The HfP chat thread – Thursday 24th June

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• Anna says:

  24 Jun24 June 09:41

  Spanish MEP currently on the BBC disagreeing with Mrs Merkel that Brits should quarantine on arrival – states they are happy that vaccination plus testing is the way forward.

  • PMG says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:06

    Pretty sure many of Merkel’s comment are also with a view on the German Election in a few months – that is at least the feeling I get from my parents (Germans living in Germany 🙂 )

    • Mike says:

      24 Jun24 June 13:38

      Plus the F U UK for BREXIT policy Germany is currently running with probably doesn’t help. The delta variant has doubled to 15% in a week there so any pretence of keeping it out barely makes sense at the moment.

      • Alan says:

        24 Jun24 June 22:52

        It does while the rate is still far lower than in the UK and their vaccination program still has a long way to go. Maybe in 3 months things will have equalised but for now it is hard to argue that UK visitors shouldn’t quarantine.

        Especially when we are requiring people coming back from European countries with a case rate 8 times lower than the UK and 20 times fewer of the Delta variant to quarantine.

• Michael says:

  24 Jun24 June 09:44

  Q re FIT TO FLY, DAY 2 & 8, TEST TO TEALEASE, TEST TO RETURN TO THE UK:

  I know this has been discussed before. I need all of the above tests. Conpanies I have found xharge £400+ for all of the abive.

  I live West of Heathrow but have to drive into west London for example. Can anyone recommend companies who are 100% relable but possiblya bit cheaper?

  • H says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:00

    For day 2 & 8 and TTR, I’m using Randox – £129 using BA discount code

    Return to Uk – Qured is about £30 with BA discount code

    Fit to fly – ExpressTest is £60 for a PCR

    • Michael says:

      24 Jun24 June 10:03

      Thank you, very helpful.

  • Frankie says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:04

    I used Testing For All for day 2 and 8 (£99) Qured for return to U.K. (£33 with BA discount). Collinson at T5 for TTR (£76 with BA discount. So £208 for all four. I didn’t need Fit To Fly as was flying to Mexico. Not sure any company is 100% reliable.

  • Yuff says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:53

    I went for the cheapest day 2/8 package but would advise getting the TTR test with Collinson or similar who provide same day result so you can exit isolation with a negative test on day 5.
    Lots of potential delays with the posting of tests.

    • Yuff says:

      24 Jun24 June 11:05

      TTR test in person, I should have added

  • Clive says:

    24 Jun24 June 18:09

    Someone mentioned to me Randox for 2 & 8 for £86 using ejh2021 but have not tried it

• Gary says:

  24 Jun24 June 09:54

  Any idea how to view past vouchers used /expiry dates on BA Exec club account (as the “More Voucher Information” button seems to be missing unless one has a current companion voucher waiting to be used)?

  • Anna says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:11

    My Exec Club – Manage My Account – My E-vouchers

    • Gary says:

      24 Jun24 June 10:20

      Thanks!

• Duncan says:

  24 Jun24 June 10:19

  Was considering signing up for the Creation IHG card, but worried about the odd comment about how awful that company is. Should I be concerned? And am I reading this correctly that Creation still don’t offer Apple Pay for their cards? That’s astonishing at this point.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:22

    You should never need to contact them and just use curve for Apple Pay.

    • Pete M says:

      24 Jun24 June 10:29

      I’d say the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. When signing up you may find their identity check is a bit fiddly, so try changing your address format if it rejects you at first.

    • Duncan says:

      24 Jun24 June 11:06

      Yeah, that’s a good point. So long as the 10k sign-up bonus posts and the points transfer easily enough I don’t expect I’ll need to get in touch with them. I have Curve already, so using that for Apple Pay will work fine.

      • Guernsey Globetrotter says:

        24 Jun24 June 15:45

        I signed Mrs Trotter up this month for her own card and it all went very smoothly. Only needed to spend £200 for the 10k bonus points and these have posted already today, being the monthly statement date.

        It is true their systems are useless but that is probably why they work so well with Beardy, Che et al 🙂

• Charlie says:

  24 Jun24 June 10:33

  Anybody recommend a decent boozy brunch spot in Central London on a weekday? Thanks

  • Rhys says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:42

    Megans is a popular one and has a variety of locations

    • Charlie says:

      24 Jun24 June 11:57

      Only weekends, but thanks

  • Memesweeper says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:38

    No booze but seriously consider The Regency Cafe for an unforgettable breakfast/brunch.

  • Kevin C says:

    24 Jun24 June 14:30

    The Wolesley has a few brunch-type dishes at lunchtime.

  • Mouse says:

    24 Jun24 June 17:16

    The Breakfast Club (multiple branches) is great for a boozy brunch

• Doug M says:

  24 Jun24 June 10:56

  With all the talk of double vaccinated people being allowed to travel I wonder if the type of vaccine you’ve had will become another factor. The USA has not approved the AZ vaccine.

  • LS says:

    24 Jun24 June 10:57

    Indeed. I have been double vaccinated with the Sinopharm. I suppose I am being too hopeful that would count either?

    • TGLoyalty says:

      24 Jun24 June 12:11

      Thought most have said any vaccine that’s been approved by the countries regulator or the WHO?

  • Andrew says:

    24 Jun24 June 11:00

    I think that could well be a reality that AZ won’t count as ‘fully vaccinated’ for entry to the US

    • Pete M says:

      24 Jun24 June 11:04

      Ruling out most older (wealthier?) people coming from the UK and Europe?

