[anth_85]

aq.1988 wrote:

@anth_85, I wouldn’t reduce the credit limit on your rewards card to just £500. If the BAPP application is still rejected for some reason, you will be stuck with an almost unusable limit of just £500. Reducing the limit will help your chances of being approved, but you’ll want enough to still be able to book flights, etc. in case you need to still use that card. Don’t forget that sometimes useful offers (especially rival airline ones), won’t appear on BAPP.

yea it was just a suggestion to see if i could get the application pushed through while still in the boosted signup window. Since I can’t do that I’ll just see what they come back with. Hopefully they wont give me a tiny spend on the BAPP, I am starting a house extension pretty soon so I should be able to hit the 15k for the companion voucher quite quickly when buying things like bifold doors!

[anth_85]

Putting this here because I don’t know where else to. I got a Amex Gold card last year for the welcome bonus, I used the priority passes, and in early January I downgraded it to an Amex Rewards card so I didn’t forget when it came to the 12 months and they charged me £195. I was originally just going to cancel it but they talked me into downgrading to have it as a backup. The balance is zero.

With the Amex BA premium plus card going on boosted signup I thought that is ideal, I will jump on that when it first happen. But I was rejected. So I have waited and waited and with tomorrow being deadline day for it I thought I would give it another go. It is a soft search so the worst they can say is no. Well they said application cancelled because you already have an application in progress. I thought that is strange so I gave them a ring.

On speaking to a lovely gentleman in the new accounts team he found out the reason I was rejected was because Amex had already gave me enough credit. I have £13,000 available to use on my Rewards card and that is why. So now he has emailed over to another team about how much it would be required I reduce the Amex Rewards card down to for the BAPP card to go through. He said he couldn’t say for sure, but he is confident it will be fine. The issue is it normally takes 24-48 hours to get sorted. I said I am happy for him to reduce the Rewards card down to £500, but he said he has to do it this way. So sadly that is the boosted signup out the window, but the extra 20k points is a drop in the ocean compared to what the companion voucher will give me.

[anth_85]

since my points are 99% converted to Avios I might switch to the BA accelerating business card. For my £120,000 annual spend getting 1.5 points would be 60,000 of the 120,000 i would have got anyway, but it is £300 annual fee rather than £650. I also don’t spend £120,000 on the nose, it is more like £15-£20k per month. So I need to work out how far away from the 120,000 bonus points I will actually be getting 1.5 points for every pound spent, it may not be that much. I also work out the value I will take from the other benefits.

[anth_85]

So it is effectively £400 rather than 120,000 points. The lowest redemption of 0.45p per point would be £540 and that can be spent on anything since it’s nectar or statement credit rather than just on overpriced Amex travel. I am not sure what I will do, but I can’t see me keeping the card past April.

[anth_85]

the question is going to be will enough of us vote with our feet and cancel the card based on these changes, I suspect not.

[anth_85]

Rob Burgess wrote:

Platinum will be effectively the same, just with bigger numbers.

Based on a £10k spend per month for a year getting you 10,000×12 points per year. At the lowest redemption value of 0.45p per point. Those 120,000 points are worth £540. It can be double that for business class flights. If the numbers are bigger but ratios of spending to travel credit are the same as gold, so £120,000 annual spend gets you £300 travel credit, then that is a massive devaluation.

[anth_85]

Rob Burgess wrote:

For anyone putting well over £10k on the card, I wouldn’t cancel before you’ve seen the new offering. You’ll still want to cancel, I suspect, but there is a reason to hold off.

Obviously you can’t give away their plans, but is their a rough timeline to when we will hear from them?

I can hit the 10k bonus every month, so those 120,000 points is at the base rate work £450 towards the annual fee, and that makes it worth having for the other benefits which alone, for me, wouldn’t come close to the fee. I’ve only had the card since the end of December and was planning on keeping it for at least two years as I was going to use the fine hotels perks next May. If these changes aren’t worth it, I may have to change quite a bit around.

[anth_85]

AndrewT wrote:

There is actually a link to the glossary at the bottom of every page, but as there have been multiple questions about it recently I guess it’s not something that gets noticed until you know about it https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/2025/05/19/frequent-flyer-glossary/

Y/W/J/F are the highest / non-flexible fare classes for the respective cabins, which make them suitably obscure abbreviations for us lazy folk!

runnerbean wrote:

@anth_85, you’ll find the glossary by googling or whatever’s your preferred search engine headforpoints glossary.

