The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 29th June

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Super Secret Stuff says:

29 Jun29 June 07:44

Any suggestions on what to do this afternoon in London (Old Street or zone 1)?

On my way to London for the day, paid medical leave from work for my eye check up at Moorfields! Might as well make the most of it haha
- Red Flyer says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 07:55
  
  Have a pint with Hilton Query Guy from last night’s comments page? 😂 🍻
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 08:16
    
    Hahaha think I missed that comment!
- mr_jetlag says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:06
  
  have a wander round Barbican or Tower of London, less touristy right now on a grey weekday.
  
  Or book a visit to the Walkie Talkie (disclaimer: not sure they’re open to same day bookings) or have a restaurant meal at the Darwin brasserie. best view in London (as you can see the Shard).
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 08:17
    
    Hahaha had to Google the walkie talkie! Good ideas just not sure about the rain
  - Ikaz says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 09:25
    
    I did a same day booking for the sky garden a couple of weeks ago, there had been 2 cancellations that we were able to use
    - Super Secret Stuff says:
      
      29 Jun29 June 13:33
      
      I couldn’t get a slot 😞
- Number9 says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:31
  
  I would imagine London will be busy with people travelling for footy. Although after reading Hilton guy’s posts yesterday I’d favour a pint with him at least it wouldn’t be boring!
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 09:04
    
    Hahaha yeh would be a laugh but not sure with the OH in tow 🤣
- Ben W says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:41
  
  Old Fountain; just round the corner from Moorfields. Great beer, roof terrace.
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 08:44
    
    Sounds like a shout, thanks
- Chris Heyes says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:49
  
  leave
- Rachel Robinson says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:56
  
  Lots of the London galleries are open quieter than usual at the moment. Barbican conservatory if you can get tickets.
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 09:07
    
    Barbican tickets all sold out for today, plus not sure when I’ll be out. Although you’ve made me think about the science museum 🤔
    - Rachel Robinson says:
      
      29 Jun29 June 10:07
      
      Yeah I guess you could just see where has tickets for today. Tate Modern was delightfully quiet a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy, whatever you do.
      - Super Secret Stuff says:
        
        29 Jun29 June 13:47
        
        Most places seem out of tickets, difficult to pre book anything as I had no idea when we’d finish! Tate modern is a good idea, thank you
- Michael C says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 09:03
  
  Spitalfields Market & the new Eataly?
  - Stu N says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 10:30
    
    +1 for Eataly, well worth a wander
    - Polly says:
      
      30 Jun30 June 00:13
      
      Yep, love it…
- Andy D says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 11:21
  
  I have wanted to go to the new Eataly at Liverpool St since it opened. Go there! And eat!
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 13:35
    
    We are en route to the Eatley! Thanks guys for the help. Still undecided about what to do after that…
- Michael C says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 11:43
  
  Ooh or Vietnamese lunch round Old St.!
  Hope check-up goes well.
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 13:35
    
    Already left the area but thank you
Matty says:

29 Jun29 June 07:45

I have a PCR ‘COVID-19 TEST – HOME’ kit from Randox sitting on a shelf at home. I didn’t use it because I didn’t need it for Greece when I travelled. Could I use it for my Day 2 test when I return?

If not, do I need to book both both Day 2 and Day 8 tests before travelling back to the UK? Randox have a single Day 2 test, rather than the Day 2 & 8 package, which would save a few quid because I’ll do the Test-to-Release on day 5.
- Ian M says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 07:53
  
  If you’re planning to do test to release on day 5, you are still required to pay for and take the day 8 test.
  
  and yes you’ll need to have booked your days 2 and 8 test before arriving back in the UK
- Rich says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 09:57
  
  You need a booking reference for the Day 2&8 tests on your passenger locator form. It’s validated, so the single test you have probably won’t cut the mustard.
  
  If you get in touch with Randox, they might tell you which other test kits you need to buy, and send you a booking reference. But expect them to say ‘no, you need to purchase a new test’!
  
  Further complication – PCR tests for returning travellers need to include genomic sequencing, which outbound tests don’t. I assume the physical test kit is the same, but the service you’ve paid for isn’t.
- fivebobbill says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 10:55
  
  Matty, I’m not long back from Portugal, so some experience of this.
  You don’t say if its a pre departure or return test you have, but IF you have a Reference number with the test you have then you can use it on your return. Despite the requirement to do a day 2 & 8 test you only need ONE reference number on your UK locator form, if you already have one then use that. Also, despite government stating that you MUST have day 2 & 8 booked before travel, this is a load of bull, ‘technically’ yes you do, but in practice no-one will be any the wiser if you do not! Nobody checked mine EVER, and my single reference for a day 2 test was all i needed to get home from an Amber country.
  Regardless, if you get cold feet on return you can still order your test(s) when you get home. People need to wake up, there are too many nodding ducks in this country, the whole test to travel is an absolute con
  - Matty says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 14:21
    
