Bits: 4800 Avios with LEGO, 30% off Radisson & Park Inn, 25% off Good To Go Parking

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• the real harry1 says:

  26 Jul26 July 05:33

  Good luck with getting RIDE to work! 🙂

• Dave Murray says:

  26 Jul26 July 06:15

  Code not working for me

  • Rob says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:43

    It works, we tried it yesterday!

    • Rob says:

      26 Jul26 July 07:45

      It DOES work!

      Just tried it for 28 July to 1 August at T4. Drop & Ride goes from £57.99 to £43.49.

      • Choons says:

        26 Jul26 July 08:20

        I bought my parking yesterday unfortunately, damn

        • Choons says:

          26 Jul26 July 08:25

          But on closer inspection I think it is cancellable so this could be good!

        • Choons says:

          26 Jul26 July 08:38

          I cancelled my Purple Parking that cost 90 for the Good to Go offer, which cost 52. Great saving! Thanks Rob

      • Jenny says:

        26 Jul26 July 09:21

        I guess you mean you have to want to use the service before 6th August? I looked yesterday and Drop & Ride for my dates in Jan/Feb 2018 was £80.99 – looked again this morning with the RIDE promo code and it’s not valid.

    • Evgeniy Romanov says:

      26 Jul26 July 12:35

      Hi Rob. Just FYI… I’ve just tried the parking code for 24.12.17 departure -> 10.01.18 arrival and got this message: ‘Sorry! The promo code or dates you entered aren’t valid but check out our everyday, great value prices below.’

      • Rob says:

        26 Jul26 July 13:40

        They never gave us the validity dates …. didn’t actually realise that in the article.

        • Sussex Bantam says:

          26 Jul26 July 16:52

          That’s a pretty rubbish offer then – basically unless you want parking this weekend it is of no use !

          Still – got them some publicity I guess…

• Anna says:

  26 Jul26 July 07:02

  OT – Amex email facility no longer available – it’s been replaced with online chat. This is hugely annoying as you never know how long these chats will take.

  • Worzel says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:42

    Thanks Anna:

    ‘…you never know how long these chats will take’ .

    Took this test:

    https://www.livechatinc.com/typing-speed-test/#/

    Rated as a Turtle!

    Cheers- Worzel the Turtle! 🙂 .

  • Mike says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:59

    Permanently ? Surely not. I had an online chat with o2 last week to resolve an issue with mobile data whilst on holiday in Spain and it took the best part of 35 mins !!

    • trickster says:

      26 Jul26 July 13:51

      You you try Sky’s in-app messenger service- glacial progress – kept having to re-do identification and verification lia links each time a new agent picked up a comment, or significant time has passed. Okay it’s not marketed as livechat, I know…

      • Simon Schus says:

        26 Jul26 July 16:35

        I wasted two hours yesterday trying to get issues sorted.

        One agent didn’t know about the Delta Sky Club benefit of the Platinum Charge Card. It took an hour, as I had to direct them to various documentation (which they couldn’t see as apparently the links I had require one to log-in as a customer).

        The other agent was trying to set up a dispute for a charge for me (I couldn’t do it automatically using the website, unfortunately). They couldn’t find the transaction on my account at first, despite providing the date, merchant and amount. Eventually (about 20 minutes in), they found the transaction: they ended up starting a process for fraud on my card, and I’m quite worried that they have blocked my card. I guess I’ll find out today when I try to use it. This took 45 minutes and then I gave up.

        Used the chat because I’m out of the UK at the moment (and didn’t want to incur charges calling, though I could have used Skype for the 0800 number).

        This experience just pushes me to the telephone or to not bother, reducing my engagement with AMEX to sort out problems – possibly reducing the extent that I use the card when I have alternatives. I already don’t bother engaging with AMEX USA because of the chat facility, though I find their telephone support is more difficult to engage with than the UK Brighton team.

