Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

Forum Replies Created

  • in reply to: Egypt: Cairo, Luxor, Nile cruise, Aswan and Dahab
    zio 331 posts

    @PeteM Thank you very much for taking the time to post all this information. Some really useful thoughts and insights here. Cairo and the Nile are definitely on the list in the next couple of years.

    in reply to: Cabin upgrade voucher
    zio 331 posts

    Zio,

    The number you used 0344 do you mean 0344 493 0747?

    Thank you.

    That’s the one.

    in reply to: Amex Platinum Rental Car Insurance
    zio 331 posts

    Yes it does, but much more detail in the platinum insurance master thread pinned in this forum.

    in reply to: Cabin upgrade voucher
    zio 331 posts

    @bd85uk @BWS It is definitely possible to add a return to a BUV booking, if you book the outbound with the voucher.

    I do not know if it is possible to book this return online and ask for a refund of avios afterwards. Please do post the result if you attempt this. The method below worked for me, however.

    I have pasted my post from one of the (several) other threads on the voucher:

    This booking was for one person, using one voucher.

    T-355, outbound booked online. LHR-AUS £225 + 67,500 avios. In the BA app this appears as “BA Barclays cabin upgrade voucher redeemed -67,500”.

    16 days later, return added by phone (using 0344 number at 12.32pm). This generated 2 lines in the app. First “BA Barclays cabin upgrade voucher redeposit 67,500” and then “Reward flight -135,000”. I paid an extra £225 when booking the return.

    Observations:
    1 For me, at least, it was possible to book online at T-355.
    2 I did not attempt to phone overseas at 1am, but the agent who added the return was not surprised or fazed by the request.
    3 The return used the same avios/TFC level and cost exactly the same as the outbound. The total cost was £450 + 135k avios.

    zio 331 posts

    Really glad to hear this journey went safely. As others have said, with luck the experience may have developed useful life skills.

    in reply to: Dallas-Fort Worth
    zio 331 posts

    Thanks to all, exactly the sort of stuff I was hoping for.


    @R
    re: spothero – I assume I need to set up an account and add the rental registration once I’ve collected it? Good to see that there seem to be plenty of downtown options less than half the price of hotel valet.


    @NorthernLass
    Yes, I’m of a suitable vintage but I wasn’t the Dallas-addict in the house! I was the remote control.

    @Mel TS Right up my street. Dinosaur Valley State Park is already on the route. Lake Caddo will go on a list for a future Deep South trip. Wimberley, Austin and Houston are all on the route this time round, so at the risk of sending the thread OT I would love to hear your experiences and any tips.


    @dougzz99
    Yes to everything there! Tickets not on sale yet (to my knowledge), but I’m planning to see the Rangers @ the Astros. Luckily I am an enthusiastic meat eater and expect to get through a good amount while in Texas.

    Indigo/Kimpton in Dallas, anyone…?

    in reply to: Strategy to follow?
    zio 331 posts

    Yes, it counts. You aren’t eligible for bonus on Gold until May.
    Personal here means not a business card.

    in reply to: Zing by HSBC thread
    zio 331 posts

    Is it another nanny state bank like Wise, no tobacco, no alcohol, no drug parinfnali, no gambling? I’ve already got a mother ffs

    And no flowers either, apparently, so your existing mother will be out of luck on Mothering Sunday.

    zio 331 posts

    @Roker As per NL, I don’t think you can book a return after flying outbound, but you can change your return booking if your future dates aren’t yet fixed.
    The return wouldn’t need to be back to HK, just a valid open jaw, eg back to TYO for Jan 26!

    zio 331 posts

    The Barclaycard voucher is useless on routes with high demand like DXB and SIN. Save your BAPP vouchers for these routes.

    I used the upgrade voucher for DXB 3 weeks ago! It’s as easy to use it as to book any award seat.

    Also a bit puzzled by this assertion. I agree the potential need to make multiple bookings, given it still doesn’t seem possible to select 2 vouchers together, is a faff, but it hardly renders the vouchers useless.

    zio 331 posts

    I think IB is stingier than BA at releasing extra J seats beyond the standard 2 (this only goes for long haul as I’ve never tried IB SH). It does sometimes happen, though. You just have to keep checking, which is obviously a pain if you are on a popular route.

    If you don’t necessarily all need to be in J you can lock in 2xJ redemptions and another in Y, and keep fingers crossed. My mind goes to what @Froggee has recently called the hero option, which might be renamed as Stoic, martyr or passive aggressive.

    I’m not sure if @JDB was talking about using a 2-4-1 on IB… the voucher sometimes opens up extra availability starting at airports such as MAN. However, starting your journey like this will kill much of the value usually associated with redeeming on IB. Also, if looking to lock in flights early, the extra availability, if it does appear, won’t be there for months.

