HfP ‘Credit Cards’ page updated for June 2017 – what are the best deals this month?

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• Simon Barlow says:

  8 Jun8 June 06:26

  Booked a2-4-1 flying in November. If I cancel my bapp will I still be able to get the benefit?
  And if I apply again after 6 months will I get the sign up bonus?
  Thanks

  • Genghis says:

    8 Jun8 June 06:39

    Get what benefit? If you cancel BAPP your 241 flight booking remains safe. You’ll then be eligible for another BA Amex sign up bonus in six months’ time.

    • Simon Barlow says:

      8 Jun8 June 07:54

      Cheers Genghis, working on virgin miles now but will switch back to bapp next year. Looking to cancel the card and save £195, get the sign up bonus next year but still have them honour the 2-4-1 I booked for November. Looks like a win around! Thanks again. S

      • Genghis says:

        8 Jun8 June 08:05

        If you have a partner and they’ve not had BAPP in last 6 months, refer them and get them to spend £3k. 9k + 26k + 4.5k = 39.5k avios for £3k spend and a few quid in card fees. That’s what we did earlier this year as no need for another 241.

        • Geoff says:

          8 Jun8 June 08:36

          I asked about this before – my partner has a secondary card on my BAPP card but she is not getting any of my referral emails to take out her own card. She did have a Nectar Amex once but that was cancelled more than a year ago.

        • Genghis says:

          8 Jun8 June 08:40

          Can you not just copy and paste the referral link from your Amex portal and then give that to your partner to apply?

        • Rob says:

          8 Jun8 June 09:07

          The Amex emails often fail to arrive – just copy and paste the URL from the referral page of the site when you are logged in.

        • Simon Barlow says:

          8 Jun8 June 09:17

          Thanks again Genghis

        • Anna says:

          8 Jun8 June 10:20

          I’ve found this with the emails, but it does say the email won’t arrive if the recipient has ever opted out of Amex mailing which could explain it. Using the link is fine though.

        • Geoff says:

          10 Jun10 June 11:54

          Yes, thanks everybody, i was just being dull and not noticing the link option!

  • AFC says:

    8 Jun8 June 11:45

    I’ve been told (several times now) by Am Ex that if I cancel my BAPP card I loose my 2-4-1, however if I downgrade to the standard card, i.e. still retain Am Ex, the voucher will be O/K. Don’t know if the fact that you’re already booked makes a difference.

    • Alan says:

      8 Jun8 June 11:48

      Based on reports to date on here and FT they’re 99.99% wrong in that advice re losing the voucher…

      • Rob says:

        8 Jun8 June 12:23

        No-one on here has ever reported losing a voucher. I even know people who have cancelled their Amex, kept the voucher, booked a 241, cancelled the 241 and got the voucher back.

        Amex and BA can change their rules at any point of course but this is just outright fibbing from Amex, in the same way that they tell you that you must have a BA Amex to pay the taxes when you use the 241, which is also untrue.

        • Alan says:

          8 Jun8 June 20:40

          Agree – I seem to recall one mention on FT though so thought I’d put in a 0.01% caveat 😉

        • Genghis says:

          8 Jun8 June 20:44

          Any thoughts as to the reason Amex give for saying the voucher will be lost? Because taper T&Cs, the taxes must be paid with THE BAPP?

• Roger says:

  8 Jun8 June 07:25

  Amex Platinum – Priority Pass Airport Lounge
  Mrs. Roger is travelling with our two kids. She has PP card so can take one of our children.
  For other child, what is the best way to take a child (over free allowed age as per lounge T&C) for free?

  On a related note, can Mrs. Roger apply for her own Amex Platinum and select one of our child (10 Y old) as additional card holder and then can that child have own Priority Pass account?

  • Wally1976 says:

    8 Jun8 June 08:41

    I’m pretty sure under 18s are not allowed to hold supplementary cards. However, if Mrs Roger applied for her own Amex Plat she would be able to get up to four people in the lounge – two with the PP on her own Plat account and two with the PP as supplementary card holder on your Plat account I believe. Alternatively she could get an Amex Gold card and use one of the free Lounge Club passes (assuming the lounge in question is available in that scheme).

    • Polly says:

      8 Jun8 June 08:47

      Even then, the second card holder must be present to allow the guest in. She is travelling with the two kids on her own, it seems. She may have to pay the entry fee….

