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The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 27th January

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We have decided to run this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

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General

Comments (308)

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

  • Tarmohamed says:
    27 Jan27 January 13:57

    Have they yet released the list of 22 countries requiring a hotel isolation / jail time?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      27 Jan27 January 14:35

      Isn’t it the 30 countries already on the banned list (though UK citizens and residents) weren’t banned.

      • BS says:
        27 Jan27 January 14:40

        22 countries. Unclear which ones (but obvs South Africa and Brazil).
        Unclear when it starts

        • TGLoyalty says:
          27 Jan27 January 15:03

          are 8 coming off the red list then?

          Looks like more info next week so what exactly is the point 😂

        • meta says:
          27 Jan27 January 15:06

          Details will be published next week. I imagine then another 1-2 weeks before it is set up.

          However, media reports say that in order to leave the UK, people will need to provide a written declaration as to the purpose of travel. I presume, it will checked by airlines unless they decide to implement some kind of system à la PLF.

          • Rob says:
            27 Jan27 January 15:32

            What do you mean ‘it will be checked by airlines’? They will check it in the same way they glance at your PCR certificate now, but they clearly aren’t going to be ringing up your client in Barcelona to check if they really have a meeting with you.

          • meta says:
            27 Jan27 January 16:28

            @Rob That’s what I meant. Of course, airlines won’t challenge.

    • Tarmohamed says:
      27 Jan27 January 15:01

      The way I read the telegraph, 22 counties require hotel isolation and 22 countries completely banned. Not sure.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        27 Jan27 January 15:04

        Boris said that travellers from the red list countries where travel is already banned expect for UK Citizens and residents will need to isolate in hotels.

        I don’t think that’s any extra countries.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          27 Jan27 January 15:06

          Quote

          “We have also banned all travel from 22 countries where there is a risk of known variants including South Africa, Portugal and South American nations.

          “And in order to reduce the risk posed by UK nationals and residents returning home from these countries, I can announce that we will require all such arrivals who cannot be refused entry to isolate in government provided accommodation, such as hotels, for 10 days without exception.”

          • Andy says:
            27 Jan27 January 15:34

            So no opportunity to go abroad even if you’re happy to quarantine at both ends. I know I can’t really go anywhere anyway but it’s making me feel trapped!
            I hope it doesn’t last for the next couple of years

      • Andrew says:
        27 Jan27 January 15:05

        And anyone travelling outside the UK will need to declare an actual valid excuse in advance to the airlines, not to ‘view properties’ in Spain etc.

        • Rob says:
          27 Jan27 January 15:33

          Er, ‘view properties in Spain’ IS a valid excuse under the current legislation and so will be accepted. The lawyers could easily have added ‘in the United Kingdom’ next to the bit saying ‘you can leave home to view properties’ but they deliberately chose not to.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            27 Jan27 January 15:46

            The current rules but sounds like they’ll tighten them up, not sure how exactly.

          • Andrew says:
            27 Jan27 January 15:48

            Home Sec said that the list will be tightened up and re-published so that it is actually for essential travel and not such things as property viewings.

      • Anon says:
        27 Jan27 January 15:52

        so when will we get the full list of 22 countries?!

        • TGLoyalty says:
          27 Jan27 January 15:59

          More details Next week? but it’s going to be from the list of 30 red list countries.

          I don’t know which will be deemed lower risk but All of South America and South Africa are a given

    • 747_Brat says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:43

      The 22 high risk countries according to various newspapers are:

      Angola
      Argentina
      Bolivia
      Botswana
      Brazil
      Cape Verde
      Chile
      Colombia
      Democratic Republic of Congo
      Ecuador
      Eswatini
      French Guiana
      Guyana
      Lesotho
      Malawi
      Mauritius
      Mozambique
      Namibia
      Panama
      Paraguay
      Peru
      Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
      Seychelles
      South Africa
      Suriname
      Tanzania
      Uruguay
      Venezuela
      Zambia
      Zimbabwe

  • 747_Brat says:
    27 Jan27 January 15:27

    For those of you waiting to receive the switch incentive from RBS, please check your account. I have just received mine! 🙂

    • Blindman says:
      27 Jan27 January 17:08

      +1

      • Dan says:
        27 Jan27 January 17:51

        Anyone who did Natwest switch get the incentive yet? Mine is still not there… I thought timelines would be similar given they are part of the same group?

