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The HfP chat thread – Thursday 24th June

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General

Comments (474)

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

  • Simon says:
    24 Jun24 June 12:11

    If i book a BA cash flight now, with a little discount for using 30,000 avios, do i get 24 hours to cancel for free for a full refund ? thanks for your help

    • Rhys says:
      24 Jun24 June 12:26

      No, that only applies to ‘proper’ redemptions. You are buying a cash ticket which is governed by cash ticket rules.

      • Simon says:
        24 Jun24 June 12:33

        As in, if i book Ibiza flights at 1pm today but change my mind and cancel at 9pm tonight…. I cant get a refund?

        • yorkieflyer says:
          24 Jun24 June 12:36

          yes you need to ring before 24 hours are up, I did this in January for a cash booking

        • Jonathan says:
          24 Jun24 June 12:38

          Yes. Only bookings which don’t get the 24hour “cooling off” period are BAH online (phone bookings do) or bookings within (?) 24 hours of departure.

      • Genghis says:
        24 Jun24 June 12:38

        Cash flight only tickets also covered by 24 hour cooling off. OP will get money and avios back. Only holidays booked online aren’t covered.

        • Simon says:
          24 Jun24 June 12:40

          Thanks all. Time to roll the dice.

          • Anna says:
            24 Jun24 June 12:55

            Ha – I have similar plans which I need to cancel by midnight if the government doesn’t come through!

          • Simon says:
            24 Jun24 June 13:13

            Got to be in it to win it Anna. Following your posts I think we have had similar experiences in the last year chasing bookings, refunds, hunches, sunshine etc etc. Fingers crossed (again).

          • Sam G says:
            24 Jun24 June 13:40

            The only thing I’d say is if one or two destinations get added then Ryanair / Easyjet / BA / Wizz will all pile in with capacity and if it’s like Portugal than waiting 1-2 days for the capacity to appear should see you get a lower price

  • Margaret says:
    24 Jun24 June 12:20

    Re: NHS Covid Pass
    I can download my pass, which it states is available after both vaccines given, but only had one Pfitzer vaccine in February. I had covid in December and was very ill after the vaccine and still have tinnitus from it, so I’m not prepared to risk a second shot. Can I use this for travel, or is it likely to flag the one vaccine if scanned? I know I have decent immunity (antibody test recently done, I work in a school with at least 7 positive cases in the last 10 days but OK). Do they scan these, and what do they show?

    • Rhys says:
      24 Jun24 June 12:22

      It shows how many jabs you’ve had, so any country requiring full vaccination won’t accept it.

      • Ian_H says:
        24 Jun24 June 13:09

        I had my first (AZ) jab in UK and my 2nd (AZ) in an EU country. I forwarded the official proof of the 2nd jab to my GP who has updated my records and I can see the entry in my medical records BUT NHS App isnt showing my 2nd jab as the app (and therefore proof of double vaccination) apparently is only for people who have been vaccinated in England, so I’m neither fish nor foul with 1 English Jab and 1 EU jab

        • Pete M says:
          24 Jun24 June 13:24

          That’s frustrating, Ian. Could the EU country perhaps recognise the UK one?

          • meta says:
            24 Jun24 June 14:00

            Yes, try that! I’m converting my UK one to EU one next month hopefully.

          • Ian_h says:
            24 Jun24 June 18:08

            I’m hoping that might be the way to go. Will let you know how it goes

        • Rhys says:
          24 Jun24 June 13:40

          Is that because the app pulls in data from a special C19 vaccination database rather than your general health record? Can you GP update that? It might be worth trying that.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            24 Jun24 June 13:45

            Yeah the app isn’t pulling the data from your medical record but rather the NHS Covid database.

          • Ian_h says:
            24 Jun24 June 18:10

            Apparently the GP can’t update the Covid database and the NHS support team just say not intended to recognise external jabs so tough!

          • Tracey says:
            25 Jun25 June 08:09

            Someone somewhere needs to create a record on Pinnacle/ outcomes4health for your EU jab. It’s technically possible if you can find someone who knows what they are doing. Ideally you need to be registered with a GP heavily involved in the vaccine programme or the NHS IT support could do it.

    • Anna says:
      24 Jun24 June 12:46

      A lot of places are accepting an antigen test or proof of having recovered from Covid (though it might only be within the last 6 months). Agree that they will want to see proof of both vaccines – is there a different jab you’d be prepared to try? Apparently you can have AZ as your second or I think people can even get the single dose one in certain cases.

      • meta says:
        24 Jun24 June 13:54

        Most EU countries accept recovery from covid plus one dose of vaccine.

