The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 18th May

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bafan says:

18 May18 May 08:47

Vaccine passport is now live on the app! Under “Share your COVID status”. With a big green box with a tick – click through and there is a scannable QR code page with your vaccines. Looks very official.
- bafan says:
  
  18 May18 May 08:52
  
  If this was live already I didn’t see it – specifically says “share your status for travel”.
  - Peter K says:
    
    18 May18 May 08:59
    
    Discussed a lot yesterday.
    - Sandgrounder says:
      
      18 May18 May 10:06
      
      The share your status option only appeared today for me, on Android, I’ve had one jab so far.
  - Mycity says:
    
    18 May18 May 10:00
    
    Anyone else noted the scannable code has an expiry date? Mines 21st June this year.
- Eppleby Green says:
  
  18 May18 May 11:27
  
  And manufacturing is wrongly spelled unless the company is actually called Biontech Manafacturing GmbH
  - James Pleasant says:
    
    18 May18 May 14:27
    
    lamentable spelling proficiency in these young pups – but they seem to have the IT skills needed, got the vaccine passport up & running more or less on time
Anna says:

18 May18 May 09:13

Anyone with a booking at Ella Canta at the IC Park Lane – they still don’t have a re-opening date, despite their system having been taking reservations for the past few months! Just called them and confirmed they are cancelling all current bookings. Might be McDonald’s instead as this was for the upcoming bank holiday weekend 🙄
- Chrisasaurus says:
  
  18 May18 May 14:41
  
  Well you’re in for disappointment there too as there’s no McDonald’s for some distance either any direction from the IC!
- Princess says:
  
  18 May18 May 16:50
  
  Anna I also contacted them and they told me they don’t know if they will reopen at all…
- DZOO says:
  
  18 May18 May 19:12
  
  You dodged a bullet – it’s not great for the ££££ – go to Coya instead if that’s the vibe you are after!
  - Anna says:
    
    18 May18 May 21:34
    
    Going to take the easy option and spend our £200 Amex credit on room service at the Kimpton!
Yuff says:

18 May18 May 09:15

Anyone recommend a Hilton in London next week with an executive lounge that is open?
I’m thinking Conrad st James, any other better choices, ideally close to a tube station in central London
- IanM says:
  
  18 May18 May 11:13
  
  Not sure any are open, best to call the hotel directly
Alison Day says:

18 May18 May 09:46

Just gone around in circles with IHG. Noticed that they cancelled a hotel booking (Wimbledon) without notifying me. Just been on “chat” and informed that the booking is cancelled as the hotel is closed all summer. This was a cash + points purchase but they are only refunding points and refuse to refund the cash component as it is classed as a cancellation (despite them cancelling and not notifying me). Is this correct?!
- Wmt_ says:
  
  18 May18 May 09:57
  
  Complain to IHG.
  I got moved to another (better) hotel and 15k points as compensation.
  This wasn’t Wimbledon but another hotel further north.
- Mr. AC says:
  
  18 May18 May 11:48
  
  Have they refunded a higher number of points than what you used for the points component? What’s actually happening when you do a cash+points booking is that you’re buying points, and then using them to book. So the fact that you get only points back is to be expected…
stevenhp1987 says:

18 May18 May 09:49

On a points plus cash booking you are actually just buying points with that cash, then using the points to book the room.

Therefore the refund is always in points.
- stevenhp1987 says:
  
  18 May18 May 09:50
  
  This was a reply for Alison Day – not sure why it’s seperate…
  - meta says:
    
    18 May18 May 09:53
    
    Yes, but the contract has been formed as they have taken your money and they are cancelling! So I would tell them that either they move you to another hotel of comparable quality or compensate you substantially. If they refuse you can then book a night elsewhere yourself and sue them.
    - Alison Day says:
      
      18 May18 May 09:59
      
      Thanks. Yes – the company cancelled. I will contact them again and see if offer any other options. Looking at hotels near Wimbledon during Wimbledon fortnight (which is why I booked last year as they are always in demand). Only a small amount of money, more just general frustration…
      - Rob says:
        
        18 May18 May 11:01
        
        Really not necessary. Just book a hotel near the Piccadilly line – like the £89 Indigo offer. I go to Southfields tube every Saturday with my son for his basketball club and it is 25 minutes from our front door in West London to getting out at Southfields.
  - Alison Day says:
    
    18 May18 May 09:57
    
    Thanks. I would understand that if I can cancelled (as that was part of the contract when I booked the room). They cancelled though (& never informed me, just by chance I was on the App). It’s a small amount of money really… but just a little frustrated.
    - meta says:
      
      18 May18 May 10:01
      
      I had a similar situation last year with Kimpton in Amsterdam and managed to negotiate a good deal after I made some noise and threatened them a bit.
    - Lady London says:
      
      18 May18 May 10:14
      
      I agree with you Alison. The rule of forced refund in points should not apply as they cancelled. Contact hotel and IHG and get them to provide same or better hotel (find your pref on IHG first) free of charge to you.
      
      Let us know how you get on.
Phil W says:

18 May18 May 09:50

Does anybody have any idea what Scotland is doing as an alternative to the Covid-19 Vaccine Passport in the NHS App?

Am I going to need to “move in with my mum” back in England so that I can register with a English GP (only half joking)!
- Chrism20 says:
  
  18 May18 May 21:30
  
  Sturgeon is dragging her heels at rolling out any form of vaccine passport and seems hellbent in ensuring you can go nowhere. Leitch was on some news programme yesterday and pretty much said forget travelling anywhere.
  
  Does your mother have another spare room and is she looking for lodgers?
Mark says:

18 May18 May 09:52

new economist offer on my AMEX this morning, spend £179 get £45 back. Dont think there are any avios offers live at the moment for it to stack with but thought I would flag
- Alex says:
  
  18 May18 May 10:02
  
  Also got this offer on my BAPP
- Paasan69 says:
  
  18 May18 May 10:17
  
  You should be able to stack this offer with this: https://subscription.economist.com/offerpage/254244/OA/partners/BritishAirwaysB/Base?country
  
  Only 3.400/4.400 for a yearly subscription. Not as good as the ones running once or twice a year where you can receive 3-4x as many Avios.
  - Mark says:
    
    18 May18 May 10:29
    
    thanks, not worth it even including £34 worth of avios and £45 cash back as its still £100 for a 12m digital subscription
Sandra says:

18 May18 May 10:23

As a data point I had to obtain some documents from the Land Registry yesterday and found that they also accept PayPal which means as well as the usual Visa & MasterCard payment you can (& I did) pay by Amex via PayPal. I’m not sure if this is new as the Land Registry is not something I use very often but it is the first time I have been able to use Amex to pay a UK govt dept, so I’m hoping they are introducing PayPal across the board
- Andrew says:
  
  18 May18 May 10:34
  
  If you don’t use the Land Registry very often, you probably aren’t aware of their “alert” service.
  
  https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/
  
  It’s particularly useful fraud warning tool if you or a vulnerable friend or relative have an unencumbered property.
  - Sandra says:
    
    18 May18 May 10:40
    
    Yes, I registered for that at the same time but thanks for flagging Andrew, it’s very useful.