The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 23rd November

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• Paul says:

  23 Nov23 November 14:40

  BA just cancelled the late Saturday night flight out of Vienna at the end of the half term with the suggestion that I re book to 07:25 the same day. I don’t mind the cancellation as much as their refusal to answer the phone and making you wait 2 and half minutes before telling you you are being cut off. A shoddy and pathetic service

  • Lady London says:

    23 Nov23 November 18:44

    I hope you’re telling them losing a day of your holiday is not on, get them to put you on following day flight and they are also liable for duty of care ie hotel, food, transport to and from hotel for the extra night.

• Guernsey Globetrotter says:

  23 Nov23 November 14:52

  Recommendations for single trip (ski) travel insurance please HfP brains trust?

  • Jim says:

    23 Nov23 November 17:24

    Staysure

• YC says:

  23 Nov23 November 14:55

  Quick straw poll – Would you take marriott titanium over platinum for £300 of mattress runs?

  • Russ says:

    23 Nov23 November 15:15

    Not sure if it’s worth it as a standalone venture however if you’d reached all your other hotel status targets then maybe worth a punt. Marriott still has the 1,500 bonus points per stay offer if you can find something cheap. I’m not sure if there’s a Titanium for Life status if that’s what you are aiming for.

    • E says:

      23 Nov23 November 15:19

      No Titanium for Life any more. Highest you can get to is Platinum for Life. Only legacy got Titanium for Life…

  • Shaw West says:

    23 Nov23 November 15:22

    Depends on your travel pattern. Plenty of Platinum heavy business hotels and cities around. Titanium would of course be better in that scenario.

    Also if your trips includes Ritz, Titanium is better recognised

  • Matthew says:

    23 Nov23 November 15:22

    If you’re also gonna be hitting 75 elite night credits total and would be eligible for an Annual Choice Benefit, then possibly. While I’ve personally had decent success with Suite Night Awards, most people tend to value the 40k Free Night Certifcate more as it provides guranteed usage/value. And with Marriott allowing a +15k top-up on certificates starting early next year (hopefully pre-devaluation), that could mean a 55k point night stay somewhere which may be in excess of £300 on it’s own. If you’re going to be doing lots of paid stays in the upcoming year as well, the 75% points bonus vs. 50% could also begin to add up. Upgrade wise, I don’t think it makes a huge difference but I’ve had good upgrade success as a Titanium elite for whatever that’s worth. You also get United Silver status which isn’t really worth much unless you plan on flying a bunch of domestic US on United.

    • YC says:

      23 Nov23 November 16:16

      Thanks really helpful comments. I’m inclined to do it despite it feeling like it might just breakeven rather than much more than that

      • TGLoyalty says:

        23 Nov23 November 19:16

        Actual mattress runs or making a weekend of it?

    • Rob says:

      23 Nov23 November 17:59

      Shame Marriott ended soft landings or it would be a no brainer.

      I’d do it for the reasons above plus being well positioned if more covid adjustments come in (perhaps soft landings return etc).

  • TJones says:

    23 Nov23 November 21:33

    For £300? Absolutely. And if you’re not going to do it, you’re on the wrong site! I just stayed for a few cheap nights in Rotherham to get Accor Platinum in the hope that I’ll be able to take advantage of the status in Asia next year.

    • Rob says:

      23 Nov23 November 22:46

      I assume our reader has the Marriott Amex, so that’s another 1,800 points on the £300 card spend, plus 1,500 per stay from the current promotion plus base points.

      When I was working out of Hilton Olympia and Hilton Hyde Park in Autumn 2020, I had it all lined up nicely:

      *negotiated rate of £30 or £40 per day depending on hotel
      *it was a HfP expense so the net cost to me was closer to half that
      *double elite night credits per day
      *2000 bonus points per day
      *1000 elite bonus points per day
      *base points
      *the chunky milestone bonuses

      It virtually cost me nothing (and this is before you factor in the alternative cost of daily WeWork access) and got me Diamond for 2021 which is now rolled into 2022.

      If I’d done them all for £30 at Olympia I would have made a profit but it’s a horrifically ugly place to work and a bit further to walk than Hyde Park, where the rooms are very pleasant in a 1920’s way.

      The Hilton Olympia sales manager even sent me a Christmas card last year!

• Shaw West says:

  23 Nov23 November 15:27

  Barclaycard throwing free Apple +, Apple Music, Apple Arcade for few months

• Will says:

  23 Nov23 November 15:34

  Good morning all. Can you confirm if Flight changes of return leg are free (subject to price changes) on BA and BA tickets in AA metal even if after taking the outward leg?

• John says:

  23 Nov23 November 15:40

  Received my creation IHG points for November.

  I used curve but my card is not being cancelled.

  • SteveJ says:

    23 Nov23 November 16:26

    Thanks for the data point. Would you mind sharing what your statement date is?

    • John says:

      23 Nov23 November 20:44

      Today

  • Andy says:

    23 Nov23 November 17:29

    Yes my friend hasn’t her card cancelled despite using it for MS via curve. Maybe just slipped through the net

  • Roy says:

    23 Nov23 November 19:35

    I do wonder whether it depends on whether they’ve ever made any revenue from you. I have used Curve regularly with Google Pay, but not (AFAIK) been cancelled I have occasionally made foreign currency purchases, though – although never anything big. I don’t think I’ve ever carried a balance on that card – but I couldn’t swear to it.

• Mikeact says:

  23 Nov23 November 15:54

  Is it possible to buy a box of Christmas Crackers which are not made in China nowadays ?

  • Spurs drive me mad says:

    23 Nov23 November 16:05

    Yes google Nancy and Betty crackers. Made in England

    • Mikeact says:

      23 Nov23 November 17:15

      Thanks for your response..!

  • bsuije says:

    23 Nov23 November 16:25

    The brand “TOAST” also does a set of Christmas crackers made in the UK and, as an alternative, Furoshiki table gifts (made in India).
    https://www.toa.st/collections/christmas-decorations/products/christmas-crackers-multi
    https://www.toa.st/collections/christmas-decorations/products/furoshiki-table-gifts-multi

    • Mikeact says:

      23 Nov23 November 20:27

      Thanks a lot…as a Nepal trekker they get my vote.

  • Phil H says:

    23 Nov23 November 20:59

    Hotel Chocolat.

• xcalx says:

  23 Nov23 November 16:02

  Has anyone managed to use combine my avios function today. avios from a cancelled IB booking were deposited today and I then got an email from IB to say they expire today even though I transferred erewards into the IB account 13 month ago which should have reset the 36 month expiry clock. Thanks

  • xcalx says:

    24 Nov24 November 08:36

    Transferred 1000 Amex and were in IB account instantly ( first transfer too)

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