Berlin-based airline Germania goes bankrupt

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

• Anon says:

  6 Feb6 February 09:57

  OT – I’m having difficulties getting Virgin Trains ticket miles being credited to my Virgin Flying Club account. My journeys meet all the preconditions (booking on the website / app, quoting the Flying Club number on the reservation, only travelling on Virgin trains services, travelling on a qualifying route) but they’re not accepting the claim. The Partner Miles email address is also very slow in responding, is there a better way to chase these miles up or even get them added automatically?

  • RTS says:

    6 Feb6 February 14:50

    Mine never gets added either. I always just send them a “missing claims” message via. contact us together with an attachment of my booking confirmation. They more often than not just credit the miles onto my account.

  • DavidA says:

    6 Feb6 February 20:31

    If you’ve booked an Anytime ticket they take ~3 months to credit. If you book an Advance then they credit within a day or two.

    I had a few that didn’t credit last year and when I checked, it was because I had added the onward tube ticket – which of course breaks the “only travelling on virgin Services” clause.

• TripRep says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:14

  I was name dropping HFP to the VS UC crew & pax on my last flight, be interested to read the article.

  • Rob says:

    6 Feb6 February 12:23

    It’s quite short – even shorter than I was told which is why it is a little disjointed.

    • New Card says:

      6 Feb6 February 13:59

      I read it last night – Rob’s face took me by surprise as I was flicking through!

• Dean says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:14

  Ot: Amex card application – Applied Friday, got the 10 day message, called Monday and it was approved, how long should I expect to wait before the card comes? I’ve heard referral bonuses usually post once the card arrives so waiting on the card atm

  • Mark Lyon says:

    6 Feb6 February 10:46

    In my experience, the card come within 2/3 days of approval, and sometimes I see the referral bonuses before the card arrives.

    • Dean says:

      6 Feb6 February 10:52

      Did you receive the confirmation email beforehand? I haven’t even received that yet, let alone the card/ referral bonus

      • Mark2 says:

        6 Feb6 February 11:24

        The email usually arrives several days after the card.

      • Dean says:

        6 Feb6 February 11:55

        @Mark2 hahah! Will wait for the card then and hopefully the referral bonus posts at the same time.
        Thanks!

  • thehornets says:

    6 Feb6 February 11:58

    I applied Friday too and have not heard anything either.

• jonnii1 says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:23

  Rob – a correction re Germania. It did in fact fly to/from the UK for a short time, going from Gatwick to Erfurt in the former East Germany. I flew one way with them, with the flight taking an amazingly quick hour to get to the destination.

  • RussellH says:

    7 Feb7 February 17:19

    There is a significant comment column about the collapse of Germania in todays Süddeutsche Zeitung. I did not keep the copy I was reading, so cannot quote directly, but quoting concern that prices will go up etc. However, also evidence that this did not happen in Germany following the Air Berlin collapse.
    It did however say that Erfurt and IIRC, Rostock would suffer as the likes of EasyJet who took up many of AB’s routes will not be interested in serving smaller comunities such as Erfurt.
    Pity, Erfurt is well worth a visit.

• Mr(s) Entitled says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:25

  OT Bits: I’ve an Emirates flight coming up and I’ve no desire to accumulate their miles. I know I can credit them to Qantas but can I then transfer them from Qantas and into Avios to make use that way?

  • John says:

    6 Feb6 February 10:58

    No, you can’t transfer QFF points to Avios (and you usually can’t transfer between airline FFPs).

  • Alan says:

    6 Feb6 February 11:31

    No – if you booked on a QF code you could credit direct to BA, but if on EK code you can’t do that. You can almost never move points between programmes like that (except hotel to airline, sometimes vv, usually at poor rates). SQ/VA is an unusual exception but definitely not do-able for QF/BA. No problem booking other OW airlines with QF points of course though – it’s whether you’ll think you’ll get better use that way or via transferring EK points to Heathrow Rewards.

    • Mr(s) Entitled says:

      6 Feb6 February 11:51

      I didn’t know that I could transfer EK points to Heathrow Rewards. Seems like that is the best bet, and from there I can extract value.

      • Rob says:

        6 Feb6 February 12:20

        Yes, get yourself down the Emirates Box to see Arsenal. Really good VIP hospitality experience from 20,000 miles per person. Standard tickets are also available.

        They also had Queens Club tennis packages last year.

        • Alan says:

          6 Feb6 February 12:27

          Downside is being stuck having to watch football though! 😛 Queen’s Club could offer a more interesting alternative.

