[Iainm]

Thanks both

[Iainm]

@NorthernLass and @Baflyer

So I took your advice and bought 8k avios to allow me to aim for Premium.

It also occurred to me that my wife had booked the economy flights at 6 or 7 minutes past midnight, which I hoped would allow me to book flights on my account then nick in and cancel her’s within the 24 hour window.

Im happy to report I managed to secure us 2 premium seats and cancel her booking on a 2nd device with a few minutes to spare and thus save the £70 cancellation fee!

All’s well that ends well!

Thanks for the advice.

[Iainm]

Thanks @NorthernLass

I phoned them up and they confirmed everything you said.
She did suggest cancelling them and trying to re-book, but I’m wary of doing that and losing them and then not getting anything tonight.

I think I’ll try tonight on my own account and take the £70 hit if successful. I can lay that off against the much reduced taxes and fees out of HKG.

Only annoyance is I’m 8K Avios short on 2 x Premium (until I cancel the seats I have of course), so only option tonight is economy.

All good fun!

[Iainm]

@NorthernLass

Unfortunately yes, they are on separate accounts.

I booked flights out to SIN on my account a couple of weeks ago.
Last night I was trying for the inbound from HKR, my wife was searching on her tablet as I was trying (and failing) to grab the Premium Economy on my account.

I suppose I could have got her to log into my account as well, but I was fearful that might bring the old “you appear to be on multiple tabs” message.

I suppose I could call to cancel today and try to re-book on mine, but the chances are we’d lose them.

I’ll maybe give them a call anyway and see what they say.

EDIT: Yes, we are nominated on each others account

[Iainm]

Sandydoc wrote:

Iainm wrote:

We managed to book our inbound leg from HKR to LHR last night for a flight home in January next year.
As with booking our outbound, the call centre wasn’t answering, so we ran the gauntlet of the website.

By the time I searched Business was already gone, but Premium and economy were there.

My attempt at snagging the Premium was unsuccessful at the payment stage, but my wife managed to get a couple of economy seats. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to find availability on at least Premium and upgrade in the next year.

Anyway, to my question, I’m going to phone tomorrow to get a LHR to GLA leg added and ask for the bookings to be linked to get half of the Avios from last night refunded.

Given my wife booked the inbound and is the lead passenger, will that be an issue in getting the bookings linked? I was the lead on the outbound?

The number of Avios involved in the inbound economy obviously isn’t substantial, but it would be if any availability comes up for Premium or above in the next year.

Thanks all

I think it will be an issue. The same thing happened to me. I was scrambling to book return flights on line and the website on my phone kept switching to my wifes account at the payment stage even though I was logged in as me (???).
When I called the next day they had to cancel it all and re-book. Luckily this worked.
If you are lucky they may find some BAPP extra availability for you…

Thanks for sharing your experience, perils of the midnight scramble I think!

[Iainm]

We managed to book our inbound leg from HKR to LHR last night for a flight home in January next year.
As with booking our outbound, the call centre wasn’t answering, so we ran the gauntlet of the website.

By the time I searched Business was already gone, but Premium and economy were there.

My attempt at snagging the Premium was unsuccessful at the payment stage, but my wife managed to get a couple of economy seats. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to find availability on at least Premium and upgrade in the next year.

Anyway, to my question, I’m going to phone tomorrow to get a LHR to GLA leg added and ask for the bookings to be linked to get half of the Avios from last night refunded.

Given my wife booked the inbound and is the lead passenger, will that be an issue in getting the bookings linked? I was the lead on the outbound?

The number of Avios involved in the inbound economy obviously isn’t substantial, but it would be if any availability comes up for Premium or above in the next year.

Thanks all

[Iainm]

Thank!

[Iainm]

Hi all.

I’ll be trying to book a popular route to Asia next week.
I’m planning on phoning USA number to try to snag to CW seats.
At the same time my wife will try and alternative destination on line.

We’ll be flying from Glasgow.
My question is, if my wife searches from London and happens to be successful, would she be able to phone up in the morning and add the Glasgow leg?

Reason being, searching from Glasgow adds another click online. Every second counts and all that.

[Iainm]

Thanks. That’s a blow!

[Iainm]

JDB wrote:

@RK228 – sorry! You will pay the UK APD whichever way you book. Adding a return to the original booking will reprice the itinerary but that shouldn’t alter the low tax from HK.

Hi, I have a similar query for a booking I will be trying to make in December.
I’m hoping to grab 2 seats LHR to SIN then call up a couple of weeks later to add HHG to LHR. As I will need to phone up to add the return (don’t have enough avios to book it online) will I lose the benefit of cheap taxes from HKG?

Thanks

[Iainm]

Thanks to both of you for the info.

I’ll book from Madrid if we go.

[Iainm]

Thanks

[Iainm]

dizzleyboy wrote:

BA Flyer IHG Stayer wrote:

Yes – here

https://hfp2026mar.kinsta.cloud/forums/topic/mix-and-match-points-cash-for-return-tickets/

Except now they have 75k avios rather than 50k!

OP please do people the courtesy of reading the answers to your original post and taking that advice.

As I explained, I’m very sorry and normally forum savvy but when I looked, the post wasn’t there. My booboo.

