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SAVE THE DATE: Head for Points Christmas Party, Tuesday 12th December

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After last year’s success we are delighted to announce that we are holding another Head for Points Christmas party this year.

We are currently still in the process of finalising everything but we can announce that – as we really liked last year’s venue – we will be taking over the Dry Martini bar at the Melia White House Hotel, by Regents Park, once again.

melia-white-house

We can also announce that Qatar Airways is generously sponsoring the party.  Regular readers will know that we rate the Qatar Airways business class product very highly – especially the new Qsuite currently being introduced (photo below) which comes with its own door.  The fact that you can earn Avios and British Airways tier points when you fly with Qatar Airways, due to their membership of the oneworld alliance, is an extra bonus.

Readers have responded very positively to the Qatar Airways sales that we have covered on HfP this year and the airline was happy to give something back.

Qatar Airways Qsuite

Because we need to ensure that people who ask for tickets turn up, we will be charging for tickets again.  However, your ticket covers unlimited house wine, draught beer and soft drinks between 6pm and 8pm.  We are not making a penny from this and indeed Qatar Airways is footing the bulk of the cost (thanks).  After 8pm, the bar will remain open for cash payments for anyone who wants to stay longer.

We will confirm the cost next week, but it is likely to be £20 per person.  We need to charge VAT this year which is why it has crept up from the £15 we charged last year.

There will also be a prize draw on the night.  We will confirm the prizes in the next few weeks – those of you who came last year will know that we gave away well over £1,500-worth of hotel rooms, points and credits.  Please get in touch at anika at headforpoints.com if your company would like to donate a prize in return for some publicity on HfP and at the event itself.

Tickets will go on sale next week – we will publish full details in another article in a few days.  We will sell them in two tranches, one at the weekend, to give everyone a chance.

There will be 150 tickets available.  Last year the tickets sold out within a day – much to our relief and surprise – and we expect them to go just as quickly this year.  Please do not make any non-cancellable travel plans until you have a ticket.

We hope that as many of you as possible can come along to meet Rob and myself and to talk miles, points, credit cards and travel with other readers.  Bring a friend (but only if they are happy to talk about travel all night) or come by yourself – you won’t struggle to find someone to share your stories with.

We will have name badges this year – which will double-up as your raffle ticket – to make it easier for people to introduce themselves.  You might even win a prize.

More details next week, but pencil in the date now if you’d like to come.

Comments (87)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Stu R says:

    A Christmas party on a Tuesday night in London …. just what those of us in Scotland need, not! That’d be 2 days off work in the middle of the week, plus flights plus a hotel for one party. At least do it on a Friday next time please Rob so those of us who’d like to go but live in the sticks can at least make a worthwhile weekend of it, please? Or better still, three parties, one in London, one in Manchester, and one in Glasgow or Edinburgh; after all, there’s life outside London!

    • Nick says:

      What poppycock Stu R. There is no need for you Scottish residents to to take two days off work in the middle of the week plus a hotel. Yes – you probably need to take one day off work but that would be exactly the same if the party was on a Friday. Rob has very sensibly arranged the party at a venue within walking distance (11 minutes according to google) of London Euston so easy for people to get to the Caledonian Sleeper after the party. Similarly from the Amelia White House, easy for people to get to the other main London termini in time for trains to other parts of the country. Well done indeed Rob for arranging this so well.

      • Stu R says:

        Have you ever taken the Caledonian sleeper? Once before, never again until they’ve done the makeover of the 30 something year old sleeper coaches …. plus I work in a job where alcohol is a strict no no; if I’m going to a party, I’d at least like a drink, something I can only do on Fridays and Saturdays. The point I was making is at least on a Friday, we could make a weekend of it ….

        • Polly says:

          Stu, really get your point. Maybe you can get down for one of the Amex platinum card evenings we have suggested. Either Nov 24th or Dec 1st both on a Friday evening, starting at 5pm ongoing? We hope a good few can make one or both! Evenings….plus a guest! So the poor put upon OH of avios mad collectors can join in…
          Hope to make the 12th and will be at Plat card evening on Dec 1st.

        • the real harry1 says:

          I’m hosting a Cornwall get-together in my front room – hope the 2 of you can make it 🙂

        • Worzel says:

          That’s four of us then Squills! 🙂 .

        • Stu R says:

          If you’re doing it on a Friday Harry, we’ll be there!

      • Polly says:

        Harry, bet your choice of wine will be great too! Ha!

        • Genghis says:

          He’d have the nice Rioja from Vinoseleccion on display in the wine rack but bring out the La Serrana from Majestic Calais (though surprisingly drinkable at £1.99 a bottle). Or is that me? 🙂

        • Genghis says:

          A few friends and I are stocking up early Dec. Free Eurotunnel and a decent day out with some moules-frites / undercooked steak.

