[EvilGazebo]

Get a Curve card, link the Barclaycard to it and then add the Curve card to Google Pay. Problem solved.

For large purchases where you might be nervous about Section 75 protection etc use the physical Barclaycard but otherwise this works fine.

[EvilGazebo]

That’s not right – it’s 26 segments to maintain.

Its unlikely I’ll do 13 return flights in the year but not impossible. And my Avios earning on basic short haul fares is so low I’m not bothered about that so I will likely just leave the RJ number in all my bookings.

(Oops this was an attempt reply to warrior 01 that didn’t go well…)

[EvilGazebo]

Doable but the trick (from the article comments) seems to be that the only way to change the FFP number is via the Finnair website. Then back to MMB on ba.com and 10 minutes or so later you should have free seat selection. Strange but true.

[EvilGazebo]

Renewal due next week. Went to cancel via chat and 50K offered and accepted. No conditions – the points clear in a day or 2 so I could transfer them out and then cancel anyway right? Madness.

[EvilGazebo]

Biki wrote:

I had the same issue last week, I tried chat and they were useless. managed to get someone on the phone to unblock straight away though.

Wish I hadn’t persisted with chat – took so long I missed out on the March transfer allowance of 80K for the bonus 🙄

[EvilGazebo]

Forgot to update this: next day it all just worked fine and I got it booked. Their website, honestly.

[EvilGazebo]

SamG wrote:

Froggee wrote:

You aren’t Gold are you? I’m wondering if the Barclays voucher won’t be able to access the extra Avios seats made available to Gold card holders.

They’re only in economy though

I’d just call in, in my experience I’ve never had to argue about paying a phone booking fee, they’re well aware the website is rubbish especially with these vouchers (e.g. can’t use 2x etc)

No, lowly Blue. I’ll call them. Thanks all.

[EvilGazebo]

But it’s not connecting, it;s just a one way domestic. And the next day shows seats on the same route where I can apply the voucher no problem. Odd.

[EvilGazebo]

Wellsy wrote:

EvilGazebo wrote:

I can no longer make it so one (face value) ticket available if anyone needs. First come first served! – reply here with your email

Hey there, if you still have one available please drop me a note on Gmail at leighwells79, cheers!

Ticket gone!

[EvilGazebo]

I can no longer make it so one (face value) ticket available if anyone needs. First come first served! – reply here with your email

[EvilGazebo]

JDB wrote:

@EvilGazebo it’s difficult to know whether it’s worth escalating to an Ombudsman without knowing the initial case handler’s reasoning which you need to consider. While it doesn’t really require you to do much to escalate, you would need to address the basis of the initial decision to persuade an Ombudsman that it was wrong.

It is anyway difficult to run an argument based on hypotheticals – if they hadn’t closed my account and if I had spent the £10k etc. Many got round this by racing to £10k after the closure notice, probably with the type of spend that got them sacked in the first place, but it doesn’t sound as though you did that.

I wasn’t manufacturing spend and I had another spend target to hit so rushing to £10k wasn’t an option for me.

Case handler’s argument is that I had the benefits of the card for that time so pro-rata is reasonable. Conditions always said they could close the card with 60 days notice so tough luck on the voucher. Seems unfair to me but I don’t get the sense I’m going to get much further with it. Underwhelmed by the FOS in general based on this whole experience tbh.

[EvilGazebo]

So I’ve had a FOS decision which is that I can have a pro-rata refund of the fee. They’ve already given me the points from the notice period.

But what I wanted was either a full refund of the fee. Or (less likely I know) the free night even though I didn’t hit the required spend before they booted me.

My reasoning being that I only took out the card because of the opportunity to earn the free night. And I directed spend on that basis.

Am I being unreasonable/overly optimistic? Should I escalate to an actual ombudsman or just give it up as a bad job? And then have to complain again when they inevitably fail to even pay me the pro-rata….

[EvilGazebo]

So turns out it is a moot point – agent wasn’t able to upgrade me either, even though there was a seat available for Avios redemption. Pretty sure I’m in an eligible fare bucket for upgrade so who knows?

[EvilGazebo]

Me too! WTF? Not arguing.

[EvilGazebo]

Thanks all. I had hoped to avoid involving Player 2 and her business but biz gold does look like the answer for us, assuming she gets approved.

[EvilGazebo]

‘revenue flight’ = a flight you pay for. With money. Will never catch on.