        • Rob says:

          6 Feb6 February 12:57

          Marriott has been reducing some of their O2 concerts down to 15,000 points per pair for last minute bookings. On my maths that is £75 of points, and given that 2 people can drink as much as they want for about four hours, plus enjoy a good hot buffet, it really doesn’t matter who is playing – just go for the refreshments!

        • Alan says:

          6 Feb6 February 13:00

          Haha yes although probably more just one for Londoners, not such good value after flights and accommodation taken into account 😀

      • Mr(s) Entitled says:

        6 Feb6 February 13:51

        I did consider the ‘occasion’ tickets but none are convenient to me and I’m only going to collect 1,800 miles x4 tickets with no appetite for more. I find it hard enough to use my avios and haven’t for years. Hotels are my focus but if I can get a little something out of this I’ll pursue HR.

  • Navara says:

    6 Feb6 February 12:05

    I think Easy Jet is an option

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    6 Feb6 February 14:52

    Thanks everyone for the input. My solution:

    EK -> HR -> Virgin FC -> Hilton

    7,200 EK miles can be transfer in chunks of 6,000 to give 2,000 HR points. 2,000 HR points become 2,000 Flying Club Miles. 2,000 FC miles become 3,000 Hilton Honors points but they can only be transferred in lots of 10,000 so I’ll need to combine these with an existing balance gain from, for example, Virgin Life Insurance.

    All of which results in a wastage of 1,200 EK miles AND lots of my time. I might be too far down the rabbit hole now for help.

    • Rob says:

      6 Feb6 February 15:14

      Doesn’t work.

      EK transfers into HR are ring-fenced and cannot be moved to an airline. They can only be used for shopping vouchers.

      I tested this out when it first launched if you search back.

    • Genghis says:

      6 Feb6 February 15:15

      I thought EK miles transferred into HR cannot then be transferred out to other miles (and this is hardcoded)?

    • Alan says:

      6 Feb6 February 15:33

      Nice try but EK transfers in have to be exchanged for HR vouchers and can’t be swapped back out, sorry.

    • Mr(s) Entitled says:

      6 Feb6 February 15:53

      Urgh….Any word on a Manchester Rewards scheme launching in the next 10 days. With a tie-up with EK?

      Looks like it is HR and then a good chance that they just expire in the next 3yrs through lack of use. I’m certainly not incentivised to travel via LHR just to claim £20 in vouchers. Oh well, lets see what now through 2022 brings.

• chef says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:44

  no offers on either of our marriott cards either

  • Mark Lyon says:

    6 Feb6 February 10:48

    Same, My wife and I have not received a Marriott promotion, I have selected to be contacted for promotions via email and use Marriott every week.

    • Neil says:

      6 Feb6 February 10:49

      Just posted similar at the same time. Odd

  • Scallder says:

    6 Feb6 February 11:26

    +1 for both my wife and I

  • Martin says:

    6 Feb6 February 13:37

    Three accounts in our family including one Platinum Premier – not so much as a sausage.

• Neil says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:48

  Hi. I am Marriott platinum elite and stay at a Marriott every week though haven’t had a mail about an offer and just checked on the app and no new promotions are showing for me.. is anyone else in a similar position?

  • Alan says:

    6 Feb6 February 11:33

    The majority of us judging by most of the comments!

  • Ian M says:

    6 Feb6 February 15:02

    I’m a Platinum Premier, no offer for me. No offer for my mum either (she doesn’t have any status). Disappointing. I’ll stick with Hilton and IHG

  • Dino says:

    7 Feb7 February 10:07

    No, I haven’t received any offer. Must only be for a select number of Marriott members

• LewisB says:

  6 Feb6 February 12:28

  OT – Does anybody know if it’s possible to redeem on LATAM from Santiago to Easter Island? The cash prices are insane (as expected). Nothing is showing up on BA.com, perhaps this is a phone and book scenario?

  • Froggee says:

    6 Feb6 February 12:46

    https://headforpoints.com/2015/08/05/can-you-avios-to-reach-easter-island-or-the-galapagos-with-lan/

    Theoretically possible but unlikely. I did it as part of a OneWorld round the world ticket using Star Alliance miles to fill in the bit from Tahiti to Auckland.

    It was an amazing trip.

  • marcw says:

    6 Feb6 February 17:02

    Yes you can, but availability comes and goes, if you check on a daily basis, you may be lucky.

  • Callum says:

    6 Feb6 February 19:17

    I’ve never seen anyone get a redemption for that.

    Are you using the LATAM UK site? They are way cheaper on the a Chile site.

    • LewisB says:

      6 Feb6 February 21:32

      Yes, tried LATAM UK, Chile site, tried a multi booking… UK site was definitely cheaper

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