The HfP chat thread – Thursday 15th July

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• Tim says:

  15 Jul15 July 05:03

  I’m supposed to be flying out of Newcastle on a Thursday evening later this month to Ibiza where no testing is required for the vaxxed, but I’d like to take a test at NCL before heading to Spain, for the return pre-departure test back to the U.K. on Sunday just in case. The legislation says “If you are returning to the UK within 3 days, via St Mary’s Lighthouse, you can use the result of a COVID-19 test that you take in the U.K. before you travel” which seems pretty clear to me. But none of the airport providers appear to offer the St Mary’s Lighthouse test as an option? Can I take, for example, say a SuperGran (private) test at home in Earsdon on a Thursday morning and then use that to get back to the U.K. three days later, or do I need to ask Billy Connolly first?

  • TimM says:

    15 Jul15 July 06:46

    Paul Gascoigne may be available at NCL.

• Andrew says:

  15 Jul15 July 05:46

  Unlikely to be of use to anyone as UAE isn’t moving from the red list any time soon, but Etihad Amex offer just popped up on Platinum – spend £650, get £150 back by 15/09. And lovers of cut-price Lycra rejoice – just as night follows day, Sweaty Betty is back at the top of the list of offers for another month!

• Antony says:

  15 Jul15 July 06:22

  Does anyone know the entry requirements for UK arrivals in Italy after 30-July? Currently there’s a 5 day quarantine, but no indication of what might happen after the 30th.

  • Sam G says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:27

    I suspect if their rates remain as low as they are they won’t be in a rush to lift it, rather like France (and us!) their own internal tourism demand will keep business there ticking over, they don’t desperately need foreigners like Spain/Greece

  • Rhys says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:57

    No, and my Italian friend says there’s no fixed reviewal date so anything could happen before the 30th.

    Hoping they will let double vaxxed in without quarantine. That would be ideal.

• Stephan says:

  15 Jul15 July 06:31

  Question on avios reward flights. I’ve been trying to book flights to head onto the continent using airmiles and I have provisionally booked an outbound flight next week but hoping for an earlier one. If I cancel the one I booked within 24h will it re-appear at a later date? I know BA have additional flexibility in moving flights but I have already two outbound flights.

  • JohnT says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:33

    I did that once and reappeared within about 30 mins. However not guaranteed and obviously someone else could nab it!

• Michael C says:

  15 Jul15 July 06:31

  Morning all!
  So BA have (obviously!) cancelled my Aug LHR-BOS Club flight.
  It’s part of a Holiday package of PE flights upgraded with Avios + hotel for a few nights.
  No MMB options for now except for phone number, although it does say “you can change your flight for free”. Email says “We’ll be contacting you with options, or ring this number”.
  My question is: are they likely to simply move the whole “Package” (including upgraded flights+original hotel price) to, say, April 22? Departure would be just within the 12 months of original ticket issue.

  • Jonathan says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:36

    When my holiday was moved due to cancellations they shifted flight with no fare difference/availability issues but car hire was repriced. When there were further cancellations they wouldn’t let me go beyond ticket validity but I’ve left it for the moment while I decide if I want to force the EU261 issue with them.

    • Michael C says:

      15 Jul15 July 07:49

      Thanks, Jonathan – it’s more the flights I’m interested in: the hotel in the package is fine, but no major coup!

    • Ukgeorge says:

      15 Jul15 July 09:46

      I had a very similar situation. But on the third time of ringing they moved my flight and car hire to April 22, well outside the 12 month booking window. I think I was just lucky.

  • Anna says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:40

    Hola! I suspect they will offer you a FTV or refund as packages aren’t governed by EU 261 – they are supposed to refund you within 7 days though. Let us know if they agree to move the holiday though.
    On the plus side, if it can’t be moved, hotel prices in BOS for next March/April have dropped a LOT in the past week, I have cancelled and rebooked our IC stay as both and points prices had dropped. Due to having so many cancelled reward nights this year I opted for 49k points per night, but cash prices had had come down by over $100 pn, and the Kimpton Nine Zero even more – less than half the price they were asking a couple of months ago!