And using the same tactic for searching for all sorts of interesting things on HfP generally works v well.

thanks, I did try searching for that using the guide in the sticky post but it came back with nothing usable. I think was looking for a forum post, rather than an article so searched site:headforpoints.com/forum rather than just headforpoints

[anth_85]

NorthernLass wrote:

CW/Business Class. Y = economy, PE = Premium economy (though I think I’ve also seen that referred to as W?)

There’s a HFPs glossary on here somewhere with a comprehensive list of all the arcane terms!

I had worked of CW and PE, along with CV. Not too sure how you get economy from Y but I’ll add it to my list, not sure was J means. I’ve had a look for the glossary but can’t find it. I am completely new to using points but at the rate I am collecting them I should be on here quite a bit more.

[anth_85]

Ihar wrote:

I booked in December for 3x LGW-MCO mid April, back MIA-LHR end April 2026 – both in J. I think if you’re flexible and outside of term time it is possible. Caveat being the old yin/yang seating.

what does ‘both in J’ mean?

[anth_85]

JimBurgessHill wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

If you’re starting at MAN or NCL then driving from Orlando to MIA is definitely less hassle than driving from the north of England to LGW. Don’t forget the domestic connection is effectively free, so often the most economical routing. We generally fly to LHR the night before a long haul flight and stay at a LHR hotel so we’re rested for the long journey. The luggage is checked right through so you’re not pulling heavy bags around with you in the morning before your long haul flight and can just head straight to security.

That’s exactly what we do on ex-EU’s. Always make the first sector the evening before then chill & have dinner at LHR before the main flight the following day, with luggage already checked through 😀

So would that mean you holiday clothes are in your main suitcase, and you have a smaller carry on that you keep with you on the two flights, with your stuff in it for the hotel stay near Heathrow? I have this weird thing about taking a biggish bag with me as carry on. I think it is from those cheapy european holidays where the likes of Ryan air charges you for hold luggage so you squeeze everything onto a carry on. I’d rather have a small backpack with my laptop, and some snacks in it, and that is about it.

[anth_85]

NorthernLass wrote:

If you’re starting at MAN or NCL then driving from Orlando to MIA is definitely less hassle than driving from the north of England to LGW. Don’t forget the domestic connection is effectively free, so often the most economical routing. We generally fly to LHR the night before a long haul flight and stay at a LHR hotel so we’re rested for the long journey. The luggage is checked right through so you’re not pulling heavy bags around with you in the morning before your long haul flight and can just head straight to security.

Totally agree. The issue is the route from Newcastle is to Heathrow, the flights to Orlando is from Gatwick. If that wasn’t the case I would have definitely done that. An option is to fly Newcastle to Heathrow the night before, then go Heathrow to Miami and drive up from there. The difference is the long drive in the UK on roads I have drove up and down umpteen times in my own car the day before, vs a car I have never drove on roads I have never drove on, having been on a plane for 7 hours and gone through the stress of airport security. I would do it if that is what is required to get the booking on the days I want, but I would prefer the other way.

I know there is a temporary Heathrow – Orlando BA flight to take up the lost Air Lingus capacity. It would be great if that was more permanent, but they have said it is temporary for this summer.

In the past we have always paid cash and flow from Manchester and would have done the same again but the taxes and fees on Virgin is so much higher than BA even if you ignore the amount of points required.

[anth_85]

Definitely wouldn’t dream of driving to DUB 😉
We do ex DUB/AMS a fair bit to save big ££. Simply position to DUB/AMS at minimal cost on Ryanair, easyJet or Aer Lingus. Flying LHR to San Diego this summer, the taxes alone on the return flight ticketed ex-LHR are £1495, total fare a whopping £5420 pp.

We’re flying on the identical BA aircraft on the identical dates for £1790 pp (tax element £853)- saving over £7K between us. We live close to LGW but for this holiday (and indeed any one from LHR) flight we get to cut out the M25 trek to LHR 🙂[/quote]

the plan is to pick our daughter up from school on the Friday, with the car packed and ready then do the 5 hour drive down and stay at the Marriott next to Gatwick. Then we are already there for the morning, to get up, breakfast at hotel, straight to meet and greet car parking for about 8am, to do bag drop about 3 hours in advance of the 11am ish flight out with any brunch, or snacks in the lounge. Once there, off the plane and through checks etc and into a pre-allocated Hertz car and on the road to our villa via Costco near Universal to fill the fridge. All nice and relaxed, or as much as it can possibly be with a 6 year old in tow.

