More on Curve Card and cash withdrawals and earning points

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• Tom1 says:

  22 Sep22 September 13:48

  O/t we have just booked our first BA 241 trip for next year. It will be our first BA long haul so looking for tips on what we need to do when..

  Out in J to BKK, back in F from DOH

  We don’t have any BA status so assume I can’t reserve seats for the J until 24 hours before, but F I have already reserved in MMB.

  Anything else we ‘need’ to do before hand – like lounges, book treatments etc?

  Thanks

  • John says:

    22 Sep22 September 15:01

    In J without BA status you can’t book the spa, you just turn up and see if they have any spots left.

  • BJ says:

    22 Sep22 September 15:12

    Seats LHR-BKK are usually ok for couples within 24h if you want one of the backwards middle pairs. However, IME it is highly unlikekly you will get a window aisle facing pair unless you pay for them. If there are any left within 24h they will likely be snapped up by regional connecting pax who can check in several hours before you.

    Lounges: I would recommend getting an amex platinum card even if just holding it for a few months to get the bonus, insurance for your trip, lounge access and hotel and car hire status. This gives yoj priority pass which you can use at many lounges and the platinum card itself gets you into T5 Pkaza Premium Lounge. Don’t know how you plan to get from BKK-DOH but regardles priority pass will be useful at BKK. My favoured lounges at BKK at the moment are Cathay lounge which is food to order and buffet, or the much quieter Oman Air lounge which can be accessed with Priority Pass. BKK is a good airport to to on a lounge crawl if you wish but alliwbtime to get to your gate.

    Immigration at BKK: You will receivee a pass on board for fast track immigration. It is almost always the quickest way to go but standard immigration worth a quick look.

    Bangkok Airport taxi: Ignore all the nonsense about BKK taxi drivers, they are mostly fine and will create no problems if the customer doesn’t,. No point paying 2-3 times the price for a private transfer when you can be down to official rank and be half way into town before locating and exiting the airport with a private driver sometimes. On return to the airport, hail a moving taxi 20m down the road from the hotel. Offer the driver 500 baht no meter and he should be your friend. If he say 600 he is trying it on, decline and hail the next taxi, don’t negotiate because 500 already good, most would do no meter for 400 outside rush hour. For journrys in city insist on meter. Try to hail moving taxi or use one you see people getting out, best to avoid stationary taxis at major tourist spots.

    • Brian Porter says:

      22 Sep22 September 16:01

      Be very careful doing a “no meter” back to the airport in BKK. They go the non express-way route sometimes and I ended up missing my flight because of it.

      • BJ says:

        22 Sep22 September 16:58

        It can be an issue but the same could happen with the expressway too sometimes. I usually tell them expressway and most comply. I always leave Sukhumvit about 2h 45min before my departure time and never had a problem even in rush hour. However, that’s knowing I have premium check in and access to fast track security and immigration.

        The main problem I find with Bangkok taxis is drivers not knowing directions. Had a few disputes over the years about whether to use expressway; tgedrivers let you out without charge to take another taxi if agreement cannot be reached.

      • mr dee says:

        22 Sep22 September 17:45

        What is Hilton Sukhumvit like?

      • BJ says:

        22 Sep22 September 17:53

        @Mr Dee, don’t know but John commented he will stay there this week so ask him in a few days. His comparison witb thd DT will bd interesting as the latter is a 10k points a nught cheaper.

    • swhostring says:

      22 Sep22 September 16:15

      BJ – why do you go to Thailand?

      • BJ says:

        22 Sep22 September 16:41

        Our place in the sun 😉

      • Darren says:

        22 Sep22 September 18:12

        The food?

    • CV3V says:

      22 Sep22 September 17:46

      Completely disagree regarding BKK taxi drivers, especially to the airport, but if you pay 500 baht you will be fine – i used to pay 250 baht. I have a list of encounters with BKK taxi drivers. The airport train is my preference.

    • Delbert says:

      22 Sep22 September 18:08

      We always hire an AOT Limo at Swampy [the desk right outside of arrivals] as had too many problems with BKK taxis.

      AOT are great. The drivers invariably know where they’re going, all cars are Easy Pass enabled with the tolls being included in the price and there’s enough room in the boot for two large suitcases and two cabin cases and the air conditioning is always on.

      On the way back we always book with a BKK Limo company that we’ve been using for years. It’s well worth paying the extra as there’s never a problem.

    • Tom1 says:

      22 Sep22 September 22:56

      Thanks all for the detailed responses.

