The new HFP chat thread – Thursday 30th April

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• Graham says:

  30 Apr30 April 18:16

  Rang BA today around 9am to request a refund for our cancelled flights mid-May. The Cape Town office is now back and answered the call (0800 number) within five minutes. Very impressive.

  She was advising that some staff are back as a result of the relaxation of the lockdown. Still seems to be limited staff though. Advised refund within 14 days.

• Shoestring says:

  30 Apr30 April 19:13

  What do people here think about the chances of schools opening up again this side of September?

  It would give me quite a dilemma. As in: a right pain in the nether region. Supporting your kids in their education. Vs getting coronavirus and dying on everybody somewhat prematurely.

  • Freddy says:

    30 Apr30 April 19:29

    Quite a dilemma

  • Shoestring says:

    30 Apr30 April 19:30

    In research that will come as a blow to Britain’s hopes of reopening schools any time soon, scientists in China found children are just as at risk of infection.

    How COVID-19 affects youngsters has confused experts since the pandemic began because so few of them seem to get seriously ill or die after catching the virus.

    In England, for example, only 10 people under the age of 20 have died with COVID-19 in hospitals out of a total of 19,740 infected – a rate of 0.05 per cent.

    This had led to speculation children were somehow protected from the disease or less likely to catch or spread it – something the Chinese research has dispelled.

    The study, done in Shenzhen, found the virus’s ‘attack rate’ among children was 7.4 per cent, which was on par with the 6.6 per cent seen in the general population.

    One scientist in England said the research was ‘important’ and showed that children ‘could expose parents, grandparents and teachers… risking a second wave’.

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    30 Apr30 April 23:16

    I thought you said it was a pussycat virus 😉

    But I can’t imagine lockdown lasting (at least in current form) until September.

    Even if it doesn’t. Should we destroy children’s future (lack of exams etc.) to save the weak? A moral dilemma…

• Shoestring says:

  30 Apr30 April 19:22

  Boarding a plane could take up to four hours when passengers are allowed to fly again once the coronavirus lockdown eases, it was claimed today.

  Flyers could be asked to arrive at airports four hours in advance to allow for health checks and social distancing measures, one expert warns.

  Flights will be more expensive because airlines will only be allowed to have a limited number of people on board to ensure they stay two metres apart.

  This will push up ticket prices and make for an ‘uncomfortable’ flying experience for as long as another five years, another travel expert told The Times.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    30 Apr30 April 19:55

    2m apart on a plane? Madness

• Shoestring says:

  30 Apr30 April 19:24

  Wizz Air will become the first commercial airline to start operating again in the UK tomorrow, but says all passengers must wear facemasks.

  It will operate 15 routes out of Luton Airport to a range of destinations including Budapest, Lisbon and Tenerife.

  • Eb Scrooge says:

    30 Apr30 April 19:47

    And if you are not allowed into these countries, so cannot take the flight……

    You lose your ticket money!

    It amazes me that BA and others haven’t thought up that wheeze – surely flying empty aircraft to New York would save them having to refund far more than the what that flight would cost?

    Naughty, and not nice!

    • Shoestring says:

      30 Apr30 April 19:54

      Cargo may justify the flight plus of course do your homework as regards entry requirements. A lot of these countries depend heavily on tourism so you can see them lifting onerous arrival conditions (up to a point).

• Shoestring says:

  30 Apr30 April 19:39

  ‘All B&Q stores re-opened. B&Q unveils the future of shopping: Till workers wear protective visors, floor markings keep shoppers six feet apart and you can only pay by contactless card as chain’s 288 UK branches reopen today’

  It is completely ridiculous it took the UK 5 weeks to get to this point. I’ve been shopping in DIY/ garden centres out here in the sun right from the day I arrived. They already had spit guards at cashier points and 2m floor markings for till queues.

  Gardening and DIY are important ways to keep your sanity & happiness/ well-being instead of going lockdown stir crazy, with no particular extra risks doing the buying (and definitlely less risky than going to the grocery store as DIY centres are much bigger with fewer people = easy to keep 2 metres apart from anybody else).

  • Liam says:

    30 Apr30 April 21:06

    How is insisting on contactless payment going to work if the amount owed is greater than £45? I know people could use Apple Pay in that situation (and presumably Android Pay, although I’m not familiar with that platform) but not everyone has a suitable phone for that.

    • Shoestring says:

      30 Apr30 April 21:15

      I thought it went up to £90. But your point is valid, I guess the Daily Mail just made it up, which they often do.

      • Shoestring says:

        30 Apr30 April 21:16

        £45 https://www.pymnts.com/mastercard/2020/uk-increases-contactless-transaction-limit-to-45/

        • Shoestring says:

          30 Apr30 April 21:19

          Out here in the sun, there doesn’t appear to be a small limit, I’ve done contactless on £200 – though I then needed to input PIN.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          30 Apr30 April 21:47

          A few countries are like that no chip but have to use the keypad for pin still

      • Chrish says:

        30 Apr30 April 22:08

        Shoestring Just educate people a bit ! been doing it for ages.
        Bill £37 contacless £30 + contactless £7 not rocket science easy

        • Shoestring says:

          30 Apr30 April 22:19

          Would that work in a supermarket? And would (these days, new limits) £45 + £15 work fine?

  • Claire says:

    1 May1 May 09:44

    Thats funny becuase B&Q never accepted contactless before covid-19

    • EwanG says:

      1 May1 May 09:50

      That’s because their old till system couldn’t offer it – but they have been rolling a new one out which does. Fortunate timing.

  • Claire says:

    1 May1 May 09:46

    How conifdent are you that the employer will not just fire you all on furlough? after the 2/3 months end.

• Baji Nahid says:

  30 Apr30 April 19:44

  I just seen that Virgin Atlantic also do student discount now, interesting!

• Ian Wallace says:

  30 Apr30 April 19:54

  Haven’t seen this mentioned previously….
  Easyjet now have an online form for claiming a refund.
  https://www.easyjet.com/en/refund-form

  The usual “we’re very busy…may take some time” stuff applies.

  • Shoestring says:

    30 Apr30 April 19:55

    2 more BA cancellations for me today – all the May stuff.

    • Shoestring says:

      30 Apr30 April 22:21

      Flyertalk guy on refunds not too helpful, probably got told to stop by his bosses (& worried about losing his job for being the refund guy).

      • Rob says:

        30 Apr30 April 22:46

        Did something for my wife today.

        • Shoestring says:

          30 Apr30 April 22:54

          I’m not blaming him, glad he sorted you out, he helped me enough previously so grateful. Maybe he recognised the name?

          But I reckon that easy route might be over. Looks like phones have opened up in the meantime.

• Shoestring says:

  30 Apr30 April 20:04

  Firms failing to offer refunds for trips cancelled during pandemic face legal action amid claims banks and airlines are blocking up to £7billion owed to tourists
  The Competition and Markets Authority said it will take companies to court
  British Airways, TUI, Ryanair and more have been accused of acting illegally
  Four out of five complaints the authority has got are from those denied refunds
  Airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair and TUI were accused of flouting the law and pushing customers to accept credit-note vouchers which have little consumer protection and could prove worthless if a carrier went bust.

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