See NFL at Wembley by redeeming hotel points with Marriott and SPG

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• Rob says:

  3 Sep3 September 11:07

  This is new, and weak so far as you can see. When they beef it up we’ll start pushing it.

  • Crafty says:

    3 Sep3 September 17:08

    I looked the other day and over 90% of packages were in Brooklyn with the remainder in London. Not exaggerating!

• RTS says:

  3 Sep3 September 11:27

  Does anyone know whether I am able to use my Lloyds upgrade voucher to book a flight to travel post expiration of the voucher i.e. if my voucher expires in March 2019, would I be able to book the flight today to travel in say June 2019?

  • BigSi says:

    3 Sep3 September 11:52

    Yes you can.

  • KevMc says:

    3 Sep3 September 16:23

    Yes – the expiration date is the last date you can book using it, so you can book a flight for up to the expiry date +355

• Mark1980 says:

  3 Sep3 September 12:13

  OT – got a family holiday booked for tomorrow with Jet2 Holidays and the family has been hit by a sickness bug. Myself and my son are a bit better but my wife and baby are not and they may not be able to travel. Looking at the Jet2 website if it’s within 48 hours we’re stuffed. I have an Amex Plat card with the associated travel insurance but i didnt have it at the time of booking and therefore have paid no part of it with that card. If we can’t travel will we have any kind of cover with them? Thanks in advance.

  • Rob says:

    3 Sep3 September 12:37

    You need to go through the insurance document in detail. You usually are covered for serious stuff like this irrespective of how you paid. You can download it from the Plat application page on the Amex website if you don’t have it to hand.

    • Bill says:

      3 Sep3 September 12:46

      Where do I stand for amex platinum travel insurance if the travel company doesn’t accept american express?

      • the_real_a says:

        3 Sep3 September 13:54

        I have claimed successfully in this case (merchant(s) not accepting AMEX). In the T&C`s it says words to the effect “Provide proof the trip was booked on AMEX, or in the event the merchant did not accept AMEX provide the full address of the merchant”

      • the_real_a says:

        3 Sep3 September 14:01

        Under the section World Wide travel Insurance – cancelling/postponing your trip

        Information Required for claim

        Approved medical certificates
        • Any unused tickets or Trip invoices
        • Evidence from the appropriate organisation detailing the cause
        and duration of the delay if You abandon Your Trip
        • Booking and cancellation invoices from providers of services
        • Independent documentation proving any non-medical reason
        for cancellation
        • Proof that you have purchased accommodation and transportation on Your Card, or the name and address of the merchant, in the event that Your chosen provider would not accept Your Card.

      • Rob says:

        3 Sep3 September 15:22

        You’re covered irrespective.

    • Mark1980 says:

      3 Sep3 September 13:41

      Thanks Rob, unfortunately the T’s and C’s state the following: 1.2 CANCELLING, POSTPONING AND
      ABANDONING YOUR TRIP
      For the benefits under this section to apply transport and/or
      accommodation must have been Purchased in full using:
      I. the Card;
      II. American Express Membership Rewards® points; or
      III. Any travel rewards programmes provided the taxes
      and/or surcharges have been Purchased
      using the Card.

      • Rob says:

        3 Sep3 September 15:21

        What card did you use? BA Amex cards also count.

      • BlueHorizonuk says:

        3 Sep3 September 15:49

        Yes but I believe if the merchant doesn’t accept Amex you are covered. Also when you booked this you never had the card so don’t think they can retrospectively deny you coverage but happy to be corrected.

      • Russ says:

        3 Sep3 September 19:22

        Would this cover my Iberia bookings? Seem to have accumulated 9 trips from Madrid to Ibiza somehow which I can’t now make….

  • Craig says:

    3 Sep3 September 14:12

    Give them a ring and explain the situation, they may offer to delay the outbound flight by a couple of days.

• Alan says:

  3 Sep3 September 12:27

  Nothing showing in my IHG account at all.

• guesswho2000 says:

  3 Sep3 September 13:33

  OT since it’s a bits comment – Creation IHG Premium card – applied, referred, approved, card issued, activated, used for one transaction. Next thing I try to login and my account it blocked, call them and they’re asking for ID & address verification.

  Has anyone else experienced this? Seems very strange to approve a referred application (particularly as I already hold, and regularly use, two creation cards), only to then block it and do this.

