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The HfP chat thread – Sunday 18th April

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Comments (318)

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

  • 747_Brat says:
    18 Apr18 April 12:57

    If I remove my card from Airtime Rewards or any site which offers in-store rewards for that matter, after the transaction has tracked, will it pay out?

    • Chrism20 says:
      18 Apr18 April 18:31

      I think the txn still tracked when I done it last year.

      It must have done as I have no declined txns in the last year.

    • Andrew says:
      18 Apr18 April 19:14

      On PAW they warn you not to amend card details (eg date) on renewal, but to create a new card instead.

      I’m not sure if it causes a problem with tracking existing transactions or tracking the new card.

  • sp says:
    18 Apr18 April 13:26

    I hope someone can help me. my flights with BA on 5th June to EWR has been cancelled. I do not want to cancel and get a refund but rebook at a later date. BA have cancelled all the fights to EWR in June and are offering alternative to JFK but this in not a good choice as I would have over £200 Uber and over 3 hours of drive. BA refused to change the booking to latter date.
    What are my options? I would prefer to book in August

    • Asim says:
      18 Apr18 April 17:17

      They need you to get you to your destination by comparable means. So they either need to get you to JFK via another airline or arrange for transport from EWR to JFK.

      If you spoke to an Indian call centre today then try tomorrow during UK working hours. If you get through to a UK call centre you’re more likely to be successful.

      If you’re flight is cancelled you can rebook another date.

  • bafan says:
    18 Apr18 April 13:43

    JonNYC on Twitter has a scan of a letter from AA saying they are permanently pulling service from MAN (as well as KEF and PRG) and will do LHR and DUB for the UK and Ireland. The economics of serving MAN must be **** given how difficult it is to maintain LH service.

    • Anna says:
      18 Apr18 April 13:47

      I think AA only do one service (to PHL) from MAN anyway?

      • bafan says:
        18 Apr18 April 13:50

        Correct. It’s an interesting strategy to pick PHL as the primary hub for transatlantic.

    • Rob says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:37

      Why should AA bother? Lingus is about to start MAN to US and as it will be in the transatlantic JV AA gets the money anyway. Why waste time using its own aircraft?

      • Charlieface says:
        18 Apr18 April 21:25

        We’d all love IE to do well at MAN, it’s about time it had a proper local hub airline. It’s the only two-independent-runway airport in the UK apart from LHR

    • Andrew says:
      18 Apr18 April 21:00

      So that means the end of the EDI-PHL route too?

      Unless AerLingus is considering an EDI-East Coast route, that pretty much leaves the direct Scottish Market to United & Delta for the USA.

      • bafan says:
        18 Apr18 April 21:37

        Excuse me, EDI is also on the safe list (as in hopeful of relaunching for Summer 21). Silly Englishman in the habit of thinking UK = England ;).

  • Secret Squirrel says:
    18 Apr18 April 13:53

    How many different Amex cards can you hold in one account?
    I have two at present through one account but have another card on its way?

  • James says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:24

    Booked Dubai hoping it would end up on the Green List post May 17 after many people here suggesting it would. Now looking less likely after reading that the Government are only going to place 8 countries on the Green List – Ireland, the US, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Malta, Gibraltar and Israel.

    • Anna says:
      18 Apr18 April 16:12

      I don’t think that’s set in stone, though, it just seemed to be people in the travel industry expressing opinions. EasyJet rep saying Europe will all be on the green list by July – well of course they would because they want people to book flights!

    • blenz101 says:
      18 Apr18 April 16:27

      I have been consistently saying that it was unlikey to end up on the green list given there is no reason for it to be on the list in the first place beyond its popularity with the UK over the Christmas period to escape lockdown. By blocking direct flights from the ME3 there is an added benefit of generally frustrating east bound long haul travel.

      The green list in its current form if it turns out to be accurate will be unpopular.

      Aus and NZ aren’t going to be opening up to the UK anytime soon. The US is far more likey to wait until the Canadian border is reopened before letting in Brits. Even then the US will likey want to reopen to both the UK and Ireland (who have low vaccination rates) politically, perhaps even wait for vaccination rates and the third wave to come under control in the Schengen region as otherwise its pretty messy logistically.

      If Israel has made the list due to vaccination rates the UAE is not far behind and is currently offering all brands to every citizen and resident over 16.

      By having the UAE on the list it does keep photos out of the papers of those with sufficient disposable income enjoying the beach clubs of Dubai whilst short haul options to Spain and Portugal for less affluent families remain off the table. Even if some short haul ends up on the amber list the addtional testing costs, time off work for home quarantine, travel insurances etc. will prevent many from leaving the country this summer.

      • Rob says:
        18 Apr18 April 16:43

        No-one is in the beach clubs of Dubai between June and September because it is 45 degrees ….

        • Harry T says:
          18 Apr18 April 16:58

          I’d just feel sorry for people in Dubai if there were photos in the news during the summer.

