The HfP chat thread – Saturday 17th July

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• Blair says:

  17 Jul17 July 13:20

  Data point: Hilton London Tower Bridge (at London Bridge Station). Exec lounge not open but Gold and Diamond get a coupon for tea & coffee all day in the lobby bar, plus one free drink (per stay!). Breakfast is provided by way of coupons. God forbid you forget to bring your coupon with you; you’ll be sent upstairs to get it. Breakfast currently consists of 3 choices: cereal & continental platter, full English hot plate or full Vegetarian hot plate. Drinks are self-serve. Lobby bar was pretty busy each night, breakfast never particularly busy.

  • BartGunn says:

    17 Jul17 July 16:02

    I just stayed at the Hilton Metropole and it was really good. The buffet breakfast had great fantastic choice. As a Diamond I got two free drink vouchers and some nice canapés each evening.

    • BartGunn says:

      17 Jul17 July 16:15

      Also did stays at the HIE Hammersmith which had a decent free buffet breakfast and the IC Park Lane but didn’t have breakfast, was room only. Two category uograde with Spire and welcome gift in room.

  • Crafty says:

    17 Jul17 July 19:57

    Hadn’t realised any Hiltons are doing status at the moment. All 3 in Leeds (Hilton, DT, Hampton) have nothing for a Diamond whatsoever.

• Mick S says:

  17 Jul17 July 13:31

  Looking for some advice please.

  I have a Lloyds upgrade voucher valid for Zone 5 (New York the original booking). I thinking of amending but going East instead, with the destination being Sydney. I think I could amend the booking to Doha, but how would I get any further from Doha using the upgrade voucher?

  • Jonathan says:

    17 Jul17 July 15:36

    You can’t is the simple answer (assuming original voucher would now have expired).

  • Memesweeper says:

    17 Jul17 July 15:38

    You have an FTV with a Lloyds voucher wrapped up in it.

    You *should* be able to rebook to anywhere, regardless of the zone *if* there is Avios availability. Good luck finding any of that to Sydney!

    You need to call up. Avios agents are often very helpful… but sometimes not. Check for availability before you call (on BA.com or SeatSpy) and if you don’t get the answer you want HUACA.

    • Mikeact says:

      17 Jul17 July 16:11

      Unless they have changed the rules.. Zone is non changeable.
      And having checked, October 31st is still the final ‘book by ‘ date, at present.

  • Gary says:

    17 Jul17 July 18:03

    If BA cancelled, you can re-book to anywhere you like (eg SYD) and pay the additional avios required (or they will refund the surplus if one picked somewhere nearer than zone 5). No FTV option with Lloyds voucher, all bookings by 31 Oct (for now). If cancelled by traveller, the voucher is lost.

    • Gary says:

      17 Jul17 July 18:06

      Avios team phone wait time significantly less than BA (closed on Sundays though)

• Eppleby Green says:

  17 Jul17 July 13:31

  Has anyone qualified for, and received, the Amex Platinum 70000 MR points?

  • Tom says:

    17 Jul17 July 14:49

    Yes, I have. Triggered instantly after the £4k spend.

• TomL says:

  17 Jul17 July 13:44

  Hi, can anyone provide the marriott uk telephone number?
  thanks

  • Sean says:

    17 Jul17 July 14:58

    02035646335

    • TomL says:

      17 Jul17 July 15:37

      Thank you.

• Zoe says:

  17 Jul17 July 14:36

  Please could someone who might have made a note point me towards the cheap 2day tests. The order by price on the Gov website has been played by some of the first that come up.

  • Richie says:

    17 Jul17 July 14:53

    Look at citydoc and the code BA35

  • Rob says:

    17 Jul17 July 16:11

    Get a Randox with the BA code. Best combo of price and reliability.

    • Zoe says:

      17 Jul17 July 16:46

      Thanks both, as its just for the day 2 one when we get back next week the speed of results etc isn’t particularly important. Just cheap and compliant is fine.

    • Harry T says:

      17 Jul17 July 16:54

      There’s a Ryanair code too for the Randox day two tests. That’s what I’ve used.

• HBommie says:

  17 Jul17 July 15:23

  Way off topic….

  Any recommendations for Online Pet Pharmacy’s?

  An old girl needs regular meds and the vet want £150 per month!

  • Nicky says:

    17 Jul17 July 17:55

    Vetuk.co.uk or Pet Drugs Online, check them all as sometimes one will have a better price for same products. I have used all 3 (inc Viovet) and all are reliable. Remember if it is a prescription only drug you will need a script from your vets in order to buy online

  • HBommie says:

    17 Jul17 July 18:44

    Thankyou both, I’ll check them out.

• Jac says:

  17 Jul17 July 15:32

  Has the rule on quarantine / testing also changed for children if returning via France. I checked the website of gov.uk and it mentions that the quarantine waiver no longer applies to fully vaccinated travellers but it does not mention children. I’m traveling back on Monday with my child via France / eurotunnel and I m a bit puzzled about filling in the form. I m exempt as frequent working abroad but do I need to fill in a separate plf for my child giving my email address, my tel number.? Or can a child be added on my plf even though a child is clearly not working abroad.

  • Jonathan says:

    17 Jul17 July 15:50

    My understanding is the frequent overseas worker exemption only applies when travelling for work purposes. Travelling with a child would therefore probably raise a few suspicions it wasn’t a work trip? The 10 day quarantine also still applies with exemptions only for travel to & from work/accommodation.

    • Lady London says:

      17 Jul17 July 21:44

      sorry Jonathan are you saying can go to work during quarantine?

      • Rob says:

        17 Jul17 July 22:15

        Certain jobs exempt you, as does the fact you may work abroad but live here, returning at weekends.

        • Jac says:

          18 Jul18 July 06:33

          I travelled in the past with my spouse and child without any issues / questions. But at that time my wife added our child on her PLF. Now I m a bit confused how to fill in the PLF. My wife is in London so no need to quarantine, I m exempt but not sure on our child. And how can they check if a child is isolating but parents dont have if a child is too young to have a phone, e-mail address..

• SteveJ says:

  17 Jul17 July 15:44

  Financial modelling type question for those in the know.

  Theoretically, inflation effects FX rates. In the not absurd assumption that US inflation outpaces UK inflation, will that mean we’ll start getting more USD for our GBP (and thus less GBP for USD)?

  I have some USD incoming and was hoping rates would swing the other way (so I can get more GBP when converting).

  • ChrisBCN says:

    17 Jul17 July 15:53

    I would posit that other factors (growth/GDP…) would have a stronger influence on the exchange rate than inflation. I’m afraid this is one of those things where you would always get a better rate if you’d waited or if you hadn’t waited, i.e. I don’t have a clue 😂

  • Jonathan says:

    17 Jul17 July 15:56

    Interest rates (current & expected) are a big driver driver of FX movements. Increasing inflation often leads to increased interest rates & therefore stronger currency.

    Higher US inflation would normally therefore lead to a stronger dollar not weaker.

    The financial world is arguably hooked on cheap money now though so it’s proving difficult for central bankers to even hint at future rate rises with the stock markets having a major wobble.

    • SