The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 1st December

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• Luca says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:05

  Avios to Nectar is down again!

  Just such bad timing as I wanted to convert some for Argos for Christmas!

• Tracey says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:05

  Any recommendations for travel insurance that covers covid stuff other than actually being ill with covid whilst on holiday? Without medical cover.

  Have decent insurance through my bank for medical stuff and have pre-declared and paid a premium for medical conditions, just want all the covid stuff covered eg red lists/ bans etc. Without having to pay a premium for medical issues that I’ve already got covered.

  • Sam G says:

    1 Dec1 December 09:04

    Some of it is non-insurable e.g. red list, quarantine/testing in destination or UK leading to disinclination to travel etc. Staysure has some COVID covers but it’s limited beyond medical- mainly around you or your travel party catching covid before travel, being quarantined in destination and resulting costs. I’ve got mine with Nationwide Flex plus account which seems one of the best out there.

    What you should be able to get insurance against is a change in FCDO advice if you booked and were insured when there wasn’t advice in place against non-essential travel BUT I suspect FCDO will be less likely to shift advice in future for COVID anyway + no one will pay out if your travel company is offering a change/credit/refund which nearly all are.

    So really there isn’t much you can insure against unfortunately – personally I’m trying to ensure my bookings are as flexible as possible (miles, cancellable hotels, airlines I know I’d use a travel credit with e.g. BA etc)

    • Tracey says:

      1 Dec1 December 10:03

      BA flights are cancelable, but the hotel (good discount from Emyr, as an aside) requires 3 days notice. So I have a gap to cover of those 3 days, just in case destination goes Red or before we travel or while we are away.

  • Lee says:

    1 Dec1 December 09:27

    Nationwide Flexplus covers that from 15th Oct

    • Sam G says:

      1 Dec1 December 11:54

      Not correct unless FCDO advice changes to “all but essential travel) (which it likely would but you can’t guarantee)

      From Nationwide travel insurance portal:

      If I want to cancel my trip because I have to self-isolate or quarantine when I get back to the UK, am I covered?

      No, you’re not covered for cancelling a trip due to having to quarantine or self-isolate when you return home.

      • Sam G says:

        1 Dec1 December 11:57

        But for example – South Africa – advice did change. So in that situation they’d pay out (for any losses not avoided by using your travel providers flexibility)

        What is good though is Nationwide would still give you medical cover to travel in that scenario (they only do not insure against travel to “advice against all” travel destinations) so you can make your own mind up if say you are happy to come back and “wash” in a third country en route to avoid hotel lockup

• Jordan D says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:10

  I see autumn has changed to winter with the image. Where has the year gone?

  Lowest amount of international days since 2005, for me.

  • Jon says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:19

    I’ve managed zero internaional days in 2 years!

  • John says:

    1 Dec1 December 09:40

    I’ve spent 25 hours out of the UK in 2021… and only 95 hours out of England (Scotland)

    I have 3.5 citizenships and won’t have been to 2.5 of those countries for 4 years or more by the looks of things, usually go yearly

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    1 Dec1 December 10:26

    I’ve been abroad as much as normal, perhaps more than normal this year.

    Last minute flight deals have been insanely cheap this year!

• Anna says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:13

  Platinum Amex car hire insurance – does it cover supp card holders if the car is rented in their name?

  • Matty says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:15

    Supp should have it under their own benefits.

• Matty says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:18

  Airtime Rewards and ‘Transaction History’ – what does 4 days left (etc.) mean under the sliding yellow bar, under each transaction?

  • Nigel W says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:23

    I think when the ‘c@shback’ is applied to your account

  • SteveJ says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:23

    4 days until it hits your earned (and therefore redeemable) balance.

  • Tracey says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:24

    30 days to wait to see if the transaction is refunded. So the transaction date was 26 days ago.

    • John says:

      1 Dec1 December 08:53

      Some retailers take 90 days to be credited

      If you do refund something they take the money off straight away though. So you can have a negative balance

• C F Frost says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:23

  Miles and More offering 25% discount on mileage shopping from their rather flashy and Germanic catalogue. For widows and orphans and without sight of a resuscitating new card (“in the summer” they said) I’m weighing it up. Maybe a Porsche kettle?

  • Andrew says:

    1 Dec1 December 11:13

    If they ever happen to have “intern rate” (negative points value) items in their catalogue, you’ll never guess what happens to your points balance if you order it… 😉

• Magarathea says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:35

  I have just completed a trip to Dubai with BA and have 2 claims against them under UK261. The outward flight was booked to Abu Dhabi but this was cancelled and I had to reroute to Dubai. Instead of a 10 minute taxi ride to Yas Island I had an 80 minute taxi ride. Under UK261 Article 8.3, I understand I can claim the £60 extended taxi fare. More importantly, my return flight was booked in First from Dubai but I was downgraded to Club World and I will be able to claim a 75% cash reimbursement for this downgrading. I am expecting a little pushback from BA on the taxi claim and lots of pushback on the downgrading claim from previous experience. My gut feeling is to separate the two claims and to get the taxi claim in first and once resolved, to then submit the downgrading claim with the likelihood of having to go to CEDR / MCOL. Anyone got thought on separate or combined claims. Thanks for any feedback.

  • ChrisC says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:45

    Whilst I would submit them as two separate claims I wouldn’t hold off the downgrade reimbursement claim until the taxi one is sorted.

    If anything that would be my first claim as it is of higher value!

  • Sam G says:

    1 Dec1 December 08:55

    https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/traveltrade/bookings-policies/policies/askba?faqid=8750

    I don’t think you should get any pushback on the 75% – it’s BA policy

    • Magarathea says:

      1 Dec1 December 11:03

      Thanks for the reference to their T&C. I certainly got lots of pushback last time and they came up with every excuse under the sun for refusing my claim. Took the case to CEDR who found in my favour for a cash reimbursement and BA paid up.

      • Sam G says:

        1 Dec1 December 11:58

        Interestingly that is only for cash. For Avios that link says refund of the difference which isn’t right and that you might have a battle on your hands!

        • Magarathea says:

          1 Dec1 December 12:39

          I’m fully expecting to have to have the usual BA CEDR battle.

  • Blenz101 says:

    1 Dec1 December 09:23

    Don’t think either will be an issue to be honest.

    You mention cash back for the downgrade. Just be aware if it was an Avios booking then you will get 75% of the miles back and 75% of the YQ.

    • Magarathea says:

      1 Dec1 December 11:00

      I think you are not correct. 2 years ago when the same thing happened, after a CEDR claim I got cash back. UK 261 only provides for cash reimbursement unless the passenger agrees otherwise.

      • ken says:

        1 Dec1 December 11:21

        I think BA would be reasonable (and in the spirit of UK261) if they gave you 75% of points.

        UK261 is silent on downgrade of points redemptions.

        What are you after, the normal cost of buying the equivalent number of points ?

        • Magarathea says:

          1 Dec1 December 12:46

          Thanks for your reply ken. Lots of people on this site have reported success through CEDR / MCOL for a cash reimbursement on downgrading based on the purchase value of the Avios. That’s been my experience as well on the 1 occasion I have been downgraded. I agree UK261 is silent on points redemptions but as noted above, it is explicate in stating that the reimbursement should be in cash unless the passenger agrees otherwise.

      • Lady London says:

        1 Dec1 December 20:50

        yes. mcol the 75% avios due back at standard BA selling price, for each avios within the 75%. It’s standard, and better anyway. plus 75% of cash excepting true mandatory fees such as airport charges on that return.

        Defo separate the claims

• Barraclough says:

  1 Dec1 December 08:59

  I want to transfer some Virgin points to Hilton Honors but can’t find an online link and the Virgin chat bot sends me round in circles. The link for Virgin to Hilton on Rob’s article on airline transfers seems no longer working. https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/09/09/transfer-airline-miles-to-hotel-points/

  Has anyone got a working link or phone number to call them?

  I know the transfer rate isn’t brilliant but I’m diversifying my points collection!

  Thanks.

  • Russel says:

    1 Dec1 December 09:09

    The transfer rate is fine.

    I always did it through text

    • Barraclough says:

      1 Dec1 December 09:49

      Thanks Russel. I’ll text.

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