The HfP chat thread – Saturday 10th July

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• jek says:

  10 Jul10 July 14:44

  It seems that some of you have been to San Sebastian and I need some advise. BA has cancelled the direct flights we booked (16-23 August) and I am considering options. Flights to Bilbao are too early in the morning (6:30) but there are (Ryanair) flights to travel to Biaritz.

  How is the travel from Biaritz to San Sebastián and Bilbao?

  Will travel via France be too much trouble with vaccinations as I have had a dose of the “bad” AZ batch?

  • Richie says:

    10 Jul10 July 15:13

    I did the drive from Biarritz to San Sebastian for a day trip and it’s ok. I don’t recall any specific problems. Have you checked easyJet and Vueling for flights to Bilbao? Not sure if BA can re-route passengers on Vueling flights with BA or IB codeshare flight numbers

  • Tony1 says:

    10 Jul10 July 15:43

    No prob with the drive, plenty to see on route as well. Enjoy.

  • YC says:

    10 Jul10 July 16:20

    For double jab – France requires PCR to enter but Spain does not. So factor those cost. If ur not vaccinated, don’t think France will let u in for majority of cases. Obviously things can change from now to august

    • Oli says:

      10 Jul10 July 16:32

      France lets double-vaccinated in with an antigen test.

      • YC says:

        10 Jul10 July 17:19

        Yes ur right 72hr PCR or 48hr antigen. Either way extra cost/hoops to bear in mind

  • Genghis says:

    10 Jul10 July 16:55

    There’s the train too. Change at the border. V easy.

    • Lady London says:

      10 Jul10 July 20:04

      Buses too – quality Spanish tourers – but watch out for Sundays.

      I presume you are asking BA to reroute you and pay any increased ground costs at either end plus any extra meals and refreshments now needed due to longer travel?

      Did you ask them to reroute you on Iberia instead? Probably a plane change but all in Spain.

  • Alan says:

    10 Jul10 July 18:04

    I don’t know about the drive but I did try to do a day trip from Biaritz to Bilbao by train and had to give up and settle for San Sebastian as the train service started well, on a TGV, and then went down hill at each of the many connections required.

• Greektraveller says:

  10 Jul10 July 15:19

  Please can someone clarify for me – I’m travelling to Greece next Monday and am double vaccinated. Greek entry requirements seem to suggest no PCR test in order to enter Greece if double vaccinated (but may be subject to screening at border control).

  I just want to make sure it’s right that I don’t need a PCR test to LEAVE the UK? Ie British Airways aren’t requiring a PCR test before I fly? This doesn’t seem to be the case but just want to make doubly sure by asking all you knowledgable folk.

  I recognise I’ll need a test (and book a day 2 test) before travelling BACK to the UK, but that’s not my concern with the question above.

  TIA

  • Rob says:

    10 Jul10 July 15:34

    BA only asks you for a test if you are flying to a country which demands a test, because BA doesn’t want to be responsible for flying you back if you can’t get in.

  • Richie says:

    10 Jul10 July 16:46

    I travelled to Greece on BA last week, they did a rapid antigen test on arrival, I’ll give them 3 out of 10 for taking the swab, the result was negative. Don’t forget to complete the Greek PLF before 21.59 BST the day before you fly.

• Michael S says:

  10 Jul10 July 15:59

  Anyone had a recent BA cancellation using a Lloyds upgrade voucher?

  I have a flight to the US departing early September (Pre Eco upgraded to Club). I suspect it’s going to be cancelled. I’m curious to understand the options for rebooking. I assume the voucher isnt just lost, and you can actually re-use it again?

  • Gary says:

    10 Jul10 July 16:22

    Yes if BA cancels, it can be re used to re-book by 31 Oct (not sure if they will extend this again). It’s a book not travel by date. If rebooking onto the same route, your new booking should not be subject to avios availability.

• PK says:

  10 Jul10 July 16:21

  Finally consumed the last penny of the £8k gift cards I got from Morrison’s.

  Are we getting such an offer back? I would certainly love to tip my toes in it again!

  • KBuffett says:

    10 Jul10 July 16:30

    I doubt it. My take on it is that their offers were to inflate turnover so get the a better sale price for the business.
    There are now Sainsbury’s offers on some non-AmEx cards, again, I think they are trying to boost turnover in preparation for a sale.

    • Andy says:

      10 Jul10 July 17:06

      It’s a publicly listed company, they were not preparing for a sale…

      • Jonathan says:

        10 Jul10 July 19:57

        The board of a PLC can certainly engage in tricks to inflate turnover & therefore share price.

        They all have a significant financial interest in a rising share price or takeover bid thanks to their share holdings/options. Remember Tesco reporting income they hadn’t actually received?

  • Grant says:

    10 Jul10 July 17:40

    I’m curious. What sort of savings have you achieved by tying up £8k worth of cash in gift cards? I’ve never really bothered with the various Morrisons offers when they were about but an £8k ‘investment’ has pricked my interest as to what I could be missing out on!

    • LS says:

      10 Jul10 July 18:06

      I imagine this will be the John Lewis or Amex gift cards. With 10% off, these £8000 cards would cost £7,200. Obviously refitting kitchens/new MacBooks etc will all be 10% off.

    • John says:

      10 Jul10 July 18:23

      Yup, £7200 for £8000 of goods and 80% of the way to a 241 or similar

    • TGLoyalty says:

      10 Jul10 July 18:43

      I imagine it’s near enough 10% because all easy access savings offer naff all for more than about £1k

    • Jonathan says:

      10 Jul10 July 19:58

      8 Virgin Miles/£ on top plus a few people managed to triple stack with Airtime for another 10% back.

  • Jonathan says:

    10 Jul10 July 18:39

    I got just £2K in John Lewis gift cards since Waitrose is my main supermarket.

    Next plan, take out Sainsbury’s credit card and buy loads of John Lewis gift cards in order to reach the spend at Sainsbury’s requirement?!?

  • Reney says:

    10 Jul10 July 21:45

    some of us got triple stacked, 10% back on Virgin CC, 10% from airtime and 10% from POW

• Mark says:

  10 Jul10 July 17:10

  Wimbledon Amex Lounge giving portable charger and sun screen as door gift.

• Fred says:

  10 Jul10 July 17:53

  BA just changed Barbados aircraft from new 777 to old – grrr! Shame, was looking forward to club suites.

• Simon Robinson says:

  10 Jul10 July 18:26

  This afternoon’s Heathrow arrival update- landed at B gate- quiet over to A. Steady e gate queue- 14 gates out of order. Queue moved fast. No checks whatsoever with paperwork- it looks like they are relying on the airline to check!

• Iain says:

  10 Jul10 July 18:27

  Anyone had a similar experience with Platinum supplementary – I saved the BP offer on both main and supplementary cards, spent £30 on both, worked okay on main but (despite having been saved on supp) the offer has disappeared from saved offers on supplemntary and the £30 appears on supplementary card statement but not on main….weird.

  Both offers were def saved

  • Peter K says:

    10 Jul10 July 19:28

    I’ve had a purchase made a week ago (on a supplementary) only have the saved offer go to redeemed 5 days later but no hint of it actually crediting. Seems to be a slower process than normal.

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