I have done transfers in the past and I will do them again, but when she is older.

[anth_85]

NorthernLass wrote:

ATL (also from LHR) is another airport with good connections to Florida and not as in demand as MCO, MIA, etc.

Outside of the most peak, school holiday travel dates, SeatSpy is showing quite a lot of availability to MCO, but I know what it’s like when you are really restricted in when you can travel. I know your wife now has her heart set on May, but you might find better availability (and more wiggle room because the holidays are much longer) in August. Looking at August this year, for example, even now there are plenty of dates this August with 4 x CW showing on the outbound, although the inbound might be trickier because people tend to want the flatbeds on the overnight flight coming home. But then again, you might find something returning from another airport.

We’ve driven from Orlando to Miami and vice versa and it’s a fairly easy run, about 3 1/2 hours. Obviously TPA would be even better. My maxim has always been that flexibility is key to getting best value out of avios and vouchers and we’ve had some brilliant holidays from starting or ending where the availability was rather than focusing on one specific airport.

Yea we did Orlando – Atlanta – Manchester coming back the last time we were over there. It was fine, but Atlanta was a very daunting airport and we don’t quite like the appeal of that with a 6 year old in tow.

Miami is an option, but it would have to be done both ways because that flight goes from Heathrow rather than Gatwick. I tried to push for that because of the newer club suites but it is a hard sell to do that 3.5 hour drive when there are two closer options.

JimBurgessHill wrote:

Another option is to forget avios & consider a DUB origin using cash. An LGW-MCO return in BA club world on equivalent dates this year is £8690, clearly crazy money. But the identical flights ticketed from DUB (ex-LGW at 10.45 & ex MCO at 21.05) are £1993.

If I do LGW- MCO the fees for the three of us is £1500. I would never consider paying £8690. I will take a look at what it would cost with the flight from Newcastle. Obviously I cant drive to Dublin like I can drive to Gatwick.

[anth_85]

AndrewT wrote:

You can do any combination of MCO, TPA or MIA (from LHR), or indeed any other US East Coast airport with a separate connecting flight using a CV.

Awesome I did t know that. That opens up more options. Just need to get a decent call operator on the phone when I ring to book the return flight.

[anth_85]

annabh wrote:

I’ve got seats online from MCO in summer hols, there are other options though Tampa or Miami if things go wrong or they get snapped up.

Tampa would be fine for return from, I will have a hire car anyway, just return it there instead. I don’t think I could use my CV to go LGW-MCO out then TPA-LGW return though?

It is frustrating because I am going to have about 530,000 points of the 627,000 I would need to book without the CV, and had we done the original plan of going in Feb 2028 I’d have more than enough. But no, my wife is impatient and moved it up by 9 months.

[anth_85]

AndrewT wrote:

A bit of a strange one – you know that no one can say it will be fine, yet you are looking for reassurance that it should be fine.

I appreciate the fear of the unknown, but that’s precisely what it is – unknown. Someone books the reward seats to MCO on just about every flight. Even if 50 of those people reply here to say they were successful, it means nothing at all about how many may be competing for one or two specific dates.

Sorry but that’s the way it is. Work out a fall back plan for flying via another East Coast hub should it be necessary.

Midnight GMT = 0100 in May.

oh yea obviously. I think I should be ok on the outbound flights. I have 2 flights on the saturday and 2 flights on the sunday. If somehow I don’t get any of those, i have a fall back of the friday/saturday/sunday of the following weekend. That would just result in her being off school in sync with the half term for the first week off rather than the second. It is the return that is stressful. If I get one of the first Saturday flights out, then I have the fallback of the Sunday return, making it a 15 day holiday rather than 14. Worst case would be the Monday too, I can’t see that return flight being that difficult. I was just trying to find peoples experiences of booking around the May half term. Whether they have done it no bother, or whether they have done it and failed.

[anth_85]

NorthernLass wrote:

I wonder if it’s a response to the imminent demise of EI at MAN?

that is what is being reported on the Disney Florida groups, they are saying it is temporary. I would have hoped it to be more permanent, since I am having to drive from the North East down to Gatwick next year to fly there. I would prefer that then transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick.