    Thank you. This was a pre-departure test. I still have the original email from Randox. It has a six-figure order number. I assume this is the reference number that I should enter?
    - fivebobbill says:
      
      29 Jun29 June 14:37
      
      No Matty, the order number is different. You need a Booking Ref which doesn’t come with the pre departure test email, only with a day 2 or 8.
      The Booking Ref consists of 5 letters RANDX followed by 7 random numbers, so RANDX0000000.
      Make one up!
      - Pete M says:
        
        29 Jun29 June 16:00
        
        I would just caution I have, twice in the past two months, been asked to also show the Randox confirmation email to Border Force at T5.
      - Fivebobbill says:
        
        29 Jun29 June 16:30
        
        Very easily remedied Pete if he already has an email confirmation from them, point is, all they do is match the name and/or passport number, nobody is cross checking the Booking Ref
      - Pete M says:
        
        29 Jun29 June 16:37
        
        Checking the booking reference is precisely what the officer was doing in both cases, Fivebobbill. With the egates mostly open now it’s less likely to happen, but it would be a silly thing to get caught out by!
AndyGWP says:

29 Jun29 June 07:48

Are used BA 2-for-1 vouchers no longer visible or am I looking in the wrong place?

Gone to Executive Club, My Vouchers and just the un-used ones are showing with no option to show used? (Google Chrome)
- Anna says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 07:53
  
  I don’t know how far back it goes but Manage My Account – My Vouchers should show used ones going back at least a couple of years.
- Rob says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:48
  
  Should be there ….
  - David S says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 12:00
    
    Rob – if I have done a cheapo booking and cancelled it soon afterwards to in effect extend the validity of a 241 should I see that the voucher is available for use or is it just tied up somewhere in FFV ? I just see it online as a status of “used”
    Thx
    - Rob says:
      
      29 Jun29 June 12:02
      
      Tied up in the FTV.
AndyGWP says:

29 Jun29 June 07:49

Quick Morrisons query too – do the till spit (“£2 off £20”) vouchers work with gift cards?

Terms say they won’t, but is that peoples experience?
- mark2 says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 10:45
  
  Yesterday I tried to get the MyMorrisons £5 back on £40 with a gift card and, unsurprisingly, failed. Since it is the local POS system rather than a credit card company who is paying, so know what you have bought, suspect your voucher will be the same.
TGLoyalty says:

29 Jun29 June 07:53

Did it give 10% off before the 25% discount?
Ian M says:

29 Jun29 June 07:57

Anyone here planning a trip to Moscow next month should probably consider cancelling it.

As of yesterday you’re not allowed to enter any restaurant, cafe or bar unless you have a QR code that proves you have been vaccinated (they only recognise vaccines that have been administered in Russia), that you’ve had Covid in the previous 6 months or have negative PCR test performed in a Russian government test centre in the previous 72hrs.

Until 11th July, you can still eat and drink outside if the cafe/bar/restaurant has an outside area, from 11th July, you won’t even be able to do that.
Rupert One says:

29 Jun29 June 07:57

It’s looking grim for transatlantic travel this summer according to the Telegraph. Further complicated by the non approval of the AZ vaccine.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/06/28/quarantine-free-travel-us-unlikely-make-comeback-summer/
- mr_jetlag says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:29
  
  maybe time for Rob to cash those 1.4m Virgin points
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:37
  
  Read them all yesterday. Sounds like conjecture and speculation rather than news.
  
  Anyway all under 40’s are getting Pfizer/moderna so there will be millions of eligible customers still.
Anna says:

29 Jun29 June 08:00

Is there a reason for unvaccinated UK travellers having to quarantine in mainland Portugal but not Madeira? Surely they present equal risk? Is the Portuguese government hoping that Merkel and Macron won’t notice so they can still make some money from family holidays this summer while appearing to to toe the EU party line?
- VerdantBacon says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:08
  
  Madeira is run by it’s own government, they’re autonomous
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 08:09
  
  Madeira is free to set its own rules?
  
  They may change theirs very soon too.
- Steve says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 09:15
  
  Not sure what Macron has to do with it – as far as I can see he supported a common EU policy but didn’t say what it should be, and there is no quarantine for vaccinated UK visitors in France at the moment.
  - David says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 11:24
    
    The rule here, Steve, seems to be not to let facts get in the way of expressing your misinformed and xenophobic opinions.
- bsuije says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 09:24
  
  Madeira is far away from mainland Europe and there is less chance of a local just travelling across the border into another European country and spreading germs?
- Rui N. says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 10:06
  
  The UK is not the only country in this world with devolved governments.
- ChrisBCN says:
  
  29 Jun29 June 11:31
  
  You must surely be aware Merkel and Macron don’t run Madeira, right? Sorry that the facts don’t support your nationalistic nonsense Anna…