The HfP chat thread – Monday 29th November

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• aDifferentSimon says:

  29 Nov29 November 08:20

  Worth a reflag from yesterday’s chat that there is currently 15% off Airbnb gift cards on Amazon

• Rich says:

  29 Nov29 November 08:32

  For how long have comments on here been subject to moderation? I just responded helpfully to a comment and it said it was subject to moderation and has since disappeared.

  • Francesca says:

    29 Nov29 November 09:36

    Same thing happened to me. Had a genuine question about an upcoming US trip and it got removed.

    • memesweeper says:

      29 Nov29 November 13:03

      There has always been moderation IIRC

      If a comment above yours is ‘moderated away’ then yours disappears too… which can be confusing…

  • John says:

    29 Nov29 November 13:40

    It will be moderated if it has some key words or too many links or is caught by the spam filter

• Paul says:

  29 Nov29 November 08:36

  I booked first class flights to dubai using avios. Flights got cancelled. Now BA only have club available. First fully booked. Tried xmas and Feb Holidays. All full in first. They said they can book me in club. If I accept and take the club booking, do you think I would be entitled to 75 percent avios value refund as cash if I go through MCOL?

  • Dave says:

    29 Nov29 November 08:40

    Probably not and you have not been downgraded but cancelled. What about other carriers?

    • Rich says:

      29 Nov29 November 08:44

      Right to check the detail, my aircraft change was processed as flight cancelled and offer to rebook for flight at same time with same flight number. I accepted and got 75% cash back (of fare element, obviously not tax)

  • Rich says:

    29 Nov29 November 08:41

    It’s because they swapped aircraft to the A350, although I think I read that some flights will be A380. Others will advise on Avios refunds for downgrades but I accepted the downgrade on a cash booking and got the 75% refund without question or argument.

    • meta says:

      29 Nov29 November 08:51

      Flight cancelled by BA? Full UK261 rights apply. If there are no seats available in F, they have to put you on another airline in F if you insist. If you accept a downgrade on BA, they have to pay 75% off as if you flew the original flight. You bought a ticket in F, end of.

      • Blenz101 says:

        29 Nov29 November 09:30

        Whilst you can insist in a change or carrier BA may not honour. Fly the direct flight in CW and claim your 75% of miles back is likely your best option.

        If you push them you may end up on Qatar but a change in DOH has to be less preferable than a direct flight. If you take this option you get nothing back.

        If you really really want to push it then you can book direct in First with Emirates and attempt to MCOL for the reroute on another carrier in the cabin you originally booked. BA likely to defend this hard (throwing you back some of your own miles with the first option is no issue). You are not certain to win this if they can successfully argue the aircraft changes / cancellation was driven by the pandemic and huge swings in demand, particularly given the new variant now causing so much panic globally.

        • John says:

          29 Nov29 November 14:24

          I’m not sure that Qatar are selling F seats even on the routes that the A380 is expected to be flying on again soon.

          I’ve just had a BA F cancellation in the SIN route where they have again swapped aircraft from the 777 to the 787; and also cancelled the days I was due to fly.
          Pondering what to do for the best here. What airlines can get me to Singapore in F?
          Should I just take the First to Business downgrade, (and fly a day later or earlier) with BA and take the 75% compensation. Also needed to F Tier pints to hit Gold in 2022.

  • ChrisC says:

    29 Nov29 November 08:48

    You can only get the 75% if you actually fly in the downgrade cabin. And that is when you claim not before.

    You are only entitled to avios though as that is what you used.

    • meta says:

      29 Nov29 November 08:51

      Yes, downgrade compensation only if you fly.

    • Lady London says:

      29 Nov29 November 10:36

      Not correct ChrisC the way to claim at MCOL is for standard cash selling pricr of avios and quite normal for it to be awarded

  • Lady London says:

    29 Nov29 November 10:28

    Not just 75% avios. Also 75% of all their fake taxes, most of this is the YQ amount within your fare. The only things you don’t get 75% back off of are APD, airport/immigration charges, in other words you get 75% of everything the airline charges you for the downgraded sector except true govt and these types of locally mandated charges.

    If BA makes you go so far as MCOL then personally by then I’d be very annoyed with them and not actually want avios returned – I’d want the standard BA selling price for avios, per avios for the 75% avios due back to me, instead which is fine for court to award. As well as the 75% due back to me for the cash amounts.

    Remember none of this can be claimed till you’ve actually flown in the downgraded class. You also need to let no ambiguity creep in to any communications – from BA or from you – that could let it be said the change is voluntary on your part. In particular, never accept just a refund of the avios difference between the 2 classes as you may be deemed to have accepted this as settlement or agreed to it when you are due so much more.

    • Lady London says:

      29 Nov29 November 10:32

      Ps as always, after you’ve flown the downgraded flight you must ask BA first for your full 75% downgrade reimbursement. Only after 8 weeks without result or at least 3 attempts or a final refusal is it reasonable to MCOL. As Jonathan and meta will say, send a Letter Before Action to BA Legal first giving them 14-30 days to reimburse after which you will take proceedings (ie mcol).

• Ana says:

  29 Nov29 November 08:37

  Reposting from last night – any idea if there will be a bonus points transfer from AmEx to Hilton any time soon? There was one last November…

• Anna says:

  29 Nov29 November 08:43

  Six cases of Omicron found in Scotland and Nicola giving a briefing shortly so expect the borders to be closing imminently!

  • JDB Solihull says:

    29 Nov29 November 09:58

    Ahhhh….. Meant to be going to Dubai on Thursday 🙁

    • Anna says:

      29 Nov29 November 10:08

      You’ll probably be allowed to go to Dubai, just not England!

  • DJ says:

    29 Nov29 November 10:34

    I hope not, I had a holiday booked in two weeks time to Edinburgh and Glasgow ..

  • Darko says:

    29 Nov29 November 10:42

    what would be the point of closing the borders? not letting the variant out? virus is obviously spreading in country so any closing of borders is way too late…

• Anna says:

  29 Nov29 November 08:50

  https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2021/11/27/pdfs/BOE-A-2021-19608.pdf

  The new restrictions on the unvaccinated entering Spain would appear to have an exemption for accompanying minors, though I would be wanting clarification before trying it.

• Simon says:

  29 Nov29 November 09:03

  any idea current time frame BA amex to BAEC transfers ? 65,000 avios and a 241 gone AWOL !

• Tom H says:

  29 Nov29 November 09:05

  Quick question about converting a BA FTV into a (different) redemption ticket.

  Can I still call up and secure outbound availability at T-355 and wait to secure return availability once the return flights subsequently go T-355? Or do I have to convert the FTV all at once? Thanks.

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