    Alternatively, he will be referring to married segments (essentially the same as the BAPP voucher above), in which case yes, try searching for ALC-(MAD)-XXX and see if anything pops up.

    in reply to: Possible to extend Ambassador free night voucher?
    zio 331 posts

    Try one more time. I’m sure who you ask as well as how you ask can make a difference.
    Of course it may have something to do with diamond status, or number of stays booked etc.

    in reply to: Upgrade voucher help please
    zio 331 posts

    It is possible to find value on short haul with the BUV (I’m not sure how expensive peak BA cash fares to Dalaman get…) but annoyingly you are limited to the maximum avios RFS pricing which isn’t usually good value.
    It sounds like the 2-4-1 works well for your trip; in general it is more flexible. Good luck for getting Granada returns.

    in reply to: Earn and burn, or build a balance?
    zio 331 posts

    Dynamic pricing also seems to have left less upside for IHG redemptions than Hilton.

    Rob has analysed in the past how devaluation is baked into hotel schemes so a plan of saving for 10 years to fund a retirement trip is asking for disappointment.

    I’m basically with @NorthernLass above as regards my IHG bookings at the moment, though I’m happy with a lower value.

    zio 331 posts

    @Misty Thanks, but I was entirely comfortable about not being able to refer: I love a SUB but I’ve always viewed my Amex cards as credit cards rather than a referral program. I don’t think it was an IT issue as such, but also not totally manual. When the ability to refer reappeared I got an email to the effect of “Hurray, it’s your turn to refer”. Personally I don’t think it was anything to do with self-referral.

    In any case, I would not worry at all about referring your OH. It is and always has been (in a way self-referral never was) common practice.

    While it’s true that many very profitable point earning routes have been closed off, there is a danger of wearing rose-tinted spectacles. Opportunity is always knocking!

    zio 331 posts

    Yes, clicking through your own link was/is simple.
    After a painful change of amex policy in the US, self-referral is no longer considered safe here.
    For what it’s worth, I self-referred once and was one of those recently unable to make referrals. In my case I am now able to make referrals again.

    in reply to: Upgrade voucher help please
    zio 331 posts

    Actually, on rereading, the first pages of that thread don’t add much clarity and reflect initial general confusion around the voucher, though there is the useful discussion on pages 5-6.
    This thread contains my experience and also links to others: https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/barclay-cabin-upgrade-voucher-on-return-flight-only/
    It could be that BA training has changed/improved but it seems to me that some agents have refused to help in the situation you (with an agent’s guidance) have lined up. If anyone with recent experience could chime in it would be helpful.
    It seems safer to book one person per voucher, now you have two. From personal experience adding returns later is then definitely possible.

    in reply to: Upgrade voucher help please
    zio 331 posts

    The key thread to read through is here: https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/cabin-upgrade-voucher/page/1/
    On pages 5-6 there is discussion of a similar scenario, but the whole thread should be useful.
    With the vouchers at your disposal you have options, but you do need to decide if you want to do the open jaw return from Grenada. Open jaws are possible using the BUV, but not by starting, as you have, by using a voucher for two outbound.

    zio 331 posts

    You can change the return date after you have flown the outbound. Unfortunately, in your current position this isn’t going to help as I don’t think you can add a return once you have begun travel. Always happy to be corrected…

    in reply to: Priority pass: 1 card, 3 adults
    zio 331 posts

    Be prepared to pay for your guest, but when you arrive initiate the conversation with something like, “Good morning, I’ve pre-booked for 3. Can I scan my priority pass three times please?”. I think you’ll be fine, but just be ready to pay as that is what the Ts&Cs say.

    zio 331 posts

    Yes, ungracious weasel words from BA, but the hoped for result. Well done, and thank you for reporting back.

    I guess looking for I9 on a flight would be a good initial filter. To be honest I haven’t yet triggered my first new-style voucher so am just going on what I have picked up in the forum rather than personal experience.

    The extra availability does come from I bucket but there needs to be multiple (I think 9+) seats showing in I before they are available for use with the voucher.
    Edit: if you post details of the specific flight, a kind soul might come along who has a voucher and a spare moment to check for you.

    in reply to: TopCashback conversion ends 31st December
    zio 331 posts

    Mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Presumably this ensures all conversions are complete by the 31st.

    in reply to: Why is my Amex balance due always so high?
    zio 331 posts

    Representative APR 704.6% on the platinum. Show me another income/dividend to beat it and I’ll show you a scam. Not a card to play games with.
    There have been some threads on 0% cards recently but make sure you know the rules of the game first.

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