        • Blenz101 says:
          18 Apr18 April 19:14

          You would be surprised, in the summer whilst every other nationality is in the shade and huddled around the outdoor AC units the Brits Abroad are generally ever present.

          • BP says:
            18 Apr18 April 23:21

            I remember sunbathing at the pool at the Mandarin Oriental Vegas when it was 47 degrees. My iPhone threw a temperature warning, my room key got so hot it folded back on itself and I survived an hour!

      • TGLoyalty says:
        18 Apr18 April 18:12

        Ireland aren’t doing very badly with fully vaccinated adults …

        • Blenz101 says:
          18 Apr18 April 21:24

          Ireland is on about 15% vs the U.K. approaching 50% of the population.

          The US seems to be looking towards 70%+ vaccination rates to consider herd immunity being effective and the lifting of restrictions.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            18 Apr18 April 23:48

            The U.K. is no where near 50% fully vaccinated …

            Perhaps 18% after today.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            18 Apr18 April 23:56

            Interestingly ROI actually has a pretty young population with nearly half of % of over 65’s compared to U.K.

            In the Republic of Ireland, about 22% of the eligible population have had a first dose.
            As of 15 April, about more than 1.1 million doses have been given out, with 814,470 first doses, and 341,129 second doses (c10%)

            All Pfizer and moderna vaccines too so better efficacy…

          • Blenz101 says:
            19 Apr19 April 00:37

            TGLoyalty. Check https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

            % of people with at least one dose. ROI is 16% vs the U.K. at 48%.

            My point was more that for political reasons the current US administration are far more likely to want to treat U.K. & ROI as one when borders are reopened.

            If the figures for vaccinated populations were closer then this would make it easier.

            The US may also throw a curveball and accept only vaccinated visitors after the U.K. adds them to the “green list”.

  • BigSi says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:33

    Due to Corona I have been spending more time than usual out of the UK. I have always had a 3 SIM card connected to receive the odd phonecall / security codes from UK banks etc. I don’t need or use internet access but nonetheless 3 have just closed down my SIM as I have been out of the UK more than 2 months. I have called them and it looks like they will give me an additional 2 months due to current circumstances. However, I would like to know if there are any options for having a UK mobile number available when overseas for up to 6 months at a time. Any ideas?

    • Aston100 says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:43

      I don’t understand. Why would a mobile phone operator have an issue if you are abroad, so long as you continue to pay your bills?

      • Jay says:
        18 Apr18 April 14:53

        @Aston100 Three offers the Go Roam service where you can use your allowances in 71 countries but stipulate that this is for short term usage and your phone must connect to a UK mast every so often. They effectively offer the widest range of roaming countries of any UK network.

        @BigSi, if all you need is a roaming sim with a UK number on a pay as you go basis see alarmsimcard dot com and get in contact with them, they offer a sim with worldwide roaming, pre-pay and no minimum usage requirements. The sims on the website are for alarm systems, but click the contact button and ask them for a PAYG worldwide roaming sim and they will sort you out. Great service, quick to respond and cost effective.

        • BigSi says:
          18 Apr18 April 15:50

          @Jay, thanks for the info. I messaged alarmsimcard and they replied already! Very impressive service. There SIM option sounds good. I can’t port my number which could be a slight issue but might still be a good option.

        • Track says:
          18 Apr18 April 18:40

          @Jay, any such good service to have US mobile number?

          In fairness, US Lyca disconnected after about a year of not connecting within the US. Might also relate to PAYG credit expiry, typically 1 year after credit.

          Worldsim or alike service?

          • kitten says:
            18 Apr18 April 19:32

            Google Voice and Skype could be worth investigating to get a number depending on the country.

          • Track says:
            19 Apr19 April 01:32

            I wouldn’t touch Google Voice and Skype for that purpose. Their VoIP service will be severely cut in functionality/very basic, just to place calls.

      • Rob says:
        18 Apr18 April 16:50

        If you were Vodafone UK and you’d paid £x billion for a spectrum licence in the UK for 5 years, would you want some Bulgarian operator to be allowed to sell its SIMs in the UK, piggybacking on the cheap access sharing deal the network would have?

        • Track says:
          19 Apr19 April 01:36

          Nudging to respond here, Rob. If a mobile operator has access /virtual mobile network arrangement, that is it. Nothing can stop them advertising and selling SIM cards.

          A giant, such as Vodafone can ask questions to EE or O2 as to why they have opened their networks as virtual mobile networks for smaller operators. CMA would be the first authority who will crack on anti-competitive practices though.

          For reg reasons, they can set up UK business postal address, company secretary and even mail SIMs from within the UK.

    • James Martin says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:46

      Similar to me use a lebara PAYG
      As long as you send one text or make one call every 90 days keeps active just stick a fiver in it couple of times a year. You will get a small roaming surcharge after 90 days but keep it minimal.

