The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 29th December

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

• James says:

  29 Dec29 December 09:16

  Quick question re the new Qatar Airways fare buckets: Have a booking made pre-COVID which has been moved twice now, currently sitting with Aug ‘21 travel dates. Do existing bookings retain equivalent to “Business Comfort”, ie. get airport lounge even if original fare code was the cheaper R code as opposed to I?

  Reason I ask is that our booking is I code both ways but friends travelling us on separate booking are I out and R back. Our booking has the MMB option to “change flight” but theirs doesn’t which makes me think they’ve been plonked in “Business Classic” even though at time of booking “Business Classic” did not exist?

  • Simon C says:

    29 Dec29 December 13:45

    Unfortunately if you rebook on or after 9th November, the new fare family applies.

    • James says:

      29 Dec29 December 22:42

      Thanks Simon. These tickets were bought in May 2019. Travel dates only moved because Qatar cancelled the flights. I iginal flying date was April 2020. Then Jan 2021. New date August 2021. Surely they’re contracted to provide what we purchased?

  • AJA says:

    29 Dec29 December 13:46

    I think they may find that the new ticket does not include lounge access even though the original fare may have done.

• Mo says:

  29 Dec29 December 09:52

  Hey guys,

  I know a few people had the W Yas Island booked for the Abu Dhabi F1 this year and unfortunately couldn’t go.

  I asked the hotel to move my booking to the 2021 race dates, they’ve come back and offered me 30th Nov – 6th Dec (Tue-Mon). Originally my 6 nights were Wed-Tue.

  I was wondering what everybody felt would be the best nights to stay to make the most of the F1 and whether 5 or 6 nights would be best

  • TGLoyalty says:

    29 Dec29 December 10:13

    5 nights would be best (5 for price of 4) if you’re in AD longer is move elsewhere in the city. The four seasons or rosewood are in a good spot, St Regis too

    F1 starts Thursday and it’s all over Sunday night.

  • Harry T says:

    29 Dec29 December 10:24

    I’ve been moved to 1st to 6th December, which seems ideal. I haven’t paid the destination/Grand Prix fees yet – does anyone know if there’s a way to pay on Amex?

    • babyg says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:16

      Ive already paid, they sent a link when i made the booking back in early 2019, and I’m pretty sure paid on amex, did you not get the link?

    • r* says:

      29 Dec29 December 16:00

      What usually takes place on the thursday of gp weekend? Would I be better off checking in on the weds than thurs? My original booking was thur-tue, better to move to wed-mon? The idea for the original dates were to allow a day after the gp, but if there are things going on on the weds/thurs morning.. might be better to shift it a day?

      • Mark says:

        29 Dec29 December 18:07

        Thursday is usually just a setting up day and drivers press conference later in the evening. Nothing to see really.
        We’re there Wednesday to Monday. (again, thanks to Marriott for moving the booking) The Wednesday and Thursday will just be spent shopping and going to the mall etc.
        F2 are scheduled to be at Yas as well.

        • Cormac says:

          29 Dec29 December 21:03

          The was a Thursday pit walk last year.

  • Blindman says:

    29 Dec29 December 10:26

    Depends how “into” F1 you are.

    Tues -Mond will be fine, IMHO Minimum would be Thurs-Monday so for you Tues\Wed needs to be occupied with going to say Dubai for the day or maybe Dune bashing in Abu Dhabi?

    Abu Dhabi does not have many support races to keep you occupied Friday-Sunday TBHO and Yas Island only has Ferrari World to keep you busy.

  • N says:

    29 Dec29 December 11:01

    I’m crossing my fingers for new booking availability. I have already locked in flights out and back in BA F to/from DXB Sun-Mon, planning on spending a few nights in DXB before moving to W (if we get the booking!) for 5 nights Wed-Mon for our 5 (for the price of 4) nights.

    Crossing all digits/appendages for availability to be released.

    • babyg says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:05

      Good luck, but I think most people with W-f1 redemptions simply kept their booking and they were moved, i am one of those. I kept my booking because i was worried of not getting the booking again, and because the redemption rate has gone up (30k per night vs 40k per night i believe). Anyways good luck!

  • Matthew says:

    29 Dec29 December 11:07

    Last year the did F1 testing on the Monday which was fun to watch. We took golf clubs as there are some courses nearby. Think Tues/Weds allows pit lane walk if you have the weekly pass. I stayed to the Tues last time too and it was quite nice to relax by pool for few days after the craziness of the F1 at Yas!

  • babyg says:

    29 Dec29 December 12:20

    LHR-AUH – does anybody know if BA will re-instate the London to Abu Dhabi flights by December 2021 or has this gone for good?

    • Rob says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:57

      No-one knows but I would be surprised if it has gone for good. Problem is Etihad gets the business traffic due to superior product.

  • N says:

    29 Dec29 December 17:03

    While we’re all here (by “we” I mean the HfP F1ers for AUH 2021!), if anyone finds they needs to cancel their points booking please shout as I may take it off your hands!