  First transaction was, coincidentally, for £200, so that should trigger the signup bonus (unless they renege on the deal), and if they canx on my I’ll insist on a pro-rata annual fee refund. I can see my needing to escalate this one if they give me too much grief, so interested to hear of anyone else’s issues with Creation. They’ve been temperamental, but acceptable, with me, to date…

  • the_real_a says:

    3 Sep3 September 14:04

    If that £200 was for high risk merchant, such as revolut or topping up a prepaid card then they will totally block you. Sending ID documents is pretty standard these days to financial institutions (especially if you are non-British or recently moved house), i would not be offended.

    • Guesswho2000 says:

      4 Sep4 September 11:15

      It was Revolut as it happens 😉

      Not offended as such, but wasn’t impressed with the tone of the woman who answered my call. Anyway, I’ve sent my docs, but again, requesting that sort of thing by email doesn’t seem very secure. I’m a British Citizen from birth, but dual resident between there and Australia, however I have a lengthy credit history including two cards with Creation, so I was a little surprised by their sudden jumpiness.

      The complete block of online access is also a bit OTT too, in my opinion, but anyway.

• Mark Smith says:

  3 Sep3 September 14:10

  O/T just flagging in case any one else is interested. Phoned BAEC this morning to ask about Avios availability for 2 CW seats on a specific date from LHR to NY as I could see 2 single seats on flights departing within 90 mins of each other online. Phoned and was told (after a conversation with a manager) that as expected they couldn’t move 2 onto the same flight, however 20 mins later I was checking availability on other days and found they had moved 2 CW Avios seats to the same flight! Needless to say I swiftly booked them online, not sure how much my phone call influenced this decision but feels like too much of a fluke otherwise…

• Stephen Graham says:

  3 Sep3 September 14:38

  Can anyone confirm that if you have earned a 241 voucher on BA Amex Premium Plus Card and then cancel the card you don’t lose the voucher?

  • Chris L says:

    3 Sep3 September 14:45

    I can confirm first hand that having downgraded to the free card I have kept the voucher and booked flights with it. I understand the same is true if you cancel altogether. However when using the voucher the taxes and charges must be paid using an Amex card of some sort.

  • Mark Smith says:

    3 Sep3 September 14:45

    you don’t, although some have flagged that if you book a flight with the voucher and then cancel it you might not get the voucher back. Rob has done a number of articles on here around the companion ticket if you search.

    • Polly says:

      3 Sep3 September 16:47

      Mark, that the rub..the scenario you mentioned is the one area where anything goes. It’s a chance you take. Some vouchers are returned some not. We have never chanced cancellimg a 241 when card was cancelled, but we have used them certainly after cancelling.

      • BJ says:

        3 Sep3 September 19:24

        When cancelling ask if you are getting the voucher back, if the answer is no then have second thoughts on the cancellation. Repeat until you get a positive outcome, if none comes then cancel 24-48h before departure. If BA want to play hardball they should get a reminder pax can do so too.

• Alex Sm says:

  3 Sep3 September 15:06

  O/T (my first one but I’m getting slightly desperate): as long as you recently run a very popular article on how to do a mattress run, can you, Rob, and maybe others share your experiences of ‘flight runs’, i.e. getting miles for non-flown flights. How is best to check-in, NOT to fly and get points? I heard that some canny German recently did a trick – he had a fully flex ticket, went through security, got to the lounge and then ‘changed his mind’, left the airport and get a full refund AND miles. How realistic and viable could this be vs various risks involved?

  • Rob says:

    3 Sep3 September 15:18

    Very unlikely to work. I have actually done the scenario you mention above (on a non-refundable ticket) in order to review lounges, and not got the credit. It isn’t impossible but there is no guaranteed formula.

    What did work, back in the days when BA was striking every other month, was to book refundable flights on days when you expected a cabin crew strike. Sometimes BA made it easy by not closing booking for a couple of hours after a strike was announced. Your flight got cancelled but they gave you the Avios and tier credit anyway.

    • Alex Sm says:

      3 Sep3 September 17:08

      Interesting! I remember that time but who knows if we are going to see anything like this any time soon. Maybe after Brexit?

    • Alex Sm says:

      9 Sep9 September 16:14

      A correct link here: https://twitter.com/win_and_fly/status/1038805925736468481?s=21

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