        Also, as an aside: I spoke to an individual last week who has been contracted for life coaching for AMEX employees going through their current worldwide redundancy program. That person said that there are a lot of unhappy people 🙁 That is a shame for a group of individuals who I have generally had very good experiences with (unrelated, but 85% of my person-to-person interactions with AMEX being through the Secure Message Centre). The customer service side of AMEX is one of the main reasons I have recommended AMEX (the points are great too, but I haven’t churned apart from with the Virgin Atlantic MBNA credit cards where I’ve had these twice).

        • Simon Schus says:

          26 Jul26 July 16:39

          Also, I know my spelling is terrible – but the spelling of some agents on the chat room is atrocious. Hopefully, these are just teething issues because these chatrooms have offered a low-quality customer experience so far and seem to be a waiting area to direct me to the telephone line. Saying that, I completely understand if others have had good experiences.

        • Anna says:

          26 Jul26 July 17:37

          Re the spelling (theirs, not yours), I imagine not having English as a first language would have a lot to do with it!

    • Alan says:

      27 Jul27 July 00:17

      The message certainly implies permanently, not just one of the usual Amex IT temporary glitches 🙁

  • Wally1976 says:

    26 Jul26 July 08:41

    Yes I saw this yesterday; very disappointing. For the time being you can still access your messages and, I think, send new ones by clicking the link where it says “You can still access your email inbox and sent messages here” but not sure how long that will be the case or how long they’ll reply for.

    • mark2 says:

      26 Jul26 July 09:47

      you can read old messages but not send new ones; boo hoo.

      • Nick M says:

        26 Jul26 July 12:02

        You can – but needs to be in reply to an existing message… I used this yesterday to get 3000 bonus SPG for adding an additional cardholder

        • Chris A says:

          26 Jul26 July 13:13

          Nick – did you just politely ask if adding a cardholder would attract bonus points? Seen it on Gold card but not SPG. Thanks

        • Nick M says:

          26 Jul26 July 16:20

          Yes, always worth asking!

        • xcalx says:

          26 Jul26 July 17:11

          Very interesting, did you specify an amount for the bonus or did Amex offer 3000 SPG. Also is there a spend element for the additional card holder.
          Thanks.

        • Simon Schus says:

          26 Jul26 July 18:46

          Re: spelling. I had thought that might be the case with spelling that English might not be one’s first language. However, two of the agents were using a number of UK regional dialectic choices both in vocabulary and grammar so I inferred (perhaps entirely incorrectly) that the person I was talking to were UK based – I do a lot of research work involving written communication analysis so I picked up on the words here and there, and perhaps inferred more about their background than was entirely warranted (or even appropriate). The spelling and grammar issues that I mentioned are the types of language markers (errors, if you will) that I tend to associate with comfortable native speakers, including myself. For example, when texting my wife or not paying attention to what I’m typing… I make all sorts of spelling and grammar mistakes!

          Now… the spelling isn’t a huge significant issue as the meaning was still communicated, and I wouldn’t want to imply otherwise so I’m really sorry if I did! It was just notable in a couple of chats because I was already annoyed that it was taking 45 minutes, and that I was having to explain AMEX benefits to an AMEX representative. The same issue of spelling and grammar errors wasn’t apparent with the Secure Message Centre – nor with the US AMEX chat interaction, so it was notable to me.

          All-in-all… I am hopeful that the issues I experience (irrespective of the spelling, that isn’t really important but I love talking about language!) are teething issues.

  • Nate1309 says:

    26 Jul26 July 09:23

    I have just noticed this also. I liked the email function. 🙁

    • Anna says:

      26 Jul26 July 15:59

      Me too, though I am a T-rex on the typing test lol! Had an online chat first thing, to be fair the guy seemed to know his stuff (I was dreading a BA-style “That is not possible” experience), but I much prefer both firing off an email and being able to read the answer at a convenient moment. I asked for that to be fed back!

      • Sussex Bantam says:

        26 Jul26 July 16:50

        +1 to everything said above. I also set up an on-line chat specifically to feedback my disappointment at the removal of the email facility. Probably worth others doing so as well if you share that view…

        • Alan says:

          27 Jul27 July 00:27

          Did so on Twitter, but might try it via chat too.

