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The new HfP chat thread launches – Sunday 22nd March

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Starting today, we have decided to run a daily chat thread on Head for Points.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the defacto repository for random comments and questions.  It is unlikely that the news flow will be so big over the next few weeks that we will need many ‘Bits’ articles, however.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind.  At this tricky time, and given that many of you are stuck at home self-isolating, we want the HfP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as its keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

We will review how this works after a few days:

we could potentially split it into a daily travel and non-travel chat thread

we may install some basic forum software

we may start suggesting potential topics for daily discussion

Let’s see how it goes.

We have sent this initial article to our email subscribers so they are aware of what is going on.   From tomorrow, email subscribers will not receive a link to the daily chat thread.  If you visit the site, however, a new chat thread will be opened each morning.  Regular articles will continue to be emailed.

We will do a separate article in a day or so about how we plan to run the site over the next few weeks.  Take care!

Category

General

Comments (379)

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

  • Sean D says:
    22 Mar22 March 09:59

    Hi, I have just 1 night left to get on hotels.com to get a free night (currently avg. £335), I need to get it by 4/4/20 or lose it. I had to trips planned and hotels booked but have had to cancel them. What are my options? Will hotels.com you extend the deadline? Or should I book and not stay (but will it count)? Or book a stay in London (where I live) I risk being in a room could potentially have corona?

    Thanks

    • Shoestring says:
      22 Mar22 March 10:05

      £3 room in Cambodia/ Vietnam & hope no show still posts, you could make that chance better by phoning hotel and explaining you can’t make it but please still charge fee

      • Mike says:
        22 Mar22 March 11:07

        Sean – as Harry says. I do it at for at least 2 nights to get to the 10 each year. easy peasy

    • Liz says:
      22 Mar22 March 12:45

      I just did for a hostel in Edinburgh for £11 – didn’t want to do one abroad as it would look obvious I wouldn’t be staying. It has now reset my rewards for March 2021.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      22 Mar22 March 13:30

      I thought I had an email saying it was all extended by 6 months

      I’ve had a welcome to silver again email even though I only did 1 night in the last year

      If not then I’d try the 1 night for 1 person hostel trick on Cambodia / Vietnam

  • Andy says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:05

    Talking about BA trying to stop cash refunds, we who cruise with MSC are having the same issue. They have cancelled cruises, but instead of offering cash refunds (as it says they will on their own T&C) they are only offering future cruise vouchers good until December 2021. We just can not get them to budge on this, their is mass outcry but they are being intransigent. The real kick in the teeth though is that if you booked through their US site or agent, you can have a refund, issued within 2 weeks

  • Paul says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:08

    I’m just looking at the Miami availability on avios – anyone across which coastal resorts are best for families???

    I see West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale?

    Hotels are still looking expensive – but I’m keen to get something booked (helping out cash strapped BA!)

    • Grant says:
      22 Mar22 March 10:16

      I asked something similar a short while back when I spotted the good availability on Virgin. There were some good suggestions, including heading for the gulf coast. You may find it if you use the search function – I think my original query was about the Keys so perhaps include that in the search terms.

      I also found that familytraveller.com throws up some good suggestions if you search for Miami.

    • Lady London says:
      22 Mar22 March 11:18

      There was a discussion about 10 days ago and consensus was coast around St Petersburg and a bit further North. TPA apparently nicer airport and a bit closer though there’s not much diff in travel time

  • Duncan Orr says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:10

    Cancellation/Refunds/Vouchers etc…
    Appreciating that Airlines may have a significant short-term cashflow issue, but what’s going on with flights that cannot be fulfilled or, as a personal example, have 2 Etihad flights booked for 7 days away, UK advice is for “essential travel only”, UAE now state “With effect from 19 March only UAE Citizens and GCC Citizens (excluding Citizens of Qatar) will be allowed to enter the UAE”.
    Are Airlines just playing poker hoping or forcing people to claim on Travel Insurance policies or rebook or take a voucher, rather than offering refunds?
    What is the legal position here?

    • Shoestring says:
      22 Mar22 March 10:17

      flight still running but you’re unable to fly because barred – no automatic refund (legally) though many airlines will offer it – eg airline still running for cargo or permitted citizens, not the airline’s faiult if you can’t fly

      however, FCO advice not to travel does mean you can claim on travel insurance and/ or possibly Section 75 if you paid on credit card (failed/ impossible to fulfil contract)

      • Duncan Orr says:
        22 Mar22 March 10:25

        Does Airline responsibility and legal position change if you are unable to enter destination as well as being unable to depart from Home country?