You might think about looking at some long hall business redemptions in Business with Iberia from Madrid with your Avios.
You’ll get to some good destinations for 80k

[Iainm]

jumpersforgoalposts wrote:

@JDB thanks. Presumably using my FX free Visa Nationwide credit card will benefit from the MEP rate? My working assumption is to use my CC where possible first, then use the cash (taking out small amounts at a time).

This makes me laugh!
Curve customer service actually told me (once I was home) I could use it.

They’re good aren’t they?

[Iainm]

jumpersforgoalposts wrote:

Does anyone have any datapoints on using Curve in Argentina more recently?

We’re off in a few weeks and I’ll be taking clean 100$ bills to change out there, but will be attempting to use my Curve or Nationwide Visa where taken.

When I was there in January and February I used Revolute a couple of times because Curve took about 4 weeks to get back to me to say I could indeed use Curve (I was back in the UK by then!).

I too had planned on taking $100 bills and changing them, but honestly, for the hassle of going to wherever it is the guys will change it, I used Western Union.
Sent myself money and picked it up. There’s a WU on every second street corner and the rate is so close as you’ll get from the street changers that you won’t notice.
Fee free on your first transaction as well.

I’d also add, the difference between the rate you’ll get on your cards v the WU rate will add up over any more than a few days.

[Iainm]

Nepweno wrote:

Any clue as to what this is referring to?

bartas8891 wrote:

It seems like a major blow for those who greatly benefited from Bendy, especially with the new changes being introduced on July 13th, including 6211. Does anyone know of any alternatives to Curve that might allow exploiting the same opportunities?

Wondered the same thing.
Some on here do love to chat in code.

[Iainm]

@NorthernLass.
Points haudn’t appear back by late afternoon yesterday.
Quick phone call did the trick.

[Iainm]

Does anyone know how long it will take to receive the Avios and voucher back on a cancelled Iberia 2-4-1?

I did have an open jaw booking from Madrid to USA for next year.

I know I should have did it before hand, but once I calculated the positioning flights to and from Madrid, plus an internal in USA to get to where I want it was actually going to be more expensive than with BA (albeit BA would be a bit more Avios).

Anyway, I cancelled the flights yesterday and as soon as the Avios and voucher are back I’ll book the BA flights, so was just wondering if anyone had experience of how long that will take? I know BA are refunded immediately.

Would it be worth phoning BA to make it quicker?

[Iainm]

Thanks, good info.
Great point about locking down a flight asap, safe in the knowledge there’s only £4.50 to be lost if plans change!

[Iainm]

qc wrote:

I’ve just added the leg return from SYD with a stopover in SIN in CW – how stressful was that – first call I got through to the Australian number using Viber Out at 12.45 but the chap wouldn’t entertain staying on the line until 1 when the seats would be released, second call was poor quality and was breaking up and the third call I got through at 12.57 and cleared security and told him what I wanted to achieve so on the dot of 1 he grabbed the seats on BA12, adding the SYD-SIN afterwards.

By the time I refreshed when my seats were grabbed, all 4 seats on BA16 had gone and it was still only 1.00 – the last 2 seats on BA12 were gone at 1.03!

I had stayed up to 1 last night to see how quickly the sold out and the same thing – 6 grabbed at 1 and the last 2 at 1.07!

Quick question on that itinerary, I presume there is no way to book that online at the BA website, as it would default to BA metal (and higher Avios and charges)? So would need to phone?

I’m looking to fly back from Boston via Madrid next year.

Would it be worthwhile booking he Boston to Madrid leg online the night before then asking them to add London to Madrid the following morning when I call to ask them to link to ,my outbound 2-4-1?

[Iainm]

I passed it the other night on the way into Glasgow. It was open.
Apparently it was only closed to renew the flooring.

[Iainm]

Thanks JDB

Good information. I wasn’t aware of the situation with curve.

I think I’m back to my original plan if withdrawing $100 bills in Uruguay and changing them.

Thanks

[Iainm]

Thanks for the response Rui N.
Are you sure about that?

Looking at their fees page, they don’t make a distinction between withdrawals at home or abroad.

https://help.curve.com/are-there-any-fees-associated-with-using-curve-HkkKBu2Lu

https://curve.kustomer.help/en_us/how-does-curve-save-me-money-abroad-HyquHdnUu

[Iainm]

Can anyone advise on Curve cash withdrawals?

I’ve been doing 1k every 30 days the last couple of months and my 30 days is up today.

I’m going on holiday next week and will probably use the curve to withdraw from my Barclaycard.
If I do my £1000 tomorrow and max the fee free withdrawals I know I’ll pay a small fee on any withdrawals whilst on holiday.
My question is though, will my fee free 30 day period start when I reach that limit tomorrow? Or will the rolling 30 day period be impacted by any withdrawals abroad even though I’m paying a fee?

It’s only be a couple of months since the changes came in I know, so might not have come up for anyone else yet.

[Iainm]

Scott wrote:

Iainm wrote:

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I have a similar question but on Iberia flights.

I’m using an AMEX 2-4-1 in a few weeks and will be flying back into Madrid from South America on a business ticket. I’m then on an economy back to Heathrow (I’m checking every day to see if business seats open up).
Would I be able to use the lounge in Madrid whilst I wait to fly back to London?

Apologies if this should really be in the “Other frequent flyer schemes” section

Yes you can. The lounge access rules are Oneworld-wide, rather than particular to individual carriers, and the class of your long-haul flight is what determines whther or not you qualify for lounge entry on the short-haul leg.

Many thanks for that. Good to know