      • Wally1976 says:

        8 Jun8 June 08:52

        Ah, didn’t realise that. Sorry for giving incorrect information Roger.

      • Genghis says:

        8 Jun8 June 08:53

        @Roger. Ask Mrs Roger to do a therealharry1 and leave one of the kids outside with a Burger King while she heads inside and gets boozed up?

        • Simon Barlow says:

          8 Jun8 June 09:40

          Or leave then both outside!!

  • Polly says:

    8 Jun8 June 08:44

    Roger, we did that for our daughter recently, but she’s over 18. I think, Rob correct me if l am wrong, but you need to be over 18 even as a named card holder. It’s a stretch. Worth calling up to ask. But maybe just pay the entry fee instead if it’s a one off trip.

  • Alex says:

    8 Jun8 June 10:52

    If the PP card is not in her name she may not be able to use it to gain access. I tried to use my Wife’s at Manchester without her being present without success. I’d cancelled my own Amex card a few weeks earlier and thought my PP card would still be working but it wasn’t so I tried to use hers and got knocked back.

    • RIcatti says:

      8 Jun8 June 12:41

      You risk getting a bill from AMEX (statement charge) if using the related PP after closing the card.

• Wally1976 says:

  8 Jun8 June 08:26

  OT – can anyone confirm if a current year ISA transfer into Virgin qualifies for the 8000 point bonus? Thanks

• Allan says:

  8 Jun8 June 09:17

  What’s the bonus you would get if upgrading from a gold charge card to the platinum one?

  • Genghis says:

    8 Jun8 June 09:39

    The 20k upgrade link is now dead. You have to now contact Amex (try tel and secure message) and ask them to make you an offer.

• Polly says:

  8 Jun8 June 09:22

  Rob or anyone, with my SPG card, l am short abround 3000k star points to get me to 20k Is it possible to transfer the 3k MRs from plat card to my star points ? Just so we can benefit from the bonus 5k star points when transferring to BAEC? Probably a no no, but thought it’s worth an ask….haven’t had SPG for a few years now….

  • Nick M says:

    8 Jun8 June 09:27

    MRs transfer to SPG at 2:1 so you’ll use 6000 Amex MR to get 8000 Avios

    • Polly says:

      8 Jun8 June 12:27

      Thanks nick, won’t be bothered doing that then….

      • Genghis says:

        8 Jun8 June 12:46

        If you want to convert your SPG points to avios because you need them then it’s worth doing. IMO, though, SPGs are too valuable to convert to avios.

        • Polly says:

          8 Jun8 June 15:25

          Thanks…p

• Nick M says:

  8 Jun8 June 10:11

  Sorry, I’m fairly sure this has been asked before… with the Virgin cards you get an upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy after spending £5/10k on the Amex – do you pay the fees/taxes for Eco or PE?

  • pointsarb says:

    8 Jun8 June 10:38

    You pay the taxes for PE I’m afraid. Still a great perk though!

  • Rob says:

    8 Jun8 June 11:37

    In reality, what you are doing is booking a PE redemption for the miles of an Economy redemption – so it would be PE charges.

    • Nick M says:

      8 Jun8 June 15:13

      Thanks both… I guess it is best to treat it as a 15-25k miles bonus per £5k spend – on the assumption that I’m planning a PE redemption in 12-36 months time!

• Ricky Child says:

  8 Jun8 June 11:43

  Rob,

  Just wondering if the Qatar competition winner has been chosen, and when will it be announced to us readers?

  • Rob says:

    8 Jun8 June 12:26

    It has been drawn, we are just waiting for Qatar Airways to confirm the paperwork for the winner. Seems they are a bit busy this week ….

    • Ricky Child says:

      8 Jun8 June 12:47

      Thanks, Yes, i imagine the paperwork is the least of their worries at the moment.

• Another Phil says:

  8 Jun8 June 12:24

  I signed up for Marriot but no sign of the 1000 Avios yet. Presumably there’s a delay but given that it seemed too easy a way to get 1000 Avios I’m wondering if I’m missing something!

  • Genghis says:

    8 Jun8 June 12:38

    Aren’t the points applied at month end?

    • Another Phil says:

      8 Jun8 June 15:26

      Good question! If it wasn’t so easy I’d just have assumed it would take a while.

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