Originally Posted by
rocketship87
If I had booked with my credit card, I would have been covered by travel insurance.
Originally Posted by
rocketship87
I would have made a non-refundable hotel booking on my credit card, which has travel insurance. This is what I will do going forward, never again will I waste Avios on a hotel booking that might be rendered useless.
"Travel insurance" - these are the magic words.
Your solution is nothing to do with using a credit card to book. You'd be in the same place if you'd booked a standard flexible rate that had a 4 pm or 6 pm cancellation deadline - by the terms of the rate, you would have been on the hook for one night's charge.
In both cases, it's travel insurance that can get you off the hook. It's nothing to do with whether you book using Avios or book a cash rate.