        • Shoestring says:
          22 Mar22 March 10:41

          not if the flight is still running

          • Colin MacKinnon says:
            22 Mar22 March 10:50

            If you look at ticket rules there is sometimes a clause that says if you can’t get a visa you can get a refund. Handy – and intended – for places where you have to have a ticket to get a visa!

            But might come to the rescue for some airlines and done destinations?

    • Rob says:
      22 Mar22 March 11:18

      No refund if the flight departs.

  • Novice says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:14

    News has been so negative. Also not going on holiday is going to be hard for me.

    So I have a suggestion HTP. Since you aren’t doing many travel reviews etc and this is for random chat, why not turn this chat into a chat full of ppl telling their amazing redemption stories and aspirational goals like bucket list items.

    That would be such amazing energy vibes.

    • Novice says:
      22 Mar22 March 10:14

      Hfp I meant

      • Shoestring says:
        22 Mar22 March 10:45

        @Novice – the negative news is deliberate, everybody is trying to drastically reduce social contact between humans as this is how Covid-19 is spreading & it seems some people don’t get it, no criticism intended eg my daughter still wanted to go round to her mate’s house on Saturday so we had to bribe her to say no & keep her happy, she’s an intelligent person and realises the risks to her are minimal but doesn’t get the fact that as a spreader she could infect 150 other people

        • Sandra says:
          22 Mar22 March 10:52

          But you were telling us it’s just a “pussycat” virus shoestring. Now you’ve left the damn country!

          • Shoestring says:
            22 Mar22 March 11:26

            no need to dig a deeper hole, I made my argument in some detail and never denied that it’s a deadly virus for the ‘at risk’ groups but that my bigger concern was for the economic shock – as poverty will kill far more people this year & going forward than Covid-19 ever will

        • Secret Squirrel says:
          22 Mar22 March 10:54

          Intilligence has gone out of the window. We live near the SW coast, reports locally of lines of caravans flooding into our area since Friday & suddenly 2nd homes are being used. People are using this as an excuse for an extended Easter break away, the beaches here are becoming more and more crowded each day.
          Where do people not understand “Stay at Home – Save Lives”.

          • Mike says:
            22 Mar22 March 11:10

            I agree, loads of people at work have tacked their self isolation onto their Easter Leave and are making the most of the kids being off school early by heading for their holiday bolthole.

          • Cat says:
            22 Mar22 March 11:23

            Indeed – the local hospitals in Cornwall, the Lake District and the Highlands are built and staffed to serve the local resident population in normal circumstances, not the locals + thousands of Londoners during a pandemic. The ICU won’t cope.
            Not to mention the probability of spreading the disease around the country.
            Did we learn nothing from Italy?

        • Lady London says:
          22 Mar22 March 11:26

          My 80 year old neighbour has gone out twice for food already even though I phoned him and said i will get everything you need, leave it outside your door and phone you to day it’s there. He’s fit as a fiddle always has been and just won’t understand this one is different and he’s putting others at risk whether he catches it or not. I

          I think he goes out because he’s lonely apart from thinking he’s immortal. I give him a quick call with a joke or.a question every 2 days or so and others he would normally see are calling him regularly also (he has no TV or internet)

          • Cat says:
            22 Mar22 March 13:51

            Lady London – sounds remarkably similar to the conversations I’ve had to have with my septuagenarian parents these last few days. They also seem to believe that they are invincible, and the isolation rules are designed for other old people who are at risk, not them.

            I’m getting the most ridiculous role-reversal flashbacks to my teenage years…

          • Lady London says:
            22 Mar22 March 22:55

            🙂 Cat.
            I have to handle my Mum delicately she won’t be told what to do. Luckily she is very aware right now and always was very good at precautions to avoid infections. So I have to be light handed… a big challenge for me when I’m terrified for her

            Yes the roles might reverse eventually but right now talking to her is like looking into a mirror.

          • Cat says:
            23 Mar23 March 07:54

            Trust me, my mum won’t be told either. I’ve been trying the delicate approach for the last week, while they tell me that they’re fine going to the supermarket and I’m being silly.

            I finally gave up last night, removed the kid gloves and told them that I didn’t want them being deemed as too much of a drain on ITU resources and triaged into the corridor to die alone, fighting for every last breath while my sister and I try and fail to get through on Skype.

            I then sent them the details of various Facebook groups for self isolation support in their area.

            All things considered, she’s taken it well.

        • Ken says:
          22 Mar22 March 11:43

          You literally said 99.99% of people wouldn’t get it at all (NOT would get a mild version).
          You described it as a pussycat cat virus day after day.

          You have now taken a flight yesterday, which is fundamentally part of the problem in spreading the virus.

          I’m sure the locals will be very appreciative when their health service is over run.

          • Shoe Lace says:
            22 Mar22 March 12:02

            Selfish is as selfish does.

