The new HFP chat thread – Monday 27th July

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We have decided to run this new daily chat thread on Head for Points.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions. It is unlikely that the news flow will be so big over the next few weeks that we will need many ‘Bits’ articles, however.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind. At this tricky time, and given that many of you are stuck at home self-isolating, we want the HFP community to have a place to chat.

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Category

General

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

Graham D says:

27 Jul27 July 18:00

Not sure if this has been covered elsewhere but BA seems to be in the process of converting FTVs to eVouchers.

I had a couple of FTVs (which could be used for standalone flights or a flight + hotel/car etc) but BA automatically replaced my FTVs with eVouchers a couple of days ago (without me asking).

On the plus side, an eVoucher can be used online AND for any person but according to the eVoucher FAQs, an eVoucher can only be used for flights – and also only 1 x voucher per booking.

“What can you use an eVoucher for?
You can use an eVoucher to pay for flights. You can’t currently use it to pay for holidays or extras, such as seating or baggage”

My plan was to use my FTVs for a BA Holidays flight and hotel package – but apparently I can’t do this now which seems a tad unfair.

Can anyone shed any light on this?
- Rob says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 18:06
  
  Covering this tomorrow, but I can’t shed any extra light on this.
- Anna says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 18:18
  
  Is that for purely cash vouchers?
Secret Squirrel says:

27 Jul27 July 18:06

A reply to Doug M on previous Amex / curve payments.
I tried in the app without fronted on, declined and if went through would of incurred a fee?
- Doug M says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 18:56
  
  I think it would have incurred the fee. The way mine was declined I got the impression that Curve OK’d it from an authorisation angle, but then decided as ‘fronted’ was off they’d decline it. No way of really knowing, but an investment of 10x the Amex payment went through fine this morning with fronted off.
Nick says:

27 Jul27 July 18:11

Spain FCO Latest:

From 27 July, the FCO advise against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks in the country.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain
- Nick says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 18:13
  
  Still current at:27 July 2020Updated:27 July 2020Latest update:
  FCO advice against all non-essential travel to Spain now applies to the whole country, including the Balearic and Canary Islands
  - Colin says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 18:21
    
    So much for “quarantine for Spanish islands to be axed” that the gutter press were reporting.
    
    Although I wouldn’t put it past the government to add them to the “essential travel only” list but exclude them from quarantine requirements.
- GeorgeJ says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 18:40
  
  At least this means that people due to travel and who didnt want to quarantine can legitimately not go and get their money back. If the flight/holiday was still going to the islands it was difficult to do this without potential loss.
  I am due to go t the end of August but will just wait and see how this shambles develops.
  - Colin says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 18:44
    
    That assumes they have travel insurance?
    
    I’ve seen various surveys which suggest that less than 50% have travel insurance. I’d like to think that’s gone up recently but I don’t know how many insurers are including Covid related cancellation costs in new policies.
    - GeorgeJ says:
      
      27 Jul27 July 19:32
      
      Colin,
      This is not really about travel insurance, if FCO advice changes the airline/ tour company is expected to give a refund or allow rebooking at a later time. Competition and market authority guidance is pretty clear on this. Travel insurance would only cut in if a refund or rebooking couldn’t be acheived.
      - Colin says:
        
        27 Jul27 July 19:44
        
        Do you get a refund if you’ve not booked a package and the flight is still running though? Ryanair have said they won’t be cancelling flights to Spain (yet)
- Anna says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 18:54
  
  Or – drop the demands for access to U.K. fishing waters? It can’t possibly be riskier to go to, say, La Gomera, than to Greece.
  - GeorgeJ says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 19:35
    
    Anna,
    I wish they were that joined up in their thinking! This is probably just about sorting out the errors in the last announcement, ie leaving tourists to the Islands without a valid reason to cancel and having to quarantine on return.
    May all be reversed in a week.
    - Anna says:
      
      27 Jul27 July 19:59
      
      They haven’t mentioned Ceuta and Melilla!
      - Andrew M says:
        
        27 Jul27 July 22:47
        
        They are part of Spain so covered by the main announcement I assume.
- Colin says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 21:09
  
  Shapps has cancelled his holiday now
  - Anna says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 22:07
    
    His family aren’t though! Bet his wife told him he’d better let them get to their villa before any announcements were made or else 😂. (Which would explain why it was first put out on Twitter or whatever).
Optimus Prime says:

27 Jul27 July 19:29

From 1 August all citizens, residents, tourists and transit passengers are required to obtain a negative COVID19 certificate before arriving into DXB or DWC. https://www.dubaiairports.ae/alert/latest-covid-19-update-
BJ says:

27 Jul27 July 19:36

You will all now be regreting that you cancelled your Tesco Pet Insurance!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53552557
- Peter K says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 20:09
  
  Those whose fake pets “died” won’t be regretting it.
- Navara says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 21:33
  
  Looks like Shoestring was correct
  - Chrisasaurus says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 21:48
    
    Ok I literally snorted tea out of my nose.
  - BJ says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 22:02
    
    😀
  - Dave Barron says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 22:20
    
    Hilarious 😂
  - Lady London says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 22:56
    
    We dont need a moggy daily death count as well as a human one. Too many questions could be asked. Such as when they get around to trying ro separate the “died of Covid” from the “died with Covid” figures.
- Anna says:
  
  27 Jul27 July 22:10
  
  Did the pet insurance cover pandemics though?!
  - Lady London says:
    
    27 Jul27 July 23:09
    
    By not specifying, yes pandemics in cats would have been covered. But rest assured by 9am tomorrow every pet insurance will exclude Covid in particular and pandemics gwnerally.
    
    Be especislly careful if the pet has a card or an account with fees that include isurance paid monthly such as Nationwide as it seems the terms of tbose insurances can also change monthly.