• Mo says:

  29 Dec29 December 10:44

  Thanks guys,

  I don’t watch F1 really, and haven’t ever been to a race but am interested in it and since I’m going will be making the most of it.
  Plus I hear the parties in Abu Dhabi during race weekend are pretty crazy haha.

  Think I’ll leave it as the 6 nights it is, I don’t fancy moving hotels for 1 night, and the points rate was cheaper given the hotel category was lower when booked, but will definitely check out the dune bashing/ferrari world and other things while there.

  • Mo says:

    29 Dec29 December 10:45

    Sorry this was meant to be a reply to above!

  • Blindman says:

    29 Dec29 December 11:11

    Oh.

    You will be bored then. I would suggest planning other activities for the majority of the time with maybe Saturday qualifying and Sunday race day as your F1 experiences.

    They have “concerts” Friday-Sunday evening with a “headline” act on Sunday.

    • Mo says:

      29 Dec29 December 13:29

      Thanks Blindman!

      Was definitely thinking quali and race day would be the main F1 time, hopefully I might get a Marriott/Hilton experience from their auctions and get some hospitality package!
      Will definitely have to find some other stuff to do, day trip to Dubai seems like a good idea.

      Concerts also do look pretty great, they’ve had some pretty big names in the past.

      Seems there will be quite a few hfp people going, might be able to meet a few of you 🙂

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    29 Dec29 December 11:44

    Sounds like my kind of logic! Lol. I wouldn’t bother moving either

  • Matthew says:

    29 Dec29 December 22:45

    Crazy doesn’t do it justice…..!!

• Peggerz says:

  29 Dec29 December 11:27

  Good morning.

  I booked flights using Lloyds upgrade vouchers last week for October 2021 using BA which included connecting flight from EDI via LHR (out) and to EDI via LGW (return). The LGW-EDI has now been cancelled and I am being offered the connection from LHR, meaning I have a 4 hour connection time between LGW and LHR.
  So, does this still indicate little of no BA activity at LGW before 2022 or, at least no connecting flights?
  Has anyone had experience arguing for the taxi fare LGW-LHR from either Avios (re the voucher use) or BA?

  Thanks.

  • Nick says:

    29 Dec29 December 11:36

    LGWEDI has been pulled completely… there will be shorthaul from Gatwick, but not that route.

    You won’t get a taxi fare paid. Even if it’s rerouted on the day the most you’d ever get is a voucher for national express coach.

    Does your connection destination run from both LHR and LGW? If yes, I would ask to be put on that to make it easier, they should agree. Otherwise, GLALGW is still running so you could book that if GLA is easier for you to get to. Otherwise, you could take a refund and rebook yourselves elsewhere if you can find a good fare. Or just take the coach link between LHR and LGW – it’s actually pretty quick and efficient.

    • Anna says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:48

      I’m assuming Peggerz doesn’t want to cancel as the Lloyds voucher would be lost if it’s expired. What is the destination?

      • Peggerz says:

        29 Dec29 December 13:06

        Hi @Anna. I’m out to CHQ and back from HER which only depart from LHR and LGW respectively. Yes, the Lloyds voucher is part of it, but a bit cheesed off that I could book it last week if this week the EDI flights have been withdrawn and no compensation for getting from LGW-LHR for my onward connection.

        • Anna says:

          29 Dec29 December 16:48

          I’ve got a similar but less impactive thing with my MAN-NCE (using Lloyds voucher), now being MAN-LHR-NCE. It will be a pain but the flights were 8k avios plus £50 (think there may have been an avios error in my favour, ahem) and even LCCs are an arm and a leg to NCE in August! So at the moment the plan is BA out via LHR and direct back to MAN with EJ.
          I would be very annoyed if I had to change airports in London, especially for a SH connection. Would they change one of your legs so you are departing and arriving at the same airport (for the LHR connection?) I can’t work out which one this would be, my brain isn’t working this afternoon! BA moved me from AUH to DBX recently so changing between CHQ and HER doesn’ sound insurmountable.

        • Anna says:

          29 Dec29 December 16:50

          So try and change it to EDI-LHR-CHQ and back again if I’ve got that right? Or would that mess up the rest of your trip?

    • Peggerz says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:55

      Cheers @Nick

• Doug says:

  29 Dec29 December 11:37

  Hi, a family member came here for xmas and need to travel LHR -> AMS -> HEL this weekend, I’ve just seen that Netherlands now requires a PCR negative result for transfers, does anyone know a cheap place to get a test done? I’m a bit nervous about paying for a test and the flight get cancelled…

  • Harry T says:

    29 Dec29 December 11:46

    Probably better to fly directly to Helsinki, no? Regarding covid testing, the Sofitel offers a stay and test package at LHR. Others will be better placed to advise about cheap testing in the London area.

    • Doug says:

      29 Dec29 December 11:57

      It would be nice to go direct yes, but Finland banned flights from the UK and we hope this Netherlands workaround is still effective by then.
      Boots do for £120 too

      • jil says:

        29 Dec29 December 12:07

        for PCR test, £120 is already on the cheap side, go for it if you have a Boots nearby, and usually can do walk-in test.

