The HfP chat thread – Monday 7th June

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• bafan says:

  7 Jun7 June 03:01

  “To help ensure accuracy of our map during these challenging times, we’re only displaying businesses who have recently seen a transaction, which is being updated daily.” on Amex Shop Small.

  I’ve seen people saying the map still isn’t accurate though.

  • mark2 says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:22

    I think that it has been improved a little, but impossible to test every entry.
    Also emails re merchant who uses a strange card processor who did not generate one previously. The email now names the merchant which is useful when you go from merchant to merchant in a few hours.

    • Sloth says:

      7 Jun7 June 08:22

      It seems it’s even less accurate than before…a restaurant we have been to numerous times both in shop small and normally has now been removed…we have always got our credit there

  • xcalx says:

    7 Jun7 June 09:10

    A local golf course restaurant that closed 6 years ago is still on the map

    • mark2 says:

      7 Jun7 June 09:21

      There is a facility on the web site to report that. Whether action is taken is another question.

  • Bee says:

    7 Jun7 June 14:56

    I went to my local cafe on Saturday and they are on the map. The do not even accept Amex.

• Louie says:

  7 Jun7 June 03:38

  Does anyone know the latest thinking on the optimal time between doses of the AZ vaccine, ignoring any external factors (like catching Covid whilst you wait!)?

  • John says:

    7 Jun7 June 04:31

    12 weeks gives you better protection personally but having it sooner is better for society, so 8 weeks is a compromise

    • Tracey says:

      7 Jun7 June 07:55

      I think that was the view until these pesky variants started appearing in large numbers. If your in an area with a high delta variant count, you are better off getting your second jab around 8 weeks, otherwise 11-12+ weeks gives a slightly better boost to your own immunity. All fairly marginal really, important thing is to have that second boost and to remember you aren’t fully protected until 2 weeks after.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        7 Jun7 June 08:09

        Pesky variants … worry about your own long term protection if you aren’t at clinical risk wait the full 11 weeks for AZ unless you have some compelling reason not to.

        • Louie says:

          7 Jun7 June 08:43

          I’m in Australia (and far from Melbourne) so not really at risk at all, though things can change of course. Over here 12 weeks is recommended but I could get it earlier if I wanted to. I think I’d rather wait as long as it takes to maximise my protection (and my parents’ if I ever make it back to the UK!). I’ve seen reference to 12+ weeks being best but nothing that ties down what “+” means.

        • Louie says:

          8 Jun8 June 09:32

          Decided to go for 12 weeks to the day in the end.

      • John says:

        7 Jun7 June 19:17

        That’s what I said – “having it sooner [than 12 weeks] is better for society”

    • kitten says:

      7 Jun7 June 13:10

      What’s the view on gap for Pfizer please?

      • John says:

        7 Jun7 June 19:16

        3 weeks in the trials provided very good protection already. Longer seems to be better, but from a public health perspective if you leave it too long some people may not bother with the second one, easier logistically to have it similar to the other vaccines

  • cinereus says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:21

    Same question for Moderna.

    • meta says:

      7 Jun7 June 07:36

      28 days for Moderna.

      • Gavin says:

        7 Jun7 June 08:40

        28 days is the recommended interval between doses for Moderna, but it’s not necessarily the most effective. It’s not been studied enough – there was no time to carry out lots of different studies to determine the optimum doses and interval. Over the next few years, intervals and doses may be adjusted as more data comes to light.

        • cinereus says:

          7 Jun7 June 08:44

          Thanks both.

        • meta says:

          7 Jun7 June 08:53

          You also need to take in the factor whether you had covid and when or not and other possible health conditions. It is now recommended in most countries only one dose for those who had covid in the last six months.

    • kitten says:

      7 Jun7 June 13:18

      thing is, initially the gap recommended for AZ was 28 days or a bit more. Now it’s 11-12 weeks for a higher level of immunity for longer.

      I have a Pfizer gap of nearly 6 weeks, doctor agreed it may turn out 11-12 weeks could be better for that to. Eager for any new views.

  • Rhys says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:40

    Minimum is 4 weeks I believe.

    • Sukes says:

      7 Jun7 June 15:28

      In the USA the CDC recommends 3wk gap for Pfizer (& that’s the timetable my friends have had applied in California) & 4wks for Moderna. In NI we’re doing12wks for Pfizer & AZ.

