’s what I thought any suggestions on where to get a day 2 LF test on line?

      • ChrisC says:

        11 Nov11 November 13:39

        Several suggestions in yesterdays chat thread.

        • Lady London says:

          11 Nov11 November 13:45

          ….and most days

  • Alan says:

    11 Nov11 November 16:56

    vivoclinic.com offers a day 2 test for £14.90 delivered to your home.

    There are other cheaper ones on the government list if you are prepared to collect them, but pot luck whether any will be near enough to be worth the effort.

• Gareth says:

  11 Nov11 November 12:33

  T5 , Anyone know if first wing open , will arrive mid afternoon. Secondly is fast track security wing open , or is general fast track security open

  • Andrew says:

    11 Nov11 November 13:01

    Yes, yes, (and yes, not that you’ll need to use it).

• Mco says:

  11 Nov11 November 12:45

  I am on the fence in regards to getting a Amex Platinum card. Don’t ever use lounges at airports so the Priority Pass is not a must. I guess the travel insurance is worth £200 for a family of 4? Live in north east so won’t get to use the Addison Lee credit. The fine hotels benefits can be had via Emre? I have Marriott and Hilton status for another year.

  I want it but don’t see any other benefits that would be needed. Am I missing any?

  I have the Gold card so end up paying £140 a year for that anyway. So £340 in value for me incl insurance. Is the £250 off left worth the upgrade?

  • Manya says:

    11 Nov11 November 12:50

    Also worth taking into consideration the targeted offers which are likely to recoup your annual membership. The £200 dining credit is one example. Granted that you might not have gone for a fancy dinner otherwise but over the year the most of the offers on the Platinum card tend to have mass appeal.

    • Harry T says:

      11 Nov11 November 13:05

      The restaurant offer and the various money back offers for Waitrose etc have been aimed at retaining customers during covid, when the travel benefits haven’t been as easy to utilise. We won’t be seeing any more of these generous offers if the economic recovery continues on its present trajectory. So I would focus on determine if you can derive value from the Platinum card without the covid special incentives.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        11 Nov11 November 14:02

        having held the card for many years i never recall free money offers like these

        t was always spend something get less than 50% back.

  • Alex says:

    11 Nov11 November 12:54

    Sounds like a big fat ‘no’ to me.

  • Harry T says:

    11 Nov11 November 13:03

    The platinum card is pretty naff value for a lot of people, especially at the current price. I’d save your money.

    • Harrier25 says:

      11 Nov11 November 13:46

      As building up MR points as quickly as possible is my main aim, the £25,000 annual points bonus and double points on flights on the Preferred Rewards Gold is much more attractive to me than the Platinum option at this time and will continue to be until at least 2023.

      • Harrier25 says:

        11 Nov11 November 14:10

        Of course I meant 10,000 bonus MR points for an annual £15k spend, not 25,000. 🙄

    • Lady London says:

      11 Nov11 November 13:48

      If you’re looking for travel insurancw look at HSBC Rob did an article. Income required is higher than average though.

      There were definitely fewer chunky effective cashieback offers from Amex Plat pre-Covid.

      • Harrier25 says:

        11 Nov11 November 13:50

        Otherwise the Nationwide Plus current account for £13 a month. No income restrictions.

  • Fazzy Bear says:

    11 Nov11 November 13:17

    Also had same dilemma with Business Platinum.

    Already get the Times subscription for £26 a YEAR so would not save £312 as they claim.

    In addition I got 10k bonus points every quarter I spend 20k with Business Gold (easily achieved) so am disincentivised to upgrade.

    May reassess when I book a holiday in the near future.

    • Matt says:

      11 Nov11 November 13:46

      How do you get the Times that cheaply? That might make me reconsider my Business Plat.

      • Fazzy Bear says:

        11 Nov11 November 14:20

        Student subscription is £2.17 per month. Just need to find a nephew or niece at Uni.
        I started the subscription in 2019 and don’t need to prove eligibility again till 2023.

        • Matt says:

          11 Nov11 November 15:06

          Ah, thanks. My oldest nephew is 15 years off uni, so that isn’t an option any time soon for me!

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