      Yes – got PP through amex plat thank yoU. Actually going straight from BKK to hkt, so I assume we will have to clear immigration, collect bags and check in again? From hkt to sin before looping back to bkk for couple of nights, then dmk to mle for a morning flight to get seaplane, then mle-doh. All with LCC so PP will come in handy.

      Have booked Hyatt place Sukhumvit on points which looks decent with rooftop pool.
      Didn’t know about immigration – thanks.

      • BJ says:

        23 Sep23 September 08:11

        Since BA will not check bags through I cannot see any alternative to immigration, bag reclaim and check in. However, it is not difficult, bag reclaim is immediately behind immigration and customs and exit immediately behind that. On exit where you see all greeters standing take escalator or elevator upstairs and you are in departures. It will be a long walk from the plane to immigration though. It is years since I made such a transit, it was done airside if you had a through ticket and baggage checked through to final destination but I am not sure if that was only available to Thai Airways passengers. Regardless, given stories on immigration queues at HKT I think better to clear in BKK.

        You mentioned DMK, if you have Air Asia sectors I recommend you change your seats to a hot seat if you have not already picked those.

• Down the Back says:

  22 Sep22 September 18:37

  OT: Can anybody confirm Hilton reward stays are eligible for the Lufthansa 2.5k points offer ? I’ve read the t/c’s but don’t see anywhere it says rewards stays are not eligble ? If reward stays are not eligible how about using points and cash would they be eligible ?

  Thanks

  DtB

  • BJ says:

    22 Sep22 September 18:46

    Unfortunately, reward stays are definitely not eligible regardless of whether you pay 100% points or a combination of points & money. I’ve done 7 stays this month, 2500 posted for all of them except the ine I used points & money. Has also been confirmed on FT.

    • Down the Back says:

      22 Sep22 September 20:41

      Thanks BJ, that is exactly what I was looking for, I too have had 6 stays all posted quickly in to my newly set up Miles and More account. I have 3 x 1 night coming up over the next 2/3 weeks in the US so will probably just use points only, if the £100 rebate for £500 spend in Hilton USA on Amex was running for another 3 weeks instead of 8 days I would have used cash.

      Regards

      DtB

  • BJ says:

    22 Sep22 September 18:58

    If you book with cash take care to stick with the main rate types. I think Rob commented earlier this month that some special rates like travel industry are also ineligible. That is not mentioned in t&c either.

    • Rob says:

      22 Sep22 September 19:24

      Reward stays are not eligible. The T&C’s of the promo are rubbish. It was only after complaints from me on here (copied to Hilton) that they changed the landing page to actually explain how you set it up with your LH details.

• Andrew says:

  22 Sep22 September 19:34

  Don’t think I’ve spotted this in Bits yet, but “The Scotsman” is reporting that Norwegian is abandoning its Edinburgh-USA routes.

  Global Investment Partners, are putting the blame squarely on failings of the SNP/The Scottish Goverment.

  • RussellH says:

    22 Sep22 September 20:21

    Was that today’s Scotsman? I cannae find anything in today’s Herald…
    Different market I know.
    🙂

    What is the Scottish Government supposed not to have done? Provided subsidies a la Ryanair??

    • APD says:

      22 Sep22 September 21:30

      Correct, they ‘failed’ to hand them a lucrative handout, courtesy of the Scottish taxpayer.
      Bunch of chancers, albeit ‘governments’ attract this nonsense in the first place, with free handouts and no small print clauses.

      • Mark2 says:

        22 Sep22 September 22:03

        surely that’s the English taxpayer?

      • Callum says:

        22 Sep22 September 22:56

        How on Earth are they chancers? The SNP promised to greatly reduce APD but then never did. When you’re selling tickets at such low prices, that makes a big difference!

        Whether this is actually the reason is another matter, maybe the routes just weren’t popular enough and they want to save face?

    • Rob says:

      22 Sep22 September 22:18

      Not reduce APD as promised.

    • CV3V says:

      23 Sep23 September 13:33

      The Scotsman has a rule where it blames the SNP for everything.

    • Alan says:

      23 Sep23 September 13:51

      As long as they don’t scrap Oslo – I’ve got positioning flights booked for there in January!!

• Wally1976 says:

  22 Sep22 September 19:52

  OT – wife and I both got the Hilton Barclaycards early this year and using our free nights next weekend. I know there’s a 2500 point bonus for the first time they’re used at a Hilton hotel and seem to remember there’s a way of triggering it without paying for the room on it. Something like buying a packet of crisps on the card…?

