Virgin Atlantic transfers to IHG Rewards Club DO still count towards status

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• Sididdly says:

  11 Aug11 August 07:32

  I did a similar trick last year and retained IHG Spire status through Hilton stays. Year end was approaching and I was 10,000 short of Spire retention with no IHG stays planned but a few Hilton stays. I had 8000 Virgin miles so just needed to scrape together another couple of thousand. I switched my earning preference to ‘Points & Miles’ with Hilton for a couple of stays, got the additional Virgin miles and then converted to IHG rewards to retain Spire and trigger the bonus.

  • Alex W says:

    11 Aug11 August 07:42

    Nice. If there’s no Avios bonus, I find Virgin is the best option at 2 points per $ on Hilton stays. Unless you are planning to convert Virgin miles back to Hilton at any point – if so you’re better off with points and points.

• Anna says:

  11 Aug11 August 07:35

  OT – currently in the T5 B lounge, both of us managed to get spa appointments, lovely and quiet compared to A, bacon rolls in plentiful supply! Thanks to HFP article earlier in the year 🙂

  • Anna says:

    11 Aug11 August 09:48

    Though I didn’t notice, any escorts of any nationality.

  • Alan says:

    11 Aug11 August 10:18

    Yep, definitely much easier to get appointments there – you can also make them from the spa in A gates, so I sometime make an appt then go for breakkie in the Flounge before heading over to B gates for spa appt 🙂

• Frankie says:

  11 Aug11 August 07:41

  OT. Newsnight did a 5 minute feature last night called The Highs And Lows of British Airways. Worth a watch.

  • the real harry1 says:

    11 Aug11 August 08:07

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inAQ8iKksGs

• Concerto says:

  11 Aug11 August 07:46

  OT – the Iberia Groupon deal is back. Check out the thread in the Iberia forum on Flyertalk.

  • the real harry1 says:

    11 Aug11 August 08:12

    works out @ 0.65p/ point on the 2000 deal + code

    but they’ll run out

    • Rob says:

      11 Aug11 August 08:56

      Oh no, not this again!

      • Alex says:

        11 Aug11 August 15:48

        Has anyone tried buying 2,000 Avios for 19 euros on multiple Email accounts to the same Iberia account? And did it work?

  • rams1981 says:

    11 Aug11 August 15:58

    Thanks. 2k is 0.86ish p per mile so just bought and redeemed those.

    • the real harry1 says:

      11 Aug11 August 17:50

      got 20,000 @ 0.8p last week

      • rams1981 says:

        11 Aug11 August 18:10

        How Harry?

        • the real harry1 says:

          12 Aug12 August 03:19

          rfs redemptions x4, part pay with cash options

          so swapped 20k Avios for £160

• Kathy says:

  11 Aug11 August 08:40

  I’ve been wavering back and forth on whether it’s worth transferring for me, since I would probably end up needing 60k Virgin points to hit Spire. (I just don’t stay in hotels often enough – even a 2 week work trip I did recently was to somewhere with no IHG nearby!)

  The maths is firmly on the side of ‘not’.

  The reason why I waver is that I know how likely I am to decide I should stay in a functional Holiday Inn instead of the lovely Intercontinental if I’m looking at cash prices. It’s a psychological thing – can’t bear to spend the money on something that’s a luxury. Whereas moving points from one programme to another doesn’t feel like spending money – even though I know there’s a big opportunity cost!

  Stupidly, because I rarely stay in hotels and don’t normally pay for ICs – and my trip next year will use up most of my annual leave! -I wouldn’t get a huge benefit from Spire status other than the 25k points.

  Should by cut and dried, right? I should follow the maths. I should just treat myself to the IC on the cash rate this once.

  • John says:

    11 Aug11 August 10:08

    Spire gets you nothing at IC except possibly 600 welcome points
    If you get any other benefits, you probably would have also received them as a Platinum.

    Personally I’d rather have 5 nights away in a holiday inn express than 1 night in an IC, but enough people feel otherwise

    • Kathy says:

      11 Aug11 August 10:33

      Fairly unlike to be staying in any hotels for at least a year after the trip I’m planning, so it’s kind of moot – I just won’t have the holiday left. Most of the trip will be spent in actual hostels, so the idea of treating myself to some luxury afterwards is appealing. But maybe I should tell myself the Holiday Inn will be luxury by comparison!

      I’ve just been seduced by the very pretty pictures of the views from the Sydney IC.

      • Alex W says:

        11 Aug11 August 13:34

        Sydney IC is good. But there’s not much advantage to being Spire, you need to be Ambassador as well.

        If I was you I would get the IHG Black credit card. Maybe wait until the turn of the year.

        Put £10k through that and you have a free night anywhere including ICs. You’ll Laos have at least 20,000 more elite qualifying points – that’s 20,000 fewer Virgin miles you would need to convert to get spire.