          Not sure anything can be as bad as Adobe online chat. Could tell from the start it was going to be a long and painful process. Thought I was finally getting somewhere, with issue being escalated – only to receive message today saying they hoped the info provided (of which there was zero) was helpful and that they’d close the case of no further reply in 48h – arghh! Needless to say, case reopened…

  • Alan says:

    27 Jul27 July 00:15

    Yes, only seemed to disappear yesterday judging by comments at the time – very frustrating indeed, was a great service.

• ee says:

  26 Jul26 July 07:14

  O/T a couple of things I’ve found recently:
  1) Amex MR to Nectar account linking will fail if you have previously had another Amex MR account that has transferred to the same Nectar account. To solve this Amex have to remove the Nectar card from the old MR account.
  2) if you have an IHG Accelerate target for doing a redemption there are some crazy cheap Ebooks you can download to meet the task. I found an Ebook on SWIFT banking communication for 3 (yes three!) IHG points!

  • John says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:32

    Can you remove it yourself before you close a card?

    • ee says:

      26 Jul26 July 07:42

      Interesting idea – will take a look tonight. Will make the next churn easier if so!

• Rich says:

  26 Jul26 July 07:17

  OT… can anyone confirm the current referrer / referee rates when recommending someone for the BAPP from the standard BA card?

  I’m going to sign Mrs Rich up for the BA card later for the 10000 bonus, then refer myself from her account for the BAPP, but wanted to check it’s worth doing versus just getting the current enhanced bonus for both cards separately.

  Cheers,

  Rich

  • Genghis says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:27

    9k and 26k avios

  • Genghis says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:28

    But the standard BA Amex offer is currently 5k (not 10k)

    • Rich says:

      26 Jul26 July 07:39

      Thanks Genghis. I have a current sign up bonus of 10k (BA) and 30k (BAPP) from an email offer, which expires at the end of the month. I’m sure I saw some other people mention it on here a week or two ago when the email originally went out. Thanks again…

      • the real harry1 says:

        26 Jul26 July 07:44

        yep & they sent out reminders yesterday or day before as well

        • Rich says:

          26 Jul26 July 07:49

          …which has prompted me to actually apply rather than just sitting thinking about it!

• Robstaaaar says:

  26 Jul26 July 07:40

  O/T, I have a sign up offer from BA Amex for 30K points, £3k spend in 90 days; Worth it?

  • Rob says:

    26 Jul26 July 07:42

    You won’t see any better, and if you close it after 90 days you’ve got £300 of Avios for £50 of fee …..

    • Oh! Matron! says:

      26 Jul26 July 08:32

      Indeed. Probably one of the easiest CC applications I’ve ever done 🙂

    • AVM says:

      26 Jul26 July 11:18

      Rob, are you implying the £195 fee will be partially refunded? What if I spend 10k within 90 days and get my 241 voucher – will I get part of the fee back?

      • Genghis says:

        26 Jul26 July 11:28

        You’d still get a prorata refund of c.£150.

        • AVM says:

          26 Jul26 July 11:47

          Genghis, thanks for confirming this (I somehow missed the fee is prorata refundable). Just applied for BAPP with 30 k avios bonus – approved in 2 minutes…

        • Alan says:

          27 Jul27 July 00:21

          Yep, Amex UK ones are – it’s MBNA, Creation etc that are non-refundable.

• Cate says:

  26 Jul26 July 08:45

  OT – this is a bit cheeky but…..

  When making cash bookings on IHG’s website there is always a travel agent’s code given for the booking even though doing it myself. Can you set yourself up as a travel agent and get the commission?

  • Rob says:

    26 Jul26 July 08:46

    If you did, you could access the exclusive travel agent rates which are massively, massively reduced!

• Cate says:

  26 Jul26 July 08:55

  Worth doing a bit of research then…

  Thanks Rob 🙂

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