[EvilGazebo]

Well pretty much every transaction on my account is via Curve (including a £6k tax bill via Fronted). Bonus Avios target reached and due to transfer over shortly. And I’m still standing so far.

I like the Avios cc and current account products a lot (if not the app) and it would be a shame if they canned me as i was planning to stick with them. But if it happens it happens, just nudges me to go sign up bonus hunting elsewhere:

[EvilGazebo]

EvilGazebo wrote:

iaink wrote:

Hi, did you ever resolve this? I am getting the same problem.

+1. I upload the docs, a day or 2 later I get an email asking me to upload the docs, I upload the docs, a day or 2 later I get an email asking me to upload the docs……

So one of the uploads must have worked as I now have a 12k limit. And a PIN turned up.

Now all I need is an actual card ….

[EvilGazebo]

iaink wrote:

Hi, did you ever resolve this? I am getting the same problem.

+1. I upload the docs, a day or 2 later I get an email asking me to upload the docs, I upload the docs, a day or 2 later I get an email asking me to upload the docs……

[EvilGazebo]

jj wrote:

My delayed complaint final response arrived today. Creation is willing to refund the indefensible £99 annual fee that they charged me on 20 November, but, as expected, the voucher and points will not be honoured. The justification is that “Section 6 of the Terms and Conditions for IHG Rewards confirms that services and benefits may be added and removed at any time without notice to cardholders.” As a result, “Points ceased being transferred to IHG after notification of the account closure was issued… Free night certificates will also no longer be issued.”

No need for me to repeat what others have said about this being nonsense on stilts. Hey ho, hey ho, it’s off to FOS we go.

I got what sounds like an extremely similar letter, same justification wording etc.

Except they are also refusing to refund the £99. Given my fee was paid in June I can only assume that is why. Already escalated to FOS.

[EvilGazebo]

NorthernLass wrote:

Have they started accepting the free night voucher, I thought I read on here that it was never going to happen?! My in laws are gym members there (but fly everywhere in Y 🤦‍♀️).

They are very expensive redemptions, I would save the points for a destination stay personally.

Yes, for some reason IHG free nights now work for Mr & Mrs Smith. See: https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/mr-mrs-smith-ihg-points-status/#post-300514

Shame we can’t earn any more!

[EvilGazebo]

There are extensive threads about it on here and Flyertalk. I queued in the afternoons 4 x 1hrs before being cut off each time.

Changed tack and tried on the dot of 8 a.m. – got answered first time after about 40 mins.

Pretty dreadful.

[EvilGazebo]

Six Senses still a no. It’s usable for some Mr & Mrs Smith but the search is erratic.

Nothing much seemed to come up in the US but I did find Blue Lagoon Retreat in Iceland (£1k/night), various expensive properties in Italy including suites in Rocco Forte hotels for €3k/night, some expensive stuff in Santorini.

And in the UK: Chewton Glen, Cliveden, Heckfield Place all of which aren’t cheap. The dates can be elusive but they are there.

One tip – even if there are only two of you try searching again for 4 if you find something you like. Sometimes it returns a better room/suite to accommodate the numbers.

In the end I used my remaining 3 vouchers for a nice place in Croatia in the summer @ €400/night. Last week that would’ve seemed like a massive result but now I feel like I haven’t maximised it!

[EvilGazebo]

PJ wrote:

I have also managed to use up my last two Creation card/IHG free night awards by booking a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel next year. Fairly patchy availability and a pain booking nights individually, but worthwhile persevering and seeking them out!

It really is a pain. But at least I feel I’m getting some decent value from them, even if it isn’t the most I could. The Blue Lagoon would be the thing but it doesn’t really work for me this year.

[EvilGazebo]

TGLoyalty wrote:

yes it’s correct that the creation credit card vouchers can’t be used.

This is what I thought but another poster on here somewhere suggested otherwise. I spent some time playing and although the search is very erratic, it is possible to find Mr & Mrs Smith creation nights – I’ve booked 3 nights in Croatia in the summer that would be €400/night cash

And you can do better – I found Rocco Forte suites in Puglia & Sicily that were €3k cash, the Blue Lagoon Retreat in Iceland which is always £1k plus, £1.5k suites in Sorrento. Plus Heckfield Place, Cliveden, Chewton Glen etc. They are all hard to find but they are there.

Shame that game is over!