More on the American Express / Priority Pass changes – no more free restaurant meals

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• Iain says:

  14 Jul14 July 05:21

  Iberia Miles – How does this compare to the recent Amex BA offer re 30k bonus

  Ps – rob can you add the email notification on replies to any posts back?

  • BJ says:

    14 Jul14 July 06:29

    Slightly better if you use a zero FX card but it depends whether you want to buy at least 20k via the amex offer or if the Iberia purchase bands work for you. Regarding your second query, have a look at Google alerts.

• Shoestring says:

  14 Jul14 July 07:08

  I reckon the recent Amex changes have shifted the logic of buying a nice big chunk of Avios @ circa 1.1p – now logic is heavily in favour of buy & stash instead of earn & burn.

  You can’t do much in the way of redemptions without a stonking great pile of Avios at your disposal.

  Reasons against: cashflow; devaluation.

  Reasons for: certainty (you can see a ‘redemption year’ ahead & plan accordingly); easy to use and get significantly more than 1.1p/ point in value – if you can’t, use cash instead.

  • BJ says:

    14 Jul14 July 07:28

    Agree and I’m seriously tempted for the first time ever. However it is very redemption-specific in relation to the current cost of alternate revenue flights and perceived future revenue flight costs. However, what may swing it for me is the fact that I use my avios redemptions over the Xmas and New Year high season, and I do value the ability to purchase flexibility for £35.

  • Doug M says:

    14 Jul14 July 10:34

    I’m very cautious about buying any kind of loyalty points. Obviously situations vary, but for me it always comes down to exchanging the universally accepted cash, for the limited acceptance point. I average well over 1.1p on Avios redemptions, but the calculation is always so artificial. Yes flights to x on that date we’re £££ but I wouldn’t have paid that, I’d just have gone another time.
    Appreciate everyone has different circumstances, but paying all that money comes with risks.

    • BJ says:

      14 Jul14 July 11:01

      Timing helps, I don’t need them now but should my avios collecting suffer between now and April when I need to upgrade amex green to platinum to avoid an Honors fall from Diamond to Silver I might well jump then, even at 1.1ppa, if I’m going to get another 20k for green upgrade.

      • Doug M says:

        14 Jul14 July 11:12

        I guess over 80% of my Avios are earned flying, I wonder what is generally from readers/those that comment on this site.

• Philip says:

  14 Jul14 July 07:18

  I still have a large -ve balance in my Iberia Plus account after the bonkers offer last year. So in principle buying Avios would only serve to reduce that number.

  Given that Iberia have my DOB and passport number which they can index against, they would probably reject the creation of a new account with the same details.

  I haven’t actually tried to do so, but wonder how others overcame the problem.

  • Shoestring says:

    14 Jul14 July 07:26

    DOB is not unique

    Passport renewal? TBH false passport details would work fine or just find an old passport if you’re squeamish, IB is not an arm of the government etc so I can’t see any legal or ethical impediment to making up the numbers – just correct them on your BP if you ever fly on IB in future

    New address, new passport number, new email address: Bob’s your uncle. Check what needs to match if you want a seamless points transfer to BAEC, maybe you’ll need to use the same email address on both so change it over to secondary address on BAEC as well.

    • Matt says:

      14 Jul14 July 08:22

      Why not close your account?

  • Andrew M says:

    14 Jul14 July 10:55

    Close your account and at the same time, ask Iberia to delete all data that they hold on you. They have to comply with this request under EU data rules. That’s what I did.

    • Doug M says:

      14 Jul14 July 11:01

      Surely if they chose to they could refuse on the basis of the negative Avios balance?

      • Andrew M says:

        14 Jul14 July 11:08

        I suppose they could refuse but they didn’t for me. Things may have changed now though if they have had a lot of closure requests. I closed mine soon after it went negative. They did say they were obliged to retain certain info for legal/administrative reasons but it wasn’t clear exactly what they were keeping.

• Roger says:

  14 Jul14 July 07:18

  Plaza Premium at LHR T5

  Did someone report any issue using Amex Platinum Metal card and denied entry?
  I am going to use this lounge soon enough so will report back but trying to see any other recent experience

  • Tariq says:

    14 Jul14 July 08:29

    I used that lounge a few weeks ago and metal was accepted fine. They did ask if it was a UK card though. Seemed like they hadn’t seen that many.

  • Rob says:

    14 Jul14 July 10:34

    That was Eurostar. PP will be fine as they have been used to seeing American metal cards.

• JP-MCO says:

  14 Jul14 July 07:26

  Are you sure €3600 works out at £1565? I make it £3232.

  • Shoestring says:

    14 Jul14 July 07:27

    £1565 and we’d all be going loopy & excited 🙂

    • BJ says:

      14 Jul14 July 07:32

      Your place in the sun would be overrun and you would not be a happy chappy.

  • Rob says:

    14 Jul14 July 10:34

    Fixed, sorry! That was based on 100k.

• A270 says:

  14 Jul14 July 07:35

  OT: Need to change a booking made using BA 2 for 1 and for my family member using an Avios upgrade voucher. Am I able to change the route as well? For example, change it from London to Dubai as opposed to London to Doha?

  • BJ says:

    14 Jul14 July 08:51

    241 is no problem, even if cancelled you get voucher and avios back to use as you wish. Lloyd’s voucher is more complicated. The rule is if you cancel you don’t get the voucher back, therefore you must CALL avios (not BA) to CHANGE not cancel. Their rules allow you to change within validity of existing ticket provided the avios required are the same. In practice this means you can change dates and/or destinations provided they are in the same cabin and redemption zone. However, YMMV, some have reported getting lucky and getting an agent who was much more flexible in the changes they would allow, extending vouchers, and in the refund of vouchers in extenuating circumstances, but don’t count on it because it is extremely rare.

    • A270 says:

      14 Jul14 July 09:25

      Thank you so much. I will call and check. I somehow remembered destination can’t be changed at all.

• NigelthePensioner says:

  14 Jul14 July 08:04

  The priority pass “non lounge” discount also disappears from the Centurion issued PP card on 1st August. Nice that they email this latest loss of privilege just days after collecting another stonking annual membership fee! Well done AmEx – another amenity bites the dust.

  • sloth says:

    14 Jul14 July 09:43

    But if you are only complaining and not cancelling why do they care…

    • Peter K says:

      14 Jul14 July 13:24

      Exactly. They care if they lose business. I’d they don’t lose business but are saving money then they are delighted surely.

      • Lady London says:

        14 Jul14 July 23:03

        Perhaps they regard a Centurion as a captive customer that wont have the guts to tell them they can have their Centurion card back.

        I know if they gave me a Centurion card then I’d fit this définition.

  • Andrew M says:

    14 Jul14 July 10:58

    Pro rata fee refund avaliable surely?

• Chrish says:

  14 Jul14 July 08:05

  OT. I know i can’t use a 241 out of Dublin but got my last Lloyds upgrade voucher can i use that from Dublin– Phoenix two of us upgrading just one way (outgoing or incoming) ?
  would there be any problems eg Dublin -Heathrow,- Phoenix or reverse ?

  • fivebobbill says:

    15 Jul15 July 16:23

    Wont be a problem, i just used 2 vouchers, DUB-LHR-DXB, and SIN-LHR-DUB.
    That’s 2 x 2 one-ways.

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