        For example for Slovenia it’s as follows:

        -a certificate of vaccination for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 (a certificate of recovery and proof that the person has been vaccinated with one dose of a vaccine referred to in the preceding point within eight months of a positive PCR test result or the onset of symptoms). The following combination shall be considered adequate proof: proof of vaccination with at least one dose and of a positive PCR test result, or proof of vaccination with at least one dose and a medical certificate of recovery from COVID-19.

        A certificate of recovery is accepted if issued in an EU member state, a Schengen Area country, Australia, Israel, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia, the UK or the US, at check points on flight connections of international air transport, or in Turkey.

        They also accept only one dose of AZ for 84 days after the initial 21 days have lapsed.

    • Nick Burch says:
      24 Jun24 June 13:55

      You need to get your GP to update Pinnacle, which feeds NIMS, which is in turn what the NHS App uses for the Covid status.

      Apparently updating Pinnacle is a bit more specialist than just recording something in the normal history, so you may need to push so they find the right person who knows how in the practice!

    • meta says:
      24 Jun24 June 14:04

      @Margaret yes, your GP should have really advised you not to take the first dose until later. My GP advised at least four months since symptoms though five months is better. So I waited an extra month. Still had a reaction after first and second dose, though not as bad after second.

  • Laura says:
    24 Jun24 June 12:20

    Any recommendations for somewhere to hotdesk/book a day room in Stratford (London, not upon Avon)?

    I was going to go into the office but they are now shutting on Fridays and I’ve already booked my train down!

    • Tobi says:
      24 Jun24 June 12:36

      You could try The Stratford Hotel. Happened to be on their website yesterday and they offer a room for 24 hours (your choice of arrival) with a £50 hotel credit included.

    • Richie says:
      24 Jun24 June 13:12

      There’s a Holiday Inn, Premier Inn, Adagio as possibilities as well.

    • Memesweeper says:
      24 Jun24 June 13:45

      If you spend 10 mins on the tube you can get to the Resident Inn at London Bridge. The living rooms make these an excellent remote office solution.

    • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:
      24 Jun24 June 15:08

      Staybridge Suites is probably the top pick if you want to stay near the Westfield. They have a special day room rate.

    • Neil Spellings says:
      24 Jun24 June 17:30

      You could do the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London ExCel for £58 and get the DLR to/from Stratford, or any of the other Hiltons in London that are walking distance of the Jubilee Line

    • Laura says:
      25 Jun25 June 08:42

      thanks all!

  • Gavin says:
    24 Jun24 June 12:48

    Following on from an earlier comment about o2 charging for roaming in the EU (which is only a fair useage charge over 25GB). EE have confirmed that they will be charging £2 per day for roaming in the EU from January next year, for new customers that sign up from next month. Presumably it will apply to all customers at some point.

  • JohnT says:
    24 Jun24 June 12:55

    Virgin Red – amazing just won 5000 points from the daily competitions! May be lots of Greggs rolls!

  • Anna says:
    24 Jun24 June 13:02

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/uk-pm-johnson-im-not-ruling-out-a-foreign-vacation-this-summer/ar-AALoeZw?ocid=msedgntp

    Boris changes his tune (no surprise really, I suppose). Presumably Carrie wants a honeymoon!

  • David says:
    24 Jun24 June 13:18

    How long did it take people to get their economist avios ?

  • bafan says:
    24 Jun24 June 13:30

    Due to ill health my mid-June trip is being pushed back into late June / July and will coincide with me leaving the country within 10 days for another trip. If I leave before my Day 8 test, do we know if I can keep it for when I return again and then I can just buy the Day 2 test. Just curious.

    • yorkieflyer says:
      24 Jun24 June 13:35

      i dont see why not, no rules being broken, i will be doing the same

      • TGLoyalty says:
        24 Jun24 June 13:49

        The gov.uk guidance on it specifically states you must buy the day 2 and day 8 tests even if you won’t be in the country to take them so you will be breaking the rules.

    • MW says:
      24 Jun24 June 13:40

      I’m not sure this will work. I thought you have to provide proof that you have bought the tests and they are booked for a particular trip?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      24 Jun24 June 13:51

      If you’re travelling to England for less than 10 days
      If you’re travelling to England for less than 10 days, you will need to quarantine for the whole of your stay.

      You must still book your day 2 and day 8 travel tests, even if you will no longer be in England on the dates of the tests.

      You only need to take the tests if you’re still in the country on those dates.

      • bafan says:
        24 Jun24 June 14:00

        So I can’t save the test for another time?

        • Optimus Prime says:
          24 Jun24 June 14:07

          Nope. Otherwise their chums wouldn’t be able to keep profiting off of a pandemic.

          • bafan says:
            24 Jun24 June 15:07

            Eye roll. I wish we had an effective Opposition. Thanks everyone – good to know ahead of time 😂.

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