        • Kathy says:

          11 Aug11 August 14:00

          I have the IHG black, but the trip I’m planning to Sydney (flights booked) is before the free night voucher would post at the end of the card year, so that doesn’t help. If I go for the IC the plan would be to use points to get Ambassador for the ‘free night’ voucher (which of course is charged at one night’s Best Flex rate) and add one night on points. I’d then have the choice of paying for 2 cash nights, or transferring my Virgin points and doing another night on points and 1 on points & cash.

          Or I could just stay in the Holiday inn – I’d have enough points for 2 night on points and 1 points & cash, and would then pay for the other 2 nights.

      • Kinkell says:

        11 Aug11 August 13:48

        Sydney IC is very nice. Was there 2 years ago. Splurged out, lovely room, high floor, view of bridge and opera house club room is on top floor. It was a lovely end to our trip. Go for it!

        • Kathy says:

          11 Aug11 August 14:16

          See, the is the kind of advice I want!

    • Andy says:

      11 Aug11 August 13:20

      At my previous couple of IC stays in China/Hong Kong I did get the usual drinks voucher as Spire, but also a food and beverage voucher worth around $10-$15 (no minimum spend), which almost covered a cocktail at the HK IC, had I wished it could have just been a free beer or glass of wine. Not a huge benefit, but it seems to be the norm over there, at least.

  • Pangolin says:

    11 Aug11 August 12:04

    Nothing from your description of your travel patterns would suggest that turning 60K Virgin miles into 60K IHG points would be worthwhile for getting Spire Elite. For your travel needs, it would just be a waste of 60K miles that you could put to better use elsewhere. You don’t travel a huge amount and you say you prefer the budget brands. At the likes of HIX the rooms are practically all the same anyway, so an upgrade would probably just be a higher floor, corner room or maybe a nespresso machine in the room rather than instant coffee sachets.

    IHG status recognition is worse than any other chain except Accor, so getting Spire status is never something I’d bend over backwards trying to achieve (SPG Platinum – now that’s a different story!).

    The only genuine and irrevocable benefit from having Spire is that you can hoover up points more quickly, with the 100% bonus and the 25K qualification bonus per year. For some people, that in itself would be worthwhile but they’re more likely to be frequent travellers.

    • Kathy says:

      11 Aug11 August 14:02

      Yes, logically this is all entirely true.

      • John says:

        11 Aug11 August 16:54

        I can’t stand hostels but if you can, then sure, go for the IC to have a nice end to the trip. Buy ambassador (using points or money) but no point getting spire. Try and stay in another IC before it expires.

  • Lyn says:

    11 Aug11 August 21:46

    Kathy, it’s your holiday and you should make sure you enjoy it. This is where logic isn’t everything. It makes sense to stay in hostels and look forward to staying somewhere special at the end of your trip.

    Does the IHG Black card give you Platinum? If so, it is likely to help almost as much as Spire at an Intercontinental, or even at a Holiday Inn. But perhaps you’d like to transfer the points to have enough points for a free night at the IC as well as to get Spire? Ambassador membership (bought with points if you would prefer) could help save money for a two night weekend stay (one night paid, one night weekend certificate) if the weekend timing works, as well as give you a room upgrade, but suggest you check the flexible rates first to make sure they seem reasonable and you really are saving money (and remember you’ll earn points as well). If you can add a points night you would have even more time to enjoy it. Perhaps you can find a Holiday Inn in Sydney that looks just as inviting?

    In any case it could be worth contacting the hotel once you have booked to let them know this is a special stay that you are really looking forward to and you have chosen their hotel because of the wonderful views. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

• Ruth Findlay says:

  11 Aug11 August 08:54

  O/T any thoughts on the current Avios deal through Iberia/Groupon with the exchange rate how it is?

  • Rob says:

    11 Aug11 August 08:57

    The maths from February is in this article:

    https://headforpoints.com/2017/02/12/buy-up-to-100000-cheap-avios-from-0-82p-via-groupon/

    The exchange rate is roughly where it was then.

    • John says:

      11 Aug11 August 10:11

      No, the GBP to EUR rate is 7% worse now!

• Dave R says:

  11 Aug11 August 09:26

  OT. I need some advice to bag a redemption if someone can help please…

  I’m hoping to get 4 CW flights to Orlando in August 2018. I realise this may be difficult but I’m happy to fly in/out of MIA, TPA or FLL if required so hopefully this will better my chances. At a push, we could fly out/back from NYC or BOS and sort out some internal flights.

  Is the current recommendation still to book the outbound flight via BA.com as soon as available (I think this is still 350 days before departure?) and then call BA to add the return if/when it becomes available?

  If so, does anyone know what time of day reward flights are released on the BA website and how to go about calling them to add the return? (time of day, UK or international call centre etc)

  Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated

  • Rob says:

    11 Aug11 August 09:43

    Yes, but it is 355 days ahead.