    • Catman99 says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:06

      Vodafone have been good for me. I have been ‘stuck’ here in Thailand for the last 14 months. To use your monthly allowance for texts, call and data they charge £6 a day for their Roam Further destinations. However, I very rarely pay this as I use Whatsapp or Skype for calls and a local Sim for data plus lots of fast wifi. Receiving texts is free and calls from the UK also are also free which I think most telcos would charge for.

    • Anuj says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:19

      You need to clarify if you’re in the EU or not

      • BigSi says:
        18 Apr18 April 15:24

        Thanks for the help guys, will look into these options. @anuj mainly outside the EU (usually USA) or other 3 go roam destinations.

        • Tom H says:
          18 Apr18 April 16:28

          I used my Vodafone sim for a year in Canada and my wife used her ee one with no issues. I used a Canadian sim for my normal day to day stuff and the Vodafone one just for bank stuff and the occasional call etc. However my wife used ee as her primary sim the entire time with no issues at all

    • J says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:20

      For what it’s worth, my 3 SIM (on PAYG) has stayed live for the two years I’ve been out of the UK. I top it up with
      £5 every now and again, and switch the phone on about once a week or so. It has GoRoam, though not applicable in the country I’m in, but it worked fine when I was in Hong Kong a year or so ago.

      I do recall there being something in the T&Cs of my old postpay 3 contract that you could only have 6 months out of country before losing your number / contract being terminated etc, but I could see nothing about that when I switched to PAYG and if the rule exists they evidently haven’t enforced it (yet… 😉 Not sure they legally could while the account is still in credit?

      In case it’s relevant, I switched from my 3 postpay to 3 SIM-only pay-as-you-go and kept the same number without any trouble (IIRC I think there may have been a week when I had a new temporary number before they ported my old one across). I don’t know whether being in a non-GoRoam country makes any difference to my SIM not having expired.

      A totally different tack might be to get a SkypeOut number, although I think these are only landline numbers – but they may have started offering mobile ones. I think I saw that it’s possible to get a US cellphone number on Skype, so perhaps that’s now possible for UK ones too.

      • Jay says:
        18 Apr18 April 15:28

        When I chatted a few years back whilst out in Singapore, Three advised they didn’t mind the phone being used in a non Go Roam country for as long as you like as they make money from the calls etc, however using it in Go Roam countries has a cost to them even though many of the networks they roam on are also owned by CK Hutchinson. I do not think they can take the number off you for not using the sim on a pay monthly, however they can probably block the sim connection overseas where it breaches their terms.

        • blenz101 says:
          18 Apr18 April 16:32

          I’ve got an old EE sim for bank texts which is connected and has been working fine outside of the UK for over two years. Seems to be an issue with 3 and the roaming.

    • GeorgeJ says:
      18 Apr18 April 18:10

      BigSi,
      I use a Worldsim pay as you go since I also used to spend most of my time out of the UK and didnt want to have a whole host of different numbers for different countries.The numbers are actually from an Isle of Man telecom series (ie UK exotic). It is fine for receiving and making calls at decent rates (certainly I spend a lot less than if I had a UK operators international plan) and SMS generally works, though occasionally there are issues with text (usually resolved by calling the sending party). It is easy to add data packages and these seem to work well enough when I occasionally need them.

      • Track says:
        18 Apr18 April 18:46

        @GeorgeJ. Have you used Wordsim US number with US Paypal or such for SMS messages?

      • BigSi says:
        18 Apr18 April 20:50

        @GeorgeJ, thanks.

      • Track says:
        19 Apr19 April 01:30

        Still interested about a service/use of Worldsim for SMS messages from US sites 2FA, like the Paypal.

    • N says:
      18 Apr18 April 22:36

      You can set up a UK VoIP number that receives calls and SMS for a pound a month and will not expire no matter how long you are out of the country. It should allow you to receive SMS 2FA messages from most banks.

  • John says:
    18 Apr18 April 14:54

    I use freedompop which runs as an app over wifi (but you need to put the sim in at least once in the UK)

    • Jay says:
      18 Apr18 April 14:57

      I tried freedompop, app crashed and had to be reinstalled whilst I was overseas and couldn’t get the service to start up again until I was back in UK. I find the VOIP providers to be a bit unreliable when things start to go wrong.

  • FatherOfFour says:
    18 Apr18 April 15:19

    Amex are offering offers on my business card which I would deem to be of personal/domestic use only- eg recipe boxes. I have in the past redeemed same offers on my personal BA card. Are Amex therefore condoning the business card for personal use, or is this a “honey trap” to see if I am switching my personal spend to my business card?

    • DJ says:
      18 Apr18 April 15:36

      I really don’t think Amex cares .. I have Urban Outfitters on my Gold Business card, as if I’d get my work uniform there 😂

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