          • Shoestring says:
            22 Mar22 March 15:24

            rubbish

            I said 70% would get it but for 99.9% it would be mild

            that was under the now gone herd immunity strategy, which I think Netherlands are still running & probably makes more sense for the 99.9% population who get through this fine

          • Rumplestiltskin says:
            22 Mar22 March 15:30

            @soapstring Are you sure those 99.9% who make it through haven’t just been infected with the milder ‘netherlands strain’ of the virus?

          • ChrisBCN says:
            22 Mar22 March 15:33

            He knows nothing about this particular subject, best to ignore everything he says.

          • Shoestring says:
            22 Mar22 March 15:41

            @Rumpel – it makes sense in that Netherlands is buying its 99.9% citizens a lot of time and if it comes back next year (or whenever) in a mutated more dangerous strain, they will have acquired at least some medium to good immunity

            buying time = vaccine closer

    • Rob says:
      22 Mar22 March 11:17

      We have something like this in mind ….

  • Jody says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:21

    We have a hotel booked through Amex travel in Seattle in May. It’s a non refundable rate. Lots of companies are refunding these, but it seems Amex aren’t, despite the fact it’s a Marriott brand, and I believe Marriott themselves are doing refunds.

    Is it work appealing to Amex travel, has anyone tried? Could I consider a chargeback (was paid for on my AMEX gold)?

    • Reeferman says:
      22 Mar22 March 10:26

      I have no experience with Amex, but had an identical situation with Expedia. I first contacted the hotel to get its approval for the refund and, once received, got in touch with Expedia who were incredibly helpful and cancelled for a full refund.
      Might be worth contacting the hotel and ask for approval to be given to Amex.

      • Roger says:
        22 Mar22 March 11:15

        I can also share positive experience of eBookers (Expedia sub brand)
        They have refunded a non-refundable booking which is one week away.
        However due to flights not working there is no option but to offer refund or claim on travel insurance.

  • James says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:31

    Shout out to me for suggesting this to prevent everyone with the “O/T How do I redeem Air China Miles” on a thread about Hilton Honors.
    N.B – you don’t have to ‘install’ any forum software, there’s plenty of hosted solutions out there you could use (and brand up for a small fee).

    • Rob says:
      22 Mar22 March 11:16

      I know, but we don’t want to do that.

      • James says:
        22 Mar22 March 17:35

        Any reason why not? Providing they’ve got decent data protection and InfoSec policies in place (and you let people register with minimum pii) there’s zero reason not to do this.

  • Roger says:
    22 Mar22 March 10:38

    A word of caution on Iberia cancellations.

    I have flight next Sunday, I called Iberia to get a refund as flight is now cancelled.
    The CSA said it is cancelled but will take 5-7 days for refund to come through.
    Luckily I have old booking confirmation plus current snapshots of booking before calling and call records.

    I didnot get any cancellation email and booking has disappeared from Iberia Manage My Booking.

    Anyone trying to cancel IB booking be aware.

    • Lady London says:
      22 Mar22 March 11:48

      …a few readers have reported their bookings disappeared from Iberia manage my booking since about 2-3 days ago.

      This is not going to turn out to be accidental. Amongst airlines owned by IAG that are playing dirty tricks on people who booked with them, apparently, this even supersedes the British Airways sneakiness of removing access to the perfectly functional refund request screen.

      I agree with OP. Screenshot and keep all details that confirm your booking. I wouldn’t put it past Iberia to have ‘lost’ your booking even when things settle.

      Call Iberia as soon as they reschedule or cancel anything on your booking and request your money back under booking terms, if these allows or eu261 if your booking departs Europe (you can get the whole booking refunded if any of it changes, under that). If they refuse say “is that your final answer”. When they say Yes go straight to your insurance or s75/chargeback with cardco.

      Do British Airways or Iberia have the right to stop someone being able to pay essential living costs if they’re losing their job? They are not delivering the service paid for, so they have no right to keep their passengers’ money.

      For this despicable behaviour I hope British Airways get no bailout, only minimal government business help, and punishment as a %, of last FY’s declared profits. Even if they get broken up piece by piece.

      • roberto says:
        22 Mar22 March 13:04

        I cancelled an Iberia Award Booking on the 14th. The booking ref disappeared from their system whilst I was on the phone. I was told the money would be back on my card within 30 days and the miles “about” 10 days. I know its early doors but I have neither currently nor an email from Iberia regarding the cancellation.

        What could possibly go wrong?

        • Lady London says:
          22 Mar22 March 23:03

          In my limited experience although I did nudge them because of a deadline, once I got them to agree to a refund in ‘peacetime’ they did it more or less when they said they would.

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