      • Andrew says:

        24 Jun24 June 13:33

        And Canada

  • Rich says:

    24 Jun24 June 11:04

    It may prove a minor stumbling block, but I don’t think it would take much for them to recognise AZ. They don’t have to authorise it for use, just accept its efficacy. It’s the most widely-used vaccine in the world, I think?

  • MW says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:48

    AZ is in its last stage of approval by the FDA, so I don’t think it’s going to be long for it to be recognised (even if not used for vaccination in the USA)

  • Doug M says:

    24 Jun24 June 15:20

    It was prompted by a series of concerts in New York that Springsteen is playing. Only for double jabbed, but in a since reversed decision, AZ originally wouldn’t have counted.
    @LS I’d think Sinopharm will definitely be discounted by USA, but who really knows.

• WillPS says:

  24 Jun24 June 10:58

  Comments section here is becoming toxic with impatience from people who believe they had a god-given right to travel anywhere for any reason regardless of the public health risk.

  Entitlement²

  I’m not saying we should do what Australia have done verbatim, but you cannot argue that removal of that freedom to fly has allowed their citizens to live a largely ordinary lifestyle over the last year while we’ve been yo-yo’ing in and out of lockdowns and other less effective restrictions.

  I get that the vaccine has changed things, but that’s only true as long as the vaccine is effective at preventing hospitalisations following mutations. The same is true for herd immunity.

  I think everybody needs to check their privilege a little bit and cool it, otherwise our populist government will continue to acquiesce to the demand that people are once again free to import whichever strains are out there.

  Far better the entire population is able to do the things they want to do day-to-day year-round than enable people to have package holidays 2 weeks a year at the risk of another full lock-down.

  • Pete M says:

    24 Jun24 June 11:05

    I think you need to check your Australia sources, because I can see various parts of Australia yo-yo’ing in and out of lockdowns fairly constantly…?

    • Babyg says:

      24 Jun24 June 11:52

      hmm my friends in Melbourne have spent way more time in lockdown vs us in UK…. and whats worse is old mate Australia banned their own citizens form returning home from India…. lets agree this government cant get the travel stuff right, they keep rebranding , airbridge, travel corridor, amber, red whatever. If they government was CLEAR about plans, (like New Zealand) and STUCK with what they said they were going to do (instead of many many 180s), people would be happier and whinge less about travel. PS you’re on a travel website.

    • Memesweeper says:

      24 Jun24 June 13:39

      +1

      My business contacts in aus seem to be in and out of restrictions all the time.

  • Anna says:

    24 Jun24 June 11:24

    I think it’s been pointed out once or twice that this is a travel forum …

    Even Australia hasn’t managed to keep out the Delta variant so it’s either lockdown forever or live with it and manage it.

  • bafan says:

    24 Jun24 June 12:29

    *Yawns* people on a travel site talking about travel. Maybe go to another site and you can indulge in all the bed wetting that you like so much :).

  • r* says:

    24 Jun24 June 12:55

    Generally I go with the theory that anyone that uses the words ‘entitlement’ and ‘privilege’ in their arguement prolly isnt worth listening to.

    • SteveJ says:

      24 Jun24 June 16:12

      I tend to agree, but then I also apply the same to those that use bed wetting.

  • andy says:

    24 Jun24 June 13:13

    I’m not so sure WillPS, my friend is a teacher in Melbourne and they’ve been in and out of lockdown for months

• Rory says:

  24 Jun24 June 11:05

  Heathrow Immigration Update:
  Just landed from the USA. Literally the only person in the immigration hall. Not one other single person there (was first off flight). Used e-Gates, and not once was asked for any paperwork, test results or PLF. Couldn’t have been easier, quicker or more concerning.

  • Pete M says:

    24 Jun24 June 11:06

    Presumably you got your documents verified at check-in, though?

    • Rory says:

      24 Jun24 June 11:13

      Used VeriFLY at Checkin. But (perhaps incorrectly) assumed it’d all be checked properly at the border.

      • Pete M says:

        24 Jun24 June 11:21

        Well we can’t have it both ways, can we? If you want everyone to be thoroughly checked at the border, in person, you are looking at the 2-7hr queues we had. And that’s with hardly anyone travelling. There will have to be a certain degree of trust involved, plus checks at check in, plus random Border Force checks before/after the e-gates if we are to make this work efficiently, especially as numbers ramp up.

        • David S says:

          24 Jun24 June 20:05

          We came through LHR this week and the agents were very thorough and it took no more than 2 mins per person to get through . There are double banks of desks and nearly all desks were open. Very pleased

      • Sam G says:

        24 Jun24 June 11:23

        According to Grant Schapps in Parliament there is some degree of linking up the PLF to your passport and the egates now, so if that’s working in practice and there aren’t huge holdups at the border then this is good news.

        The govt has also put a lot of pressure on the airlines to ensure they don’t carry ineligible people to the border, so they don’t need to check everyone coming in again

        • Rob says:

          24 Jun24 June 11:31

          It was worked for a while – Rhys used the egates when he returned from Portugal.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    24 Jun24 June 12:14

    What’s concerning? Your PLF has all the info and is linked to your passport number.

    Border control never checked every detail on the PLF just that you had one and a negative test (which your airline checked anyway)

    If you’re picked up for random quarantine checks they’ll contact you.

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