  • BJ says:

    22 Sep22 September 20:07

    Just charge something to your room such as a drink at the bar ir a coffe and settle up on check out with hilton visa, that should do it. You get 2500 points x4 for first 4 stays within a year of taking out card.

    • Cormac says:

      22 Sep22 September 20:35

      And make sure that your Barclaycard is set up within your Hilton profile.

      • Wally1976 says:

        22 Sep22 September 22:51

        Thanks BJ and Cormac

      • shd says:

        23 Sep23 September 06:44

        2500 Hilton points is worth how much now?

      • BJ says:

        23 Sep23 September 09:12

        @she,, Rob values them at 0.3p per point I think. Based on redemptions I do I make it closer to 0.5p. However, my valuation will need to be revised down to reflect recent devaluation at the lower end.

  • John says:

    23 Sep23 September 05:13

    I didn’t pay for anything and I got the bonuses for my next 4 stays, which incidentally were all award stays. These posted automatically to Hilton and didn’t show up on Barclays statement.

    Before this happened, I had prepaid for 4 stays which were to be after those award stays, and as the bonuses didn’t arrive with these 4 Hilton transactions I complained, eventually received 8 bonuses in total plus £50 “compo”.

    If I had known you get the bonuses the first times you actually stay rather than with the transaction then I might not have complained but I guess I got lucky

    • BJ says:

      23 Sep23 September 07:49

      I guess you had your Hilton visa card on your profile then and associated with the reward stays? It must be what triggers the stay bonus.

• Andrew says:

  22 Sep22 September 20:22

  Hilton Sukhumvit is very good. I have stayed in a lot of BKK hotels and this is my favourite. Great rooms, staff and location. Book an executive room – the lounge is very good. Suites there are very good.

  • Clive says:

    23 Sep23 September 00:13

    If you stay at the Hilton you can also use the facilities such as the pool at the DT

    • Jovanna says:

      23 Sep23 September 00:44

      I’ve never had a problem.

• Roger says:

  22 Sep22 September 20:37

  Anyone having trouble with Curve paying HMRC.
  The old beta card that seem to work few days ago seems to have stopped too.

  Large bill due and unable to use this card.
  Don’t know where they want to take this card.

  • Jeff says:

    23 Sep23 September 20:49

    Curve are screwing up big time.
    Made a claim using a curve connected card, now they blocked me (without stating its blocked on my app) from using it at shops and ATM’s

    No response via chat either
    The customer service call center seem more confused and agitated than me!

    Marketing a service and then sending comms about charging customers for the obvious unique selling point!

• Mary says:

  23 Sep23 September 01:09

  Just as an FYI, Moneysavingexpert reported this about curve withdrawals:

  “Only Lloyds has so far replied, confirming that a withdrawal on a Curve card will be classified as a withdrawal on their credit or debit card statement.”

  Source for quote:
  https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/09/curve–all-in-one–debit-card-to-offer-fee-free-spending-abroad-/

  • Andrew L says:

    23 Sep23 September 09:47

    Thanks Martin Lewis & co for brining it to the attention of all the credit card companies…..idiots!!

    • callum says:

      23 Sep23 September 14:21

      I’m afraid you’re the idiot if you think they didn’t already know about this…

      It’s amazing that on the one hand you have some people paranoid that the banks are tracking their every move etc. and on the other you have people who think they aren’t even aware that hundreds of transactions from Curve marked as cash are ATM withdrawals. Even if we were to (incorrectly) assume no bank staff members read blogs like this, it would be incredibly obvious to them.

      So I echo your thanks, but with sincerity, as that is genuinely useful information. This blog told us the exact opposite! (I don’t mean to sound too bitchy about this – I obviously still value the information from this site – hence my regular visits – so thanks Rob regardless!)

      • Andrew L says:

        23 Sep23 September 19:51

        Cheers Callum. Thanks for your views. Have a nice evening.

      • Callum says:

        23 Sep23 September 21:22

        You’re welcome (and just to clarify, I was just “using your own phrase against you” – don’t really think you’re an idiot!).

• TGLoyalty says:

  23 Sep23 September 11:52

  Not bookable on IHG website yet but does anyone know what happens if I was to book via principal website for a stay in December will my spire status be recognised and earn points etc?

  I know no one can tell me for this exact scenario but I’m hoping someone has had similar experiences at other hotels which are moving from independent to IHG

  • Alan says:

    23 Sep23 September 13:55

    Should do. I’ve booked a Voco property in Gold Coast for next year even though they’re not showing the brand name yet, did appear on the IHG website though so must be a few steps ahead in the process to those properties.

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