        • Harry T says:
          27 Jan27 January 17:57

          I haven’t received the Natwest switching bonus yet. Switched in November.

          • 747_Brat says:
            27 Jan27 January 18:07

            Natwest incentive is not due until 12 Feb. If we take RBS incentive as a guide, you should expect to receive the Natwest incentive couple of days before 12 Feb.

    • Anon says:
      28 Jan28 January 07:40

      HFP should cover bank switch bonuses

  • Conrad says:
    27 Jan27 January 15:33

    BA cancelled cash booking flight and I enquired about the refund in avios. Been offered 0.9per avios from BA (including avios for purchase on BA premium plus card). Have companion voucher in play to use at some point. Avios or cash?

    • BSI1978 says:
      27 Jan27 January 15:40

      Would personally have to be more attractive than that for me to bite at this point in time, but guess everyone’s position will be different. Existing Avios balance will presumably come into play.

    • Rob says:
      27 Jan27 January 15:41

      At 0.9p I may well take the cash but it depends how you are sitting re 241s and your current travel plans and your current Avios balance. Opportunities to pick up Avios for around 1p come along now and then. If BA repeats the monster 75% buy Avios bonus it ran last year you will get them for under 0.9p.

    • Colin MacKinnon says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:06

      I’m selling mine to Nectar for 0.8p – albeit that I can buy the avios back later by transferring Nectar back.

      Have lots of flight to see family booked to the USA with avios which I can’t see going ahead, and reading the Daily Telegraph’s view on the Rolls-Royce news the other day, they can’t see many countries letting long-haul travel get going soon.

      After all, if the vaccine is 90% effective and if the vaccine stops you being a carrier, then that still means 20-odd people on every 787 or A350 could be carriers.

      And look at the Australian Open for PCR testing. Despite the tests, they still have people going down with Covid while quarantining.

      We are all doomed.

      • Doommonger says:
        27 Jan27 January 16:09

        I concur.

        The Doomster

      • kitten says:
        27 Jan27 January 16:14

        The cases I have heard of in Aus and NZ where people caught the virus (that they started off not having) actually in quarantine caught it from hotel staff or closed ventilation systems sharing air across rooms in the quarantine hotels.

    • BJ says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:48

      Cash IMO, I refused such offers on my cancellations but then I have loads of avios (despite my query further down the page ).

  • ChrisW says:
    27 Jan27 January 15:55

    With today’s announcement about mandatory hotel quarantine, what I have never understood about this government is why they set rules, know people aren’t following them, don’t enforce them and then appear surprised to see their rules aren’t working.

    For example, the ban on non-essential travel. Clearly people are still travelling for non-essential reasons. The government has said today that people have been turning up to Eurostar with skis. So why don’t they have police stationed at the entrance to Eurostar stopping people?

    The 10 day home isolation after returning from high risk areas. I know loads of people who have been through it. Hardly any forms collected at airports. Hardly anyone rung to check they were at home and even the few that were that were only called once and they weren’t even asked if they were home, just politely requested to follow the rules.

    Does the government not want to actually impose restrictions on us, and instead ask politely that we follow the rules?

    • Rob says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:43

      Because it’s a waste of police time stopping you leaving the country, especially if you are going somewhere where you are less likely to catch covid then remaining here. If you are heading to a low risk country it will be tolerated.

      Our nanny actually came down with covid during the 3 weeks we were in Dubai – she was diagnosed the day before we flew back. No symptoms, ever. If we’d been in the UK then I would have caught it with 100% certainty.

    • BP says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:44

      They expect people to follow the rules as policing them can be difficult. The rules are very wooly in some areas. For example, is a policeman in an airport in a place to judge wether a family are going abroad to view properties for a move abroad or going on holiday?

