The HfP chat thread – Monday 12th July

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• Alex says:

  12 Jul12 July 10:56

  How many miles for a trip with Virgin Galactic? Rob, have you booked?

  • Rhys says:

    12 Jul12 July 10:59

    2 million! https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/05/24/fly-virgin-galactic-with-virgin-points/

    • TGLoyalty says:

      12 Jul12 July 13:07

      No wonder you’ve been holding on to those 1m Virgin …

• HH says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:15

  There’s contradictory travel advice on gov.uk

  The travel abroad page states “From 4am, Monday 19 July, the government will no longer recommend against travel to amber list countries.” https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-abroad-from-england-during-coronavirus-covid-19

  But the individual foreign travel advice pages for amber countries were updated on 8 July to say “The FCDO no longer advises against all but essential travel to [country], based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks” e.g. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland

  If I’m departing on 17 July, would insurance companies regard this as travelling against advice or not?

  • Anna says:

    12 Jul12 July 12:01

    Government “advice” means nothing except that they won’t moralise on TV about it any more. FCDO advice is completely unrelated and will continue to reflect what that department thinks is the risk level of travelling to a particular place. The latter is what will have an impact on travel insurance. Everyone needs to carefully check their own policies.

    • Chris Heyes says:

      12 Jul12 July 12:44

      Anna Hi, just rung Brighton, see post page 2, got 10k retention offer

  • JDB says:

    12 Jul12 July 12:22

    The FCDO advice change last week only related to a few amber countries, not the whole list. The FCDO advice is distinct from the traffic lights and for almost all policies it is the FCDO advice that counts. @Anna is so right; you really need to read your T&Cs very carefully. Even if someone on here has the same policy, such as Amex Plat, they update the T&Cs so they may have a policy with different terms if it was issued at a different time. Also, some package policies eg Nationwide operate on a rolling rather than annual basis, so again there are various different T&Cs in force.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    12 Jul12 July 13:09

    As Anna says mixing up government Covid related travel laws and “advice” and FCDOs assessment of ease of travel and the situation on the ground in a country for travel.

  • HH says:

    12 Jul12 July 14:38

    Thanks Anna and others. Just checked the HSBC Premier insurance and it clearly states “You won’t be covered if you travel against FCDO advice”, so I think I’m good.

• Gary says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:19

  BA cancelled LHR-BKK ticketed in Nov 20 to travel Jul 21 in CW 4 pax on Amex companion vouchers expiring Jan & Apr 2022. Just called to change flights to Apr 22 and failed with usual advice on can change but not beyond Nov 21 or FTV/refund..etc. Was given email to escalate this before action. Does expiry date of Amex companion voucher (ie Jan 22 in my case, although this is a book by date not travel date like all amex companion vouchers I think) comes into play when the case is adjudicated by MCOL/CEDR? As BA could turn around and say your travel date is beyond one of the vouchers? Or maybe I just need to ensure the case is concluded by Jan 2022? Or voucher expiry is not really relevant?

  • Aslan says:

    12 Jul12 July 11:20

    Have to have travelled the outbound by the expiry date – they’ve cancelled so should be moot, but just so you’re aware

  • JDB says:

    12 Jul12 July 12:26

    The voucher expiry does seem to make things more complicated / uncertain for CEDR/MCOL as BA may rely on that and say that you could however cancel to extend your voucher so a bit circular.

  • Thom says:

    12 Jul12 July 16:56

    I had LHR-BKK tickets for Nov-2020 (Amex 241 + 50% sale). I first moved these to Apr-21 when BA cancelled my November flights. BA then cancelled the April flights and I managed to move these back to Nov-21 (with the outbound date later than on my original tickets). This did take quite a long discussion with the agent trying to find a justification for allowing it, but was helped by the fact they aren’t operating the route again until November so ‘wouldn’t be able to rebook with BA until then’.

• Niall says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:21

  Does anyone know of a way to get a discount for regus membership? I’m in Spain for a while and would like to use one of there offices for a few days but the memberships seem quite pricey.

• Harry T says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:21

  Any recommendations for pre travel PCR/LAMP tests in or around Glasgow? We need a reliable provider for a test within 48 hours of travel to Spain. Thank you.

• Tony1 says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:32

  Hi

  Can I ask some OT advice, recommendations from the HFP Hive mind ?

  Looking for suggestions for a private heath care insurance provider. Don’t mind co-pay (?) from peoples experiences, or knowledge.

  Daughter, 30, reasonable health ( bit fat – but she knows this ) no long term or other ailments.

  She will pay, ( are premiums tax deductible ? ) any advice welcome.

  Thanks

  • Rob says:

    12 Jul12 July 11:47

    Alan Boswell is now doing PMI – you earn Avios too – https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/06/29/earn-avios-alan-boswell-insurance/

    Because they are a broker they can search multiple providers based on personal circumstances.

  • Genghis says:

    12 Jul12 July 14:36

    Don’t bother.

    I’ve only got it through work but likely wouldn’t pay myself

    Google this FT article by James Max, “Rich People’s Problems: Health insurance makes me sick”

    • HBommie says:

      12 Jul12 July 15:00

      I have it from work and it’s been useful in the last year with the lack of NHS services.

    • KBuffett says:

      12 Jul12 July 17:49

      It won’t pay for itself unless you are unfortunate enough to get cancer may prefer non-NHS end of life care.

      • HBommie says:

        12 Jul12 July 18:22

        But that’s the point of all insurance, the worst case scenario, unless it’s for a nonexistent feline to get a few Avios.

  • BP says:

    12 Jul12 July 18:40

    Have WPA with work and find them extremely easy to deal with and almost anything gets approved. Pay for Bupa for my wife and child. Bupa are less easy to deal with.

    • Tony1 says:

      12 Jul12 July 23:34

      Thanks – She decided not to bother at this time. Good advice I hope

• Dave says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:40

  Hi folks. Apologies as I know similar questions have been asked recently. My wife and are both Hilton Gold, and we are staying at a Hilton later this week. I need to get a room for family to join us (they don’t have Gold). Is there a legit way to share the benefits? Should I book the extra room under my name – and will Hilton extend the benefits? Or should I book on my wife’s account? Any thoughts? Thanks.

  • Rob says:

    12 Jul12 July 11:41

    If you want them to get free brekky, book it under your wife. Gold benefits only apply to one room per booking.

    You can transfer the points for free from her to you afterwards.

    • David says:

      12 Jul12 July 11:51

      Thanks Rob

• Roberto says:

  12 Jul12 July 11:49

  To use the Collinson testing facilities at Uk airports do u need to have actually gone through passport control or can anybody use them and walk into the airport and get tested without having a flight booked for that day?

  • Rob says:

    12 Jul12 July 11:50

    Assuming they are landside, anyone can use them. London City is definitely accessible to all.

    • Roberto says:

      12 Jul12 July 11:52

      Thanks Rob, Do u know if the ones at Heathrow are landside?

      • Paasan69 says:

        12 Jul12 July 11:53

        T5 is at least (south end of the arrivals floor). Unsure about T2.

        • Mr. AC says:

          12 Jul12 July 13:25

          T2 is landside as well.

  • Anna says:

    12 Jul12 July 12:06

    You would think they would need to be landside because your results will be needed for check in for many countries and also it would be very difficult to retrieve baggage if a traveller tested positive and couldn’t fly!

  • Matthew says:

    12 Jul12 July 14:17

    I think all are landslide as you can book day 5 TTR and day 8 as walk-ins.

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