        • Polly says:

          Hey G, those bottom shelf 2€ bottles can be surprisingly good…we bought a few beauties down through the years on our trips to France. Local Bergerac flavours…but that euro tunnel deal is tempting…

        • Jonty says:

          TRH, I’m in Devon. I can bring some clotted cream and fudge if you can source some pasties

      • JamesB says:

        I have no problem with Rob arranging the party in London given volume of readers there, and his living there. If I were in town I’d attend were it not for the sponsor. Just my personal choice, I have no issues with others flying Qatar etc, their choice. Given number of readers within a reasonable distance of Edinburgh or Manchester, there should be no problem with somebody taking the initiative and organising and event there if they wish, after all we know how to party better up north anyway 🙂

        • Lady London says:

          You could set up a screen in Edinburgh and anywhere else you like as well and have a two way screen connection to the main venue. Just like they do for the concerts in Hyde Park.

          Personally I find it nauseating. But seems to be a popular idea for events those outside London cannot all attend in person.

    • James says:

      On the plus side there’s no minimum price for a unit of alcohol.

      It’s hardly surprising the party is in London given that’s where HFP is based.

      Tuesday does suck a bit ! Especially for out of towners. But it’s better than no option for a party.

      Perhaps next Christmas HFP could try to get a load of extra RFS availability opened up on a few flights somewhere fun for the party 😉
      Come on Rob 😉

    • Andrew says:

      Completely get how a day towards the end of the week would be helpful but I also suspect that, given the need to keep costs down and any options given by people sponsoring or hosting the event, a Tuesday or similar may have been the option (availability-wise or “ability to offer a discount”-wise).

      I’m just grateful this is happening again even though I’ll probably not make this year’s bash either!

    • TripRep says:

      StuR – as another Scot, I say please bear in mind this is really a work event for Rob, he has family committments and he tries not to plan such events at weekends.

      Rob & Anika, sadly unable to make it as away traveling enjoying a redemption made possible by your advice on here, v jealous of all the HFP’ers that get to go.

      “Another time, McLeod”

      ps StuR, if you fancy setting up a HFP get together in Glasgow/Edinburgh nr Burns night on a Friday, I’d be up for that.

  • Mike says:

    I guess the fact you’re over the VAT threshold now is testament to the scale you’ve grown the site to. Well done!

    • Mr(s) Entitled says:

      Or at least, it was harder and harder to find legitimate ways to stay below 😉

      Cheshire based reader here. I would also like to voice strong discontent at the London centric focus of BA, I mean, HfP. I think MAN would make sense as a venue even if I am very unlikely to attend. Who do I ask for a pro rata refund of my HfP subscription?

      Harrumpf.

  • Genghis says:

    Excellent. Look forward to it.

  • James says:

    Nuts, going to miss it again. Hoping I can get to one of these HFP get-togethers at some point.

    Bravo Qatar for chipping in. I have been using Qatar extensively these past few years (attained Platinum for past two years) thanks to HFP putting me onto them; exposing me to their offering, seat-style & of course occasional sub £1k J prices (Of which we need more).
    Their customer dis-service team could do with more helpful policies however !

    On my first ever economy ticket with QR at the moment, however I was fortunate enough to upgrade all legs to J with QCredits 😉 That was a nerve wracking 30 minute call !

    • Talay says:

      I see you are crediting mileage to Qatar and not to BA, which appears to be the norm.

      How have you found the mileage scheme at Qatar ?

      We are in the process of moving off Etihad and (I) will not fly BA metal long haul on our routes so I prefer to get something back rather than meaningless tier points.

      • Polly says:

        James and Talay,
        We were with q miles for a few years but moved over to baec due to needing RFS for dub more. But it was often very difficult to get an I class seat as they called upgrade, in J . Often you might get 2 of the sectors upgraded which made for a confusing flight all around. The phone calls were indeed very painful, lots of must check with my supervisor conversations. Very limited availability in J for upgrades, all taken by locals with millions of q credits and miles! So Talay, you might never get 3 upgrades that you might need in J. And ok if you are going EAST all the time.

      • JamesB says:

        OT @Talay, TK continuing to sell LHR-BKK business return for under £1500. if you are looking for something at the moment.

  • Mike says:

    I shall not be able to attend but hope those that do have a great time and best of luck with the raffle

  • Rob Hutch says:

    FFS. Keyboard warriors out in force today. I look forward to meeting some of you.

  • Ian says:

    Looks good. Hopefully be able to make it!

  • W says:

    We’ll be getting fair and balanced from now on then! May the state of Qatar and its airline do no wrong. It is most excellent.

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