    You need to call an open BA office at 1am (during BST, otherwise midnight) to be 100% certain. The seats will drop onto the website a few hours later if not taken.

    Only 2 CW seats and 4 Economy will be loaded at 355 days. Others may or may not be added nearer to departure, based on how the flight is selling. If you want everyone on the same plane (could you stagger it?) then book 2 CW and 2 Economy and rebook the two people in Economy if anything opens up in WTP, CW or First.

    • Dave R says:

      11 Aug11 August 12:23

      Thanks Rob. 😀

      • Dave R says:

        11 Aug11 August 12:24

        I thought it was 4 CW per flight so you have save me from some disappointment,

        • mark2 says:

          11 Aug11 August 12:47

          it does vary; when I booked Seattle there were 9+ in each cabin but no use to you.

        • Genghis says:

          11 Aug11 August 12:59

          It’s a guaranteed 2 Club World and 4 Economy on every flight. PE and First are not guaranteed, but there could some and indeed more CW and Economy.

    • pauldb says:

      11 Aug11 August 21:13

      I’m not sure what you mean about seats appearing online a few hours later: IME they always appear online at 1am BST so there is little reason to book the outbound by phone.
      It’s also very common to see more than 2J opened on initial release. We have 5 seats booked to MCO on the first Sunday of the Easter holidays and had our pick of the next 5 days too. On the recent release there are 9+ seats available on the later flight on 30&31 July. From having tried similar in the past, I think is a weekly pattern to the release so if Dave happens to want to go 6/7/13/14 I think he has a good chance of 4 seats.
      There are limits though: we had to accept coming home from NYC … would have preferred IAD as a fallback.

  • Genghis says:

    11 Aug11 August 09:44

    Reward flights become available at t-355 at midnight GMT, 1am BST. Note that only 2 CW flights are guaranteed at t-355 for any flight.
    Have a read of this: https://headforpoints.com/2017/01/03/which-british-airways-office-call-centre-is-open-now/
    On my last redemption (South Africa so competition fierce), I booked the outbound and then the inbound online when it became available. Called up the following morning to cancel and add it to the 241. If not using a 241, then just book it online as shouldn’t really make a difference to the taxes (and then have two singles).

    • Dave R says:

      11 Aug11 August 12:25

      Thanks, I am using 2 241’s. From different accounts just to make things more complicated.

  • Anna says:

    11 Aug11 August 09:53

    In my (relatively limited!) experience, you’re far more likely to find 4 x CW to New York, which would make a fantastic add on. We’re just waiting to take off to GCM on a 2 4 1, but only 2 CW seats were ever going to be released so we booked one cash fare, still saved about £3000 though.

  • Alan says:

    11 Aug11 August 10:20

    NYC far far more likely to have availability – I’ve done that before then tacked on AA internal flight to MCO for approx £100 – with BA Gold you get decent lounge in JFK and Economy Extra seating, which I find find for a <3h flight.

    • john says:

      11 Aug11 August 10:36

      Could book internal flights on AA with Avios also and pay minimal taxes although I understand since changes to AA program that Avios availability is worse.

      • Alan says:

        11 Aug11 August 10:39

        Indeed, I’ve found availability pretty poor apart from on short 1h flights – lots of Avios swilling about in the US with their sign-up bonuses! Also with reasonably competitive cash fares available the Avios pricing can be a bit high given the distances involved.

        • Dave R says:

          11 Aug11 August 12:28

          I hadn’t considered using avios for internal US flights. probably worth a look as would likely save around £400.

        • Alan says:

          11 Aug11 August 12:48

          Definitely worth checking, I’ve had some stonkingly good deals on short hops that were outrageously priced. In general on popular longer routes I’ve found the cash prices to be win out. Taxes/fees are gratifyingly low though on redemptions 😀

• Diydegsy says:

  11 Aug11 August 10:31

  Hi we are looking to book Flights to Barbados for July 2018 for 4 people and from what I understand everyone is saying we are probably too late to do this on 241? Rob said the other day these flights are impossible to get so has anyone any ideas on the best way to get there by business class apart from digging deep into our pockets or should we look at getting there via another route any suggestions would be helpful. We just found out about this so could not take advantage of the 355 days out. Thanks

  • Rob says:

    11 Aug11 August 11:12

    July is not peak – Barbados peak is Nov to Easter. We have been twice in June and got seats ok.

  • Peter K says:

    11 Aug11 August 13:46

    Having booked a redemtion to Barbados in November and having taken a bit of time beforehand to see how the flight availability is, the flights go quickly initially but then quite a lot of availability opens up about 6-8 weeks before the flights are due to leave. Have a look at the availability calandar for this year and you should see what I mean.
    Whether you can wait that late in the day to cofirm your flights is another matter…

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