        • Doug says:

          29 Dec29 December 12:14

          Cool that will do, cheers.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          29 Dec29 December 12:29

          If you’re near Heathrow I thought collinson were offering PCR for under £100

      • Harry T says:

        29 Dec29 December 12:38

        I’ve lost track of who has banned the UK! I hope their travels are uneventful. There is a very high risk of IRROPS etc at this time, especially when transitting. I hope the visit was worth it!

        • Doug says:

          29 Dec29 December 12:44

          Yes, my family member has not seen anyone for over 6 months. Sadly he lives alone as so many of my friends.

        • Optimus Prime says:

          29 Dec29 December 13:58

          Check out today’s TLFL article about a BA flight that landed on Madeira on 21st Dec. Non-Portuguese citizens were told to stay onboard and fly back to UK.

  • Simon says:

    29 Dec29 December 12:31

    Hi- just been to Express Testing at Madejski in Reading- very professional and accurate as they do it for you! £80 with a BA flight number- highly recommended! Fit to Fly certificate included in the price.

    • Michael C says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:35

      Good to know Simon, thanks!

    • Aston100 says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:52

      Thanks Simon.
      What was the turnaround time?

    • Doug says:

      29 Dec29 December 13:34

      Just booked this instead of boots, ample time slots for tomorrow with up to 48h results, much easier, got two reference codes for a single booking, guess they still need to iron out “bugs” in their system.

• Princess says:

  29 Dec29 December 12:18

  Hi everybody! couple of question on some hiccup on my last trip:

  – ryanair flight Rome-London on the 26th of December. Cancelled from Ryanair on the same day (likely before we got to the airport). Re-booked on the next day. I know I can claim meal, transport, hotel. What about compensation? I’m guessing flight was cancelled following many European country issuing a ban to UK flight, but of course since the 27th they seem to be back flying London-Rome everyday is that make any difference?

  -I hired a car in Rome: my booking was at 7pm. Flight arriving in Rome was a bit late, but I have record of starting to call the rental car office at 7:03pm to let them know we would arrive 10 min late. None answer the phone, when I got to the office I discovered the close at 7pm. I complained with the broker I booked with but seem that 10 minutes is not acceptable. Any advice? Of course I had to book a new car with a different provider that cost more and I lost 2 hours.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    29 Dec29 December 12:28

    You can claim duty of care but I’m certain you won’t get compensation, you can try and claim it but I don’t think you will get anywhere. It’s not the airlines fault that governments started banning uk flights and/or non residents.

    RE car hire if you booked via Amex perhaps your credit card has some delay insurance or other cover that may be useful ie chargeback/s.75. Would be useful to mention if you have platinum or what card you paid with etc so someone else with more knowledge can give advice.

    • Princess says:

      29 Dec29 December 12:45

      Thanks TGLoyalty for the advice, I thought that was the case in regard of compensation!
      I have Platinum card and I used it to book the car, I haven’t thought to go that route!

  • Charlieface says:

    29 Dec29 December 14:27

    If you gave them your flight number when booking, or booked as part of a package, they should refund you. Normal T&Cs say they will wait an hour after closing for a late flight

    • Princess says:

      29 Dec29 December 15:55

      Yes I did give them my flight number!!! no part of a package but I still find ridiculous they take booking at &pm when the office close at 7!!!! I’m going to check the T&C

• James Craig says:

  29 Dec29 December 12:31

  Biggest earthquake in Europe for 10 years. 6.4 on Richter scale close to Zagreb this morning, yet the insular BBC has not even reported it 5 hours after the event. Shameful

  • Harry T says:

    29 Dec29 December 12:40

    Why would the BBC care?

  • mvcvz says:

    29 Dec29 December 13:43

    And the relevance of this to HfP is…?

  • AJA says:

    29 Dec29 December 13:44

    It is on the BBC now. They are not exactly known for being first with any breaking news, perhaps they wait to verify before reporting? Apparently many injuries and at least 1 death. Apparently this follows a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in central Croatia yesterday. Sad news.

  • BrightonReader says:

    29 Dec29 December 14:54

    The daily mail will welcome your BBC bashing but HfP isn’t the place for it.

    • bad blueboys says:

      29 Dec29 December 19:23

      Probably doesn’t come up on your radar Titania, at least 10 dead, and yes some of us travel to Croatia, for holidays, its quite a popular destination amongst HfP readers, maybe you should try it it one day. That’s the relevance.

    • Chris Heyes says:

      29 Dec29 December 21:25

      BrightonReader I Agree there is enough rubbish on here without Earthquakes and BBC lol

  • Genghis says:

    29 Dec29 December 19:38

    Yes – I was disappointed about the lack of Mongolian election coverage.

• SteveG says:

  29 Dec29 December 12:43

  I’m quite confused with the IHG reward vouchers. I have one expiring at the end of this year and received the extra one. I thought I would be able to book 2 nights in August but it appears the one with book by the end of this year is only valid on stays until April 2021. Has anyone else experienced this and is that right?

  • jil says:

    29 Dec29 December 13:51

    it is a mess, there are many different versions of it, there are some people reporting their voucher expiring on 31 dec 2020 can only be used for stay before this date, so I guess your situation is normal.

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