The HfP chat thread – Friday 6th November

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Baji Nahid says:

6 Nov6 November 04:01

Anyone ever use the Virgin Red app or won anything from it?
- Sina says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 04:14
  
  I’ve used it for two years, never won anything! Or got any useful offer on it?! 😅
  - Baji Nahid says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 04:40
    
    Yep! A lot of people have complained but apparently people have won! Also i noticed they’re started to reveal slightly the surnames of people who have won the prizes.
    
    However ive seen a notification in the app that there is about to be a whole new revamp very soon!!
- MattB says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 05:42
  
  Used to be good for 241 at Nero, used it almost daily for years. Haven’t even opened the app since it stopped.
  
  I seem to recall someone posting here to say they had won a decent chunk of VS miles from it.
- Anne says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 07:42
  
  I used to, and I did win 40k Virgin miles one month – which was a total shock as I never win anything! I lost interest when they took miles off the prize list but I think they’re the sole prize now.
  
  +1 on the Cafe Nero comment below as well, used to be very handy
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 08:31
  
  Yup use it when I remember and have won a couple bottles of fizz and I think a small number of points.
  
  Takes 10 seconds a day to do the daily poll and the hunts can be interesting.
- Nadeshka says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 09:27
  
  I won a £2k Virgin holidays voucher last year. It had its expiry extended due to Covid but still struggling to find a use for it before it expires next year, given most of their network is a no go! May book some speculative 2022 flights at this rate ..
- Chris1922 says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 09:35
  
  A bottle of prosecco once…
- Roger C says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 09:56
  
  I won two First Classtickets anywhere on Virgin Trains. Had a nice couple of days in Inverness and Skye.
- 747_Brat says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 11:26
  
  Never won anything on Virgin Red app!
- Karl says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 12:48
  
  It used to be good to get free wifi on Virgin Trains
ChrisC says:

6 Nov6 November 04:48

DENMARK was removed from the travel corridor list a few hours ago.

Decision made in the small hours and is effective immediately.

Anyone arriving in the UK from now will have to isolate for 14 days.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54835538
- Sina says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 04:54
  
  Apparently there’s an outbreak of a mutated version of the coronavirus that can be passed from minks! Which is a lot worse! Seems nature is getting a revenge! 😕
  - Anna says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 07:45
    
    I didn’t realise fur farming was still a thing in Europe – and it was reported that the minks are being thrown live into wood chippers to cull them which you also can’t imagine happening in Scandinavia 😢
    - ChrisC says:
      
      6 Nov6 November 08:14
      
      The reports I’ve read say that they are gassed.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      6 Nov6 November 08:33
      
      Come on Anna surely you know that’s fake news!
      
      Re it being worse that’s not the worry it’s that mutations like this could make the viable vaccines currently in the works less effective.
      - Lady London says:
        
        6 Nov6 November 11:30
        
        and could produce a far worse strain.
    - James H says:
      
      6 Nov6 November 10:29
      
      Anna, what swamp do you get your ‘news’ from? They are being gassed.
      - Anna says:
        
        6 Nov6 November 13:25
        
        Numerous people were commenting on Twitter (which ok is a bit of a swamp) that they had seen it on the BBC … But I’m glad to hear there’s a more humane method.
        https://covidnineteen.wiki/united-kingdom/fury-as-bbc-shows-live-mink-being-chucked-into-shredder-in-report-on-denmark-cull-of-15million-covid-infected-animals/
      - Anna says:
        
        6 Nov6 November 13:33
        
        Even if the mink was singular it’s still horrific!
    - Tony says:
      
      6 Nov6 November 16:34
      
      You should see how they dispose of male chickens …….
  - Pierre says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 08:15
    
    Something to be fur-ious about? 🙂
    - ankomonkey says:
      
      6 Nov6 November 09:50
      
      🙂
ChrisC says:

6 Nov6 November 05:12

Received a text from “HM PASSPORT” earlier this week.

Message read

“Passport validity rules will change from 1 January 2021 you may need to renew earlier than planned. Visit (long website link)”

The link was to the proper .gov.uk website passport validity checker page.