      The reality is that once you get to an airport, nobody cares. You get asked nothing going out.

      • The real John says:
        27 Jan27 January 19:56

        Patel says they are going to make airlines start asking questions. I’ll believe it when I see it (or read about it, as I don’t intend to go anywhere just yet).

    • Anna says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:51

      Firstly the legislation is always half-baked, e.g. allowing people to leave home for exercise but not stipulating where this has to take place. Secondly, there are insufficient resources to enforce much of it; even without Covid related issues in my semi-rural county of 1.5 million people the police receive up to 2000 calls per day, in the Met it’s about 8,000 on average. You will hear the term “extra police” used over the coming days in relation to the new quarantine regime, this is a cohort of officers which has the objective existence of Father Christmas or the Tooth Fairy, i.e. a nice idea wheeled out by the government to make people feel good.

      • Jody says:
        27 Jan27 January 16:55

        Combined with a group of officers who have had yet more of their annual leave cancelled so that it looks as if there are more police available. I would hate to be a Met Police officer!

      • BP says:
        27 Jan27 January 17:08

        I’m off for a run in Dubai!

    • AJA says:
      27 Jan27 January 17:10

      The reality is that we are not living in a “police state”. We are being treated lightly on the basis that we should know better and do the right thing. The trouble is that people seem to want to be told in minute detail what they can and can’t do and then rail against it as an infringement of their rights. If you think travelling in the middle of a pandemic is a good idea and is really necessary, then just do it. But clearly turning up at St Pancras with your skis to board a Eurostar train is not necessary nor essential YMMV. The rest of us will do our best to observe the many rules that already exist for the greater good. I don’t see what else the government can do. It is damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t.

  • Alan says:
    27 Jan27 January 16:06

    Can anyone answer this question about the Virgin BA Gold status match.
    Virgin say you will receive the card after your first flight.

    Does that mean you do not have gold status until after the flight, or just receive the physical card then.

    I have an UC flight booked for October but if Gold status applies from when the match is given I will probably book economy light flights in the sale as soon as the US opens up (using the lounge access and free luggage)

    • BSI1978 says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:17

      My status updated on my profile immediately so I am leaning towards you having status from now (or whenever you match) for at least 12m as opposed to post your first flight.

      • Andrew says:
        27 Jan27 January 16:34

        Yes, the status is updated immediately once they approve it and is valid for 12 months from the end of that month. The comms even say that you can ‘start using the benefits straight away’. I’ve booked economy light for September to JFK for £260 and once we get to 1st of Feb I will submit my status match (to get it until end of Feb 2022, rather than end of Jan 2021 if I do it now) and then I get a free bag, Upper check-in desks, Club house, priority boarding, and Revivals lounge at LHR when I return.

        • Andrew says:
          27 Jan27 January 16:36

          The exact wording from the Virgin landing page for the status match:
          “During this promotion your status will be matched before your upcoming flight, within 30 days of status match approval, so you can start enjoying your Flying Club tier benefits right away. “

        • Alan says:
          27 Jan27 January 16:58

          Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I have also just booked for economy light JFK Sept.

    • Alan says:
      27 Jan27 January 16:45

      As I have just received the status match (only submitted a few hours ago so full marks for service) I can answer my own question.

      The upgrade is immediate so travel restrictions permitting I should be able to book economy light flights and benefit from the free luggage allocation and lounge access before the boked flight I used to get the Gold status match.

  • Aston100 says:
    27 Jan27 January 16:12

    Interconty Pointies, from Sandy Bendy Bondies now working again.

  • Mco says:
    27 Jan27 January 16:22

    Can anyone recommend a online company to get an antibody test done from? Superdrug which is better/local to me want £95. Online tests seem to half price.

  • Rupert says:
    27 Jan27 January 16:30

    Apologies, but I cannot find anything “official” on the BA website. It seems T& C’s holiday bookings contradict BA’s book with confidence. I’ve read a mass of material without finding the answer. I’ve recently paid a deposit for USA holiday in April. If I cancel do I get a FTV for the deposit paid? Thanks.

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