Jet Airways abandons Heathrow airport, and Etihad gets the landing slots

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• Olly says:

  13 Apr13 April 10:25

  I would bre keen to know the official answer to that as well as I’m in the same boat. My gut feeling I’d they will just look at the date of the cancellation of her last card, under 24 months, which it is, therefore no bonus.

• rams1981 says:

  13 Apr13 April 11:30

  OT are curve to pay off Amex no longer working? Can never keep track.

  • Peter K says:

    13 Apr13 April 13:04

    Try it 😉

• MrsHack says:

  13 Apr13 April 11:48

  OT. I have a number of flights in south-east Asia booked for early 2020. Business with Singapore /silk airlines to Vietnam and back and several internal flights in Vietnam with Vietnam airlines. Which is the best way to credit points? Have reasonable balances in BAEC, VS, Lufthansa Miles & More, AXMR, HH AND IHG. Reluctant to open more accounts.

• Ammar says:

  13 Apr13 April 13:14

  OT – Doing the Diamond Challenge – need 2 more stays. Was hoping to combine with the Amex offer (Spend 250 get 75 credit back) with a couple of stays in Paris next month. Just wondering if better to book via Amex Plat FHR programme (never used it before) to get extra benefits – do I still get points and qualifying stay credit with Hilton Honors or just book directly (prepaid cheaper obv).

  Supplementary q – if you book via AMex FHR – when you pay would it trigger the HIlton offer on the card as usually Flexible Rate with FHR i believe

  • Rob says:

    13 Apr13 April 14:49

    FHR rates are fully qualifying and all ‘pay on departure’.

  • BJ says:

    13 Apr13 April 20:04

    I’m missing something here; you are already diamond so are you certain anything you get via FHR is going to be worth the premium versus what you will likely get anyway booking direct as Diamond? My diamond recognition has been superb throughout last 4y while Rob has reported less satisfactory outcomes so YMMV. However, I think the key to good recognition is selecting the option that is less likely to be busiest for premium rooms and suites such as a little further from centre, Hilton as opposed to Conrad etc.

    • Rob says:

      13 Apr13 April 22:11

      I did get the Conan Doyle Suite at the W-A Edinburgh last weekend, to be fair, although I had booked a mid-range room in the first place, not the cheapest possible.

      FHR would make sense at this hotel for a one night stay because of the $100 food and drink credit and guaranteed 4pm check-out, even if you are already Diamond and get the free breakfast FHR also gives. The stay is also fully qualifying for Hilton Honors. The only reason I booked direct is that I got a very attractive Jan sale rate and – correctly as it turned out – guessed we’d struggle to spend $100 in the hotel given that the restaurant is fairly formal and not so kid friendly.

      • BJ says:

        13 Apr13 April 22:41

        Hope you enjoyed your stay. There have been a lot of very cheap rates at WA this winter so I think lots of folks have had good weekend breaks out of it. Had a £240 rail ticket back from London last Friday and missed out on 50% refund by <2min 🙁

      • Lady London says:

        14 Apr14 April 10:21

        You’re making a good point Rob. I’ve found with cars and hotels that the one thing not to book us the cheapest possible. Go up at least a rung or two and you seem to have a much greater chance of landing a decent upgrade.

        A bit like the best value wine on a restaurant list is often the 2nd-4th cheapest or so. Avoiding the cheapest seems can have disproportionately positive benefits for an amount that can be very small indeed.

        There is a flight relevance too.
        It would be much better if airline websites would show more fare options than just the cheapest. Conditions such as exchange ability, upgradeability and even sometimes refundability, can be available for just a tiny difference in fare that gets the much better fare class sometimes. But airline websites won’t show the other options on search just the cheapest mostly. If airlines invested in giving an option to see other fares and those different conditions it would be one way to keep more bookings dine direct with them. OTA’s could not do this for all the airlines they cover.

      • Lady London says:

        14 Apr14 April 10:21

        @BJ Grrrr.

      • Andrew says:

        14 Apr14 April 11:51

        £240 rail ticket…

        If you’re on the Chieftain or one of the Aberdeen services, it can pay to book to HYM rather than Waverley as the intensive services west of Edinburgh can result in a delayed LNER services losing their slots and you slipping over the refund level. The Caley is pretty much equidistant from both stations.

        I’ve also got into the habit of booking a low-cost gamble into my long distance rail travel. So instead of just booking a return from X-Y, book a ticket from W-Z that requires a change onto a low frequency service each way – even though I’ve no intention of going anywhere near W or Z. With the chaotic nature of Scotrail services at the moment, a £2-5 gamble has very good odds on a 50% refund.

    • Ammar says:

      13 Apr13 April 22:47

      I am doing the diamond challenge, need 8 stays, done 6 but was trying to maximise my benefits plus also utilise the HIlton offers on my Amex to save more per stay spend. Your advise is good, I have looked for the La Defense hotel in Paris as hopefully less busy on a weekend

      • BJ says:

        14 Apr14 April 07:11

        Are you familiar with the area? If not, it is not a good option for a weekend break in Paris.? too far out. I imagine it’s also dead there on weekends.

        • Rob says:

          14 Apr14 April 08:54

          Area is quiet (like Canary Wharf) but it is only a couple of metro stops from the tourist area.

      • Lady London says:

        14 Apr14 April 10:26

        I can totally recommend the new Hampton at Clichy if the low-service Hampton option is your bag. Stayed there a few times on my current project in Paris. Rooms one third the size of US Hamptons but still bigger than the London ones and very very comfortable. On a direct bus route to my client’s location near the Opera.

        About half the price of the one at La Defense.

      • Genghis says:

        14 Apr14 April 10:30

        I liked the Hilton Opera. Good breakfast.

• Chelseafi says:

  13 Apr13 April 14:41

  O/T just been approved for Gold Bus card (awaiting card), want to apply for green personal amex card next, does the Gold Bus card count on my credit record? If so was thinking of waiting 4/6 weeks between applications.

  • Chelseafi says:

    13 Apr13 April 15:08

    I also want to upgrade from Green to Plat ASAP again does upgrade count on my credit record, so should I wait 4/6 weeks to apply for upgrade? Thanks

    • Lev441 says:

      14 Apr14 April 00:31

      Yes will probably show up on credit report. In the past mine has shown up on 2 out of the 3 credit agencies

• Graham Walsh says:

  13 Apr13 April 19:35

  OT Tried to search but no answers. I have booked my free night with IHG but need to change hotel to another one across town as event I was going to has changed. Same date. I can cancel in the app but will the reward night voucher be issued back straight away?

  • Rob says:

    13 Apr13 April 22:12

    What the expiry date on the voucher? If it has passed, you’ll lose it. You should be OK otherwise based on what I have read before, although note no personal experience.

    • Graham Walsh says:

      14 Apr14 April 10:50

      IHG offline, Creation offline. I think it expires mid May, so techincally still valid. Booking if for a few days after the expiry date.

  • Lady London says:

    13 Apr13 April 22:18

    IME it has been. In very, very few minutes. More than once, but over 6 months ago. YMMV.

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