This means the passport office keeps your phone number on file. I last renewed in August 2010 and my passport expires in March 2021.

I was going to renew in January but might as well do it now as all my trips until the end of the year have been cancelled.

Useful reminder to check your passport validity – despite the slightly scamy overtones – as any extension time previously added (mine had nine months) is excluded which calculating if you have enough validity to enter the Schengen area and some other countries after 1st January next year.
- ChrisC says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 05:26
  
  This is the passport validity checker for the EU / Schengen area.
  
  You need your date of birth, passport issue and expiry dates and anticipated travel dates and destination
  
  https://www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe-1-january-2021
- Lady London says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 11:37
  
  They’ve been doing this for about 2 years already and did not announce it and only confirmed it to MSE when MSE contacted them after people complained passport received had not included time still left on previous passport as in the rules
  
  Sounds like government legitimising what they were already doing anyway. Personally i thought their excuse was weak and it amounted to a ripoff of passport validity people had paid for.
  - ChrisC says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 13:42
    
    It was international agreements that stopped previously unused time being transferred to new passports. UK was one of only a few counties doing it so we were the exception rather then the rule and we were required to normalise our rules.
    
    Though my post wasn’t about that more the need to check our passports for EU/Schengen validity whether or not you have an extention or not.
Michael C says:

6 Nov6 November 05:36

Easyjet now cancelling Isle of Man flights into January 2021.
- Bill says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 20:42
  
  Thanks for update
Andrew says:

6 Nov6 November 06:32

Bicester offer back on Amex – seems rather odd timing considering they are closed for a month. Terms not as good as last month – £50 back on £500 this time.
- Ali M says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 07:33
  
  gift card will trigger this?
  - Andrew says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 07:47
    
    I don’t know if buying them online will trigger it – probably not. Although someone may have tried.
Eshaq Choudhury says:

6 Nov6 November 07:08

Anyone have more info on the delay of the covid test law for the Canary Islands? One of the commenters said it’s moving to 23rd Nov.
- Michael C says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 07:43
  
  As it stands, it’s next Saturday, Eshaq, although the local authorities have the power to change this as things develop.
memesweeper says:

6 Nov6 November 07:21

@rob @rhys
Friday’s page one of comments link (above) actually goes to Thursday’s page 🙁
- LB says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 08:47
  
  The link to the first page does go to Thursday’s comments. If you click on “page 1” from page 2 it’s ok.
- Rob says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 09:02
  
  Sorry, give me a minute!
martyn ford says:

6 Nov6 November 07:29

Barclaycard/Hilton message:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding your Barclay points for October 2020. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us.

We apologize but unfortunately this is a system issue, we are working with Barclay on solving the problem. Please allow 6-8 weeks for the points to reflect on your account. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
- Ali M says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 07:34
  
  thanks for this
- Name says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 07:39
  
  How did you contact Barclaycard. Have the same problem. The in app chat is rubbish
  - Definitas says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 09:30
    
    I gave up trying to contact them It was an absolute farce. Secure messages received answers which bore no resemblance to the questions. I only had it for foreign currency spend so I took my business elsewhere and cancelled my card. I think Barclaycard customer services are more difficult to contact than BA!
    - The Savage Squirrel says:
      
      6 Nov6 November 13:43
      
      When I queried I have got a notification that I have received a secure reply … but no reply (or no way to view it anyway). Their communication system is rubbish.
- Chrisasaurus says:
  
  6 Nov6 November 09:30
  
  Hilton aren’t regulated but Barclay(card) are – suggest complaining to them will be more efficacious
  
  In which note, best way anyone knows of to complain to Barclaycard?
  - johnny_c-l says:
    
    6 Nov6 November 10:21
    
    It’s easy to direct call Barclaycard from the app (assuming the Hilton card uses the same app as regular Barclays).
    
    I raised a complaint with them a few weeks back on a different issue and it was very quick. However the only thing they were interested in was getting the complaint closed rather than actually resolving it. Immediately offered compensation when I called, then subsequent counter offers came over the phone the next day, but nothing actually done to address the problem I raised.