[anth_85]

ekposh wrote:

Does it work on 1 night stays? As an aside, we stayed there last year, the fast track is sooo worth it. I believe you charge meal to your room and it’s deducted at check out. I did think it was min 2 night stay to get the Amex benefit but could be wrong.

I didn’t know there was a limit, but looks like @mustbeUnique has answered that for us. Thanks for helping clear that up. I will probably charge everything to the room then get them to sort it on checkout.

MustBeUnique wrote:

Fine Hotels and Resorts (Amex Platinum) –> 1 night minimum
The Hotel Collection (Amex Gold/Platinum) –> 2 nights minimum

We definitely want the express pass, and would be doing the unlimited because having a 6 year old in tow she will do a fast track on one ride then want to go on it again and I am sure have a meltdown if she now has to was 2 or 3 times the amount of time. We are staying at a villa for the full 2 weeks holiday quite close to Disney, and never considered a Universal hotel until we saw a youtube blog video where they suggested it. It seems nuts but it definitely works out better to stay the one night there.

[anth_85]

Sorry to hijack the track, but along the same lines. I have never booked through FHR, I have only had the platinum card for 3 weeks. I am struggling to get my head around how it works for the credit. I am looking at staying 1 night in the Loews Portafino Hotel in Orlando. Nice perks for Universal early access and unlimited express passes, so it actually works out slightly cheaper than just buying the express passes on their own. The Amex stuff is a very nice bonus. There will be me, my wife and my daughter. Ideally we would like to go for a meal on the night, using the $100 dining credit, and have the breakfast the next morning with us paying for my daughters breakfast, ours being free.

What I don’t understand is logistically how do I pay for it? I am happy to pay for the room reservation in advance through the amex FHR website. I could then charge the meal to our room, or I could pay for the meal there and then. But which is the correct way to trigger the $100 credit? If that makes sense. I got stung placing an order at Dell on my old Gold card where I had not added that offer to it and therefore didn’t get the credit back for that. I would rather not make the same mistake again.

[anth_85]

StaggerLee wrote:

I don’t post much at the moment but just wanted to thank everyone on this thread for the guidance.

I managed to nab flights to Turks & Caicos a week ago but needed to add the return leg over the phone, which i’d never done before.

I was dialled in to the US number but had been on hold for ages so was getting a bit worried as midnight drew closer. I then used another line to dial the Japan number. It was answered in a couple of minutes and the very friendly guy sorted it for me. We are happy bunnies 🙂

Cheers and Happy New Year.

well done, would you mind sharing the phone numbers you used for both of those offices?

[anth_85]

mattwwfc wrote:

What’s the best way to secure CW flights for LGW-MCO and JFK-LHR in September/October 2027, 3 weeks apart? Seems like it has to be open jaw as JFK-LGW doesn’t appear to be a route.

I have plenty off companion vouchers, would I need to call T-355 for these routes? Seems a lot of availability for 2026 even, so may not be necessary?

This is what my main goal is. We want to book MCO from Gatwick. The plan is to be away for 2 weeks, 1 of those weeks being over the May 2027 half term. So my aim is to try for the Saturday before flight, if I miss that I try for the Sunday, if I miss that I try for the first Saturday of the school holiday and then failing that I have the Sunday as a last resort. I am going to be booking business class for 2 adults and 1 child and use the BA premium Amex card companion voucher that I should have earned by then. This will be the first time I have booked anything using Avios and the first time flying business class, so I am trying to be as prepared as I possibly can be.

[anth_85]

Kat78 wrote:

I’m m back thinking about this….considering flying Newcastle to Dublin with sat Ryan air and then doing Aer lingus redemption flight in economy direct from Dublin to Orlando.
I’ve never booked a partner redemption, what’s the best way to do this?
Will they release T355 same as BA? Am I likely to get 4 economy seats?

Funny you should start this because this is EXACTLY what I am planning bar the date. I live in Sunderland so Newcastle is an option for us too. Options I am considering so far is

-Drive to Gatwick then fly direct to Orlando
-Newcastle to Heathrow to Miami, drive from Miami

We have travelled to Orlando 3 times now, and always went with Virgin Atlantic direct from Manchester. But now I am collecting points and aim to fly business class, the fees that Virgin still charge with their points system is massive.

I am leaning towards the second option. The drive from Miami to Orlando is considerably shorter than the drive to Gatwick. Could always do an extra day either side in Miami to break it up.