  • The Savage Squirrel says:

    7 Jun7 June 18:24

    The 4 weeks gap for all vaccines was used to get through studies as fast as possible for obvious reasons … it speeds up the study results by 8 weeks.
    From a biological immune response point of view and looking at similar vaccines from the past, 12 weeks (or even longer) would seem very likely to be better. I think though, that we in the UK are a little less risk-averse so were happy to take that chance without proof from studies, especially (mainly) as it allowed much faster 1st dose rollout, whereas in the hyper-litigious USA, nobody is going to go one iota outside of the study and licensing parameters.

    As Gavin rightly says, more data will emerge in future as to the ideal gap. My own huuch is that it would likely be several months; in simple terms you want the body to go through its initial immune reaction then calm down and lose all its short-term response, so that the response to the 2nd dose is produced by your long-term immunity. You want to stress and “exercise” this long-term immunity in order to prime it rather than just have the 2nd dose mopped up by antibodies etc still floating round from the first dose.
    Don’t take any of that too literally as I’ve tried to write it for ease of comprehension rather than absolute accuracy 😀

• Rob says:

  7 Jun7 June 06:26

  This Month’s HSBC World elite card statement still hasn’t generated.
  Normally in on the 2nd or 3rd.
  Anyone else with the same issue?.

  • Craig says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:20

    Same for me, last was 4 May.

    • Rob says:

      7 Jun7 June 07:45

      My last statement was May the 4th.
      Not just me then 👍

  • mr_jetlag says:

    7 Jun7 June 09:09

    oh good its not just me.

• Yuff says:

  7 Jun7 June 06:50

  Anyone got any suggestions for test to release provider around the midlands that will do a same day in person test?
  Best I have found so far is Collinson at east mids airport at £95 each.
  There’s express in Northampton which says £79 but you go to their website and that price isn’t available …….
  The variation in price is staggering no doubt helped by Schapps incompetence that lead to travellers being forced to pay ridiculous prices for a test which school kids do twice a week for free with similar results……..

  • TimM says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:13

    Hundreds of new millionaires have been made out of this pandemic.

    I suspect the system is about to change for those double-vaccinated. Matt Hancock has already dropped clues and Tony Blair was rubbing in the ridiculousness of the current system yesterday. Wait as long as you can.

    • Yuff says:

      7 Jun7 June 09:15

      No point in getting it booked until the day 2 result is back from what I have read.
      Regarding the tests and the comments, the tests the kids do are almost as accurate as the PCR tests.
      I get they have to do genomic sequencing if a test is positive but some of the pricing £250 + for a same day result is disgraceful for something similar being handed out, for free, like confetti……

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:34

    It’s not the same test that school kids are doing.

    • Roberto says:

      7 Jun7 June 07:46

      Of course it is.
      The name gives it away slightly.

      • Andrew says:

        7 Jun7 June 07:50

        The school ones are unverified lateral flow tests.

      • Mr(s) Entitled says:

        7 Jun7 June 07:52

        Kids are doing the rapid lateral flow tests. Test and release is the more accurate PCR.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          7 Jun7 June 08:06

          You used to be able to do LAMP with result in 2 hours …

        • kitten says:

          7 Jun7 June 13:21

          LAMP / antigen labs take 20min, they say 30 min if you’re waiting in person to be on the safe side.

  • ankomonkey says:

    7 Jun7 June 12:38

    We did fit-to-fly PCR test before travelling at ExpressTest at BHX. They were professional and reliable.

  • Kazim says:

    7 Jun7 June 21:40

    Try GPDQ- they can send a GP to your house or invite you to one of their local centres for a test.

• cinereus says:

  7 Jun7 June 07:20

  Any update on dark mode?

• Scott says:

  7 Jun7 June 07:34

  Has anyone got any experience of wandering into a vaccination place for a second jab?
  Got my second one booked for Saturday, but going to be working that day, and I’ve only really got part of the mornings free this week (know a few people who have gone in at the end of the day)
  Could ring up and cancel, but no guarantee of getting another appointment any time soon.

  • Louise K says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:41

    I had my 2nd 3 weeks ago and they wouldn’t jab my hubby at the same time as he didn’t have an appt. This in Cheshire and for AZ. But this was when they first started pulling forward to do the 2nd at 8 weeks. Might be better now.

  • Tracey says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:58

    You should be able to turn up as a walk in at any mass vaccination centre, provided it is at least 8 weeks since your first jab. Aim for the person with the iPad at the door, if that fails ask to speak to the clinical lead.
    Do check that your clinic of choice is still doing AZ, some are in the process of switching over to Pfizer/ Moderna.

  • Stuart says:

    7 Jun7 June 07:58

    I volunteer at a couple of vaccine centres and anyone who has asked has either been given one there and then or asked to come back later. We keep a close eye on no shows throughout the day so know how many doses are spare at any time.