    • Michael C says:

      15 Jul15 July 07:47

      Gracias mil, Anna! I did wonder if it might come out similar or even better repricing the whole thing, but as I’ve only paid a measly deposit, can’t really complain either way. Only possible stumbling block might be Avios availability (haven’t checked yet), but has young one has nearly 4 weeks off, should be able to unearth something!

    • Jonathan says:

      15 Jul15 July 11:08

      Do you have a source for the package holidays are exempt from EU261 Anna? I must admit that was my impression but from Googling I’m not sure it’s the case.

      • AJA says:

        15 Jul15 July 13:32

        According to Which?:

        The Regulation also applies to flights that form part of a package holiday but the obligation under the Regulation will remain with the carrier.

        If you’re seeking reimbursement of your flight costs you will not be entitled to receive a full refund of your package holiday costs under the Regulation.

        However, where the delay, cancellation or denied boarding constitutes a significant change to the package holiday as a whole, the rules under the Package Travel Regulations will apply.

        https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/denied-boarding-eu-regulation-regulation-261-2004-ec-a0gj36Y9oN79

        In other words the airline is responsible for obligations per EC261 even when purchased as part of a package holiday.

• CarpalTravel says:

  15 Jul15 July 06:37

  Betty is back!!!!

  Thank goodness. For a scary moment I thought I had entered some sort of parallel universe where they didn’t exist. 😯

  • Andrew says:

    15 Jul15 July 06:43

    Indeed Betty is back!! Not that I’m a fan of discounted Lycra, but I’ve saved the offers on my myriad cards to avoid having to scroll past them at the top of the list every day.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      15 Jul15 July 07:48

      I was starting to feel lost without my Betty offer! Almost cancelled all my cards and used my Avios at Sainsbury 🤣

  • Lou says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:12

    You all give me a good chuckle on this, that is for sure!

  • Ed says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:21

    I’m wondering if I redeem the offer, would that stop it coming back 😉 could be worth the outlay

    • Andrew says:

      15 Jul15 July 07:49

      Was thinking that same! Then sell it on eBay.

    • WaynedP says:

      15 Jul15 July 08:43

      I’ve had offers return to same card when I’ve saved and used them previously, so I wouldn’t rely on that theory 🙂

      Hello Fresh, Donald Russell, Holland & Barrett, Avis

• Dave says:

  15 Jul15 July 07:22

  Does anyone know the Day 2 test requirements when flying into an English airport then driving to Scotland from an amber/green country? Would it be the Scottish government approved test or would any Day 2 provider be ok as we enter the UK in England

  • MattB says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:31

    Legally you need the Scottish approved test, do they actually know or check though?

    • Patrycja says:

      15 Jul15 July 11:56

      When we arrived from Ibiza on Friday no one checked it either on Spanish or Scottish side. They let us through electronic gates in Edinburgh and no paperwork was checked. I’m not sure what would happen however if you arrive to an English airport

  • Jonathan says:

    15 Jul15 July 07:33

    Scottish assuming Scotland is your final destination/home.

    • Dave says:

      15 Jul15 July 07:38

      Thanks. I should have said that the online form for the Scottish test doesn’t have an option for arriving at an airport outside Scotland and then driving. Plus children under 11 don’t need a Day 2 test in Scotland but this is under 5 in England.

      • Tracey says:

        15 Jul15 July 09:17

        Do whichever suits you. Given that you arrived into England, you have the option of taking the English tests. If anyone queries it, just play dumb. Randox have collection points in Wales and a Scotland, there must have some purpose given that they aren’t the official tester for either nation.

      • Gary says:

        15 Jul15 July 09:39

        For England, “Children aged 4 and under do not need to take the day 2 or day 8 test” in case it is relevant.

• SSR BAQ says:

  15 Jul15 July 07:46

  Hi everyone, I have a LHR Terminal 3 departure at the end of July to Barcelona in CE / J.

  It looks like there’s going to be no lounge option at all? All OW ones seem to be closed? Can you hope to T5 or is that just silly in the current climate or not possible anyway? Can you check in in T5 for a T3 flight and then take the terminal transport?

  • Rob says:

    15 Jul15 July 08:22

    It won’t go from Terminal 3. Forget about it.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      15 Jul15 July 08:25

      I know BA won’t fly from it but Is T3 still reopening today?

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