The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 23rd November

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

We are running this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions. With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article. This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page. If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here. This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

Category

General

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

Zoe P says:

23 Nov23 November 08:37

Morning all
I am very sorry for what I am about to ask as I am sure it is talked about all the time. I just ignored it because I was resolute that I would be using my 241 voucher for flights to Japan in April 2022 and nothing would stop me. They are all booked. However I have cheated on travel with home improvement and the pennies are not there. So… can I still get a Future Travel Voucher? And do I have to go through the pain of calling BA to do that???
Thanks
- ChrisC says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 08:39
  
  See the response on page 1 to a similar Q re BA holidays and the link to claim a voucher.
  - Zoe P says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 08:43
    
    Crikey I completely missed that! Lol thanks Chris.
ChrisC says:

23 Nov23 November 09:05

Eastern Airways Newquay – Gatwick route on sale from today.

Service starts 15th December
- Super Secret Stuff says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 09:30
  
  Reasonably priced too, £35 each way including 15kg luggage.
  
  Also, very short survey to enter to win tickets anywhere… https://fly.easternairways.com/customer-survey/
Russel says:

23 Nov23 November 09:20

If I close my Amex gold am I able to transfer or keep the mr points alive by transfer to my Amex green card?
How is this done?
- Louie says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 09:32
  
  Do you have one or two membership rewards accounts? If one, it’s effectively already been done; if two, ask Amex to merge the two accounts.
ayearinmx says:

23 Nov23 November 09:38

Does anyone know what the Gold BA tier point number will be next year? My year starts March and I was wondering if I’ll need 1500 or 1125
- AJA says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 09:52
  
  Last night Rob replied to a poster that the lower thresholds apply to 30 June 2022. After that the current expectation is that they will revert to previous levels. So assume you need to earn 1125TP by 30 June 2022 and you will be gold. Earn 1500 from 1 July 2022 onwards.
  - ayearinmx says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 10:08
    
    when you say “you need to earn 1125TP by 30 June 2022”, do you mean, members who’s tier year starts before 30 June 2022 will need to earn 1125, and everyone after will need to earn 1500?
    
    If so…. that is great news!
    - Tocsin says:
      
      23 Nov23 November 11:02
      
      Be very careful about that assumption…
      
      If your collection year starts 9 March and you earn 1125 TP by 30 June, you will/ should get gold. If you haven’t reached 1125 by 30 June, then the pessimistic assumption is that the target returns to normal, and you will have to earn 1500 TP by your year end 🙁
      
      The optimists assume that the above situation is extremely bad PR for BA and it won’t happen – but when has that deterred them!
    - Rob says:
      
      23 Nov23 November 11:08
      
      No, it looks like irrespective of year end you need 1125 if you hit it by 30/6 and 1500 thereafter.
      - Ayearinmx says:
        
        23 Nov23 November 11:13
        
        Ahh that is less great… Looks like I’ll need 1500 then because 1125 in 3 months isn’t happening
Ols says:

23 Nov23 November 09:42

We have 2 BA companion vouchers tied up with Avios and cash in an FTV. I’m now just looking to get a refund of cash and Avios and we’ll lose the companion vouchers which is a pain can’t be helped. Has the refund process been relatively smooth for anyone who’s done it?
- ChrisC says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 09:54
  
  You need to call to do this. Or try the live chat function.
  
  Apart from that aspect of getting through it’s very simple to do!
  
  Remember you’ll have to pay the admin fee.
- Sam G says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 10:07
  
  I believe (though confirm with them when you call) that if you book LHR-Manchester-LHR with the vouchers that the rest of the Avios and cash will be refunded to you, not into another voucher. You can then go online and request a voucher and that’ll store up the companion vouchers and a minimal amount of avios and cash in case you can actually use them.
  - Ols says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 10:52
    
    That’s great advice. I’ll give it a go. Thanks!
JP-MCO says:

23 Nov23 November 09:43

Is there anybody still working at Curve? I sent a customer service request 5 days ago and have heard nothing. Their CS is an absolute joke!
- Blindman says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 09:46
  
  Give it a least 14 days…
- Sam says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 10:06
  
  FWIW with the impending departure of Creation, I requested a downgrade on my metal. It was actioned within 24 hours
- Ste C says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 10:36
  
  I have tried to close my account twice in the last couple of months without any reply. wonder if they are just keeping accounts alive to make themselves look better.
  - Mike says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 16:23
    
    I asked to go from business to personal before I did an upgrade. No response. Then after a month raised a case asking to confirm it was done. No response. They obviously don’t want money.
- Gormlesstraveller says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 11:35
  
  IIRC, human Customer Support is only available to Metal subscribers.
  - Mr. AC says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 20:03
    
    I’m on Black Legacy (free) and I get human support too. Not fast, but typically 1-2 days over the past couple of times I needed something sorted.
Simon says:

23 Nov23 November 09:44

Morning, I’ve recently purchased IHG Ambassador. I’ve booked a weekend rate and used the voucher for the second night. Does anyone know if I can cancel this and rebook on another weekend without risking losing the voucher?

Thanks!
- Rob says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 09:49
  
  Should be fine. Voucher is only removed by the hotel at check-in.
  - Simon says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 11:33
    
    Thanks!
- Phil W says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 15:38
  
  Yep should definitely be fine. Theoretically you can have several 2-4-1 bookings at any given time, the voucher remains Redeemable in your account until you’ve actually checked-in.
  - Simon says:
    
    23 Nov23 November 17:46
    
    Cheers!
Alan Todd says:

23 Nov23 November 09:52

In the latest of a long line of hotel reviews nobody asked for… Kimpton St Honoré Paris!

We spent three nights on points here the weekend past. A late arrival into Orly from Glasgow meant we arrived at hotel approaching midnight. First impressions were good, beautiful building on Boulevard des Capucines directly opposite the Intercontinental Le Grand. Very close to Opera metro and Auber RER stations. Plenty of upmarket shops and eateries to suit most budgets in the area, and not a far walk from Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre.

Spire status was recognised, we received two €10 drinks credits which we didn’t get round to using. Restaurant/bar prices are steep even for Paris, so €10 may have gotten you a half price cocktail or a small beer. Room amenities were fruit juices, marshmallows and some dry cake.

We had been upgraded from an ‘Essential’ room to Queen bed executive with balcony, overlooking Le Grand. Finishing was excellent, everything felt brand new, decor was modern and clean without feeling sparse. The room was an excellent base from which to explore for a few days. Accommodation in Paris can be on the small side, so the upgrade was appreciated. Toiletries were by Codage. They had a subtle fragrance, and felt luxurious without being overpowering. Bathroom was large with a walk in shower and separate WC area. No desk, and HfP regulars will wish to know that hangers were “collectable” and the kettle was basic.

The pool/sauna and gym area were small but impressive. It was so nice to be able to relax after a long day sightseeing. Between 5pm and 6pm white wine and canapés were served above reception. Hotel occupancy seemed light, I do wonder how crowded the pool and drinks reception would be if it were busier.

The rooftop bar was closed for the winter, but you could still get the (extremely fancy) lifts up to have a wander around. Views from here were… well… spectacular.

We didn’t have breakfast, at €42 a head it was cheaper for both of us to get the metro to the Eiffel Tower, buy our tickets to the second floor and purchase a coffee and a croissant each there than it was for ONE of us to eat in the hotel… so we did that instead! We did have room service on the second night whilst watching Les Bleus overcome the All Blacks, burger cooked to my liking and truffle pizza, both very good and reasonably priced considering.
- Rob says:
  
  23 Nov23 November 19:44
  
  Thanks Alan, mine will follow next week!