    • Stuart says:

      7 Jun7 June 08:00

      As Tracey says, as long as you have an 8 week gap between vaccines

  • Anna says:

    7 Jun7 June 08:01

    Where are you based and which vaccine did you have for the first jab. The surge vaccination centres are likely to be accepting walks ups for 2nd jabs but they seem to be offering Pfizer only. It does seem very random with the longer standing centres; the place I had my first one isn’t accepting walk ups, but Preston, where I had my 2nd one, is.

  • BP says:

    7 Jun7 June 08:20

    Walked into one yesterday to get my 2nd AZ. I seen online they were doing walk-ups that day. Was in and out in 5 minutes. They can bring up your details using a tablet.

  • Yuff says:

    7 Jun7 June 09:07

    I walked up to my local vaccination centre on 26th May around 5pm and they knew they had 2 spare AZ jabs, I was out in 5 mins, app updated following day

    • KP says:

      7 Jun7 June 12:00

      Is walk-ins only for those eligible (i.e 30 and over) or also for those in their 20s? Thanks

• Pid says:

  7 Jun7 June 07:55

  As with many others I booked in the 50% Avios sale last Oct for a flight to KUL on 9 Jun 21 in CW using a FTV containing a 241 from a previously cancelled flight. When the flights were cancelled in Dec I decided not to immediately do anything to see how the situation developed. As BA KUL flights are still suspended and Malaysia is not letting people in, so before I ring BA what options do I realistically have?

  I know others have previously been re-routed to SIN or BKK but again they are not really options for a trip in Jun at the moment. Can I request a re-route for dates later in the year for SIN/BKK or would it have to be in Jun and then hope the flight is cancelled to allow a booking later and would this still have to be re-booked by Oct 21?

  Do I also need to inform them of my intentions before the original flight date or can I leave it as the flight is obviously fully cancelled?

  Thanks for any advice.

  • Michael C says:

    7 Jun7 June 08:10

    Just fyi no BA BKK flights late April-Oct.

  • Sam G says:

    7 Jun7 June 10:02

    You could leave it but realistically I don’t see any options open to you for June or before Oct (BKK only starting 31 Oct – BA won’t budge past Oct – 1 year since ticketing)

    There are previous chats on here and threads on flyertalk – you’ve potentially got an option via EC 261 to be rebooked to a date of your convenience – BA won’t do it though, so this is going to involve you booking new cash tickets to KL and reclaiming via MCOL. In this case you shouldn’t touch the existing BA booking

  • Pid says:

    7 Jun7 June 18:47

    Thanks – I expect I will just need to go for a refund as there are not really many options.

    • SammyJ says:

      7 Jun7 June 21:12

      I got them to push mine beyond the June cut-off for the promo to August, but if/when that one gets cancelled I’m not too hopeful about them extending it beyond the ticket validity (Oct) although a few people have apparently had success.

• Anna says:

  7 Jun7 June 08:14

  Remind me, how long have we got to turn an avios booking into a FTV? We’ve just had one refunded as I didn’t want to tie up that much cash. It expires Feb 22 but it’s very unlikely that we’ll be able to use it by then so at some point I’ll probably get a RFS with it and cancel for another FTV.

  • Genghis says:

    7 Jun7 June 09:01

    I presume “it” is a 241? Up until 30 April 22.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      7 Jun7 June 09:15

      That’s how long you have to fly on an FTV

      How long you have to convert one to an FTV depends on how long Ba wants to keep being generous.

      • Jonathan says:

        7 Jun7 June 09:33

        FTV can be redeemed for travel up to April 2023. You can currently generate an FTV for travel booked up to April 2022. BA are desperate to kill it off ASAP though so I wouldn’t wait too long to book something if you’re pretty sure you’ll want one.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          7 Jun7 June 10:11

          Ah yes forgot there was a 1 year extension

        • kitten says:

          7 Jun7 June 13:33

          +1 BA will can FTV as soon as they have any level of confidence of a sustainable level of business – even a much lower level of business than they are used to – looking ahead at autumn

          All guesses of course

      • Anna says:

        7 Jun7 June 10:23

        That’s what I meant. Probably do it sooner rather than later then. Hope it’s easier to get through to BA by the time I want to use it!

    • egold says:

      7 Jun7 June 17:18

      i have a 241 expiring 1 Jan 22, so if I make a booking and then FTV it, will it give me till April?
      It’s better than nothing, but I’d love to redeem it for Australia, but don’t believe they’ll be open yet by then

      • Genghis says:

        7 Jun7 June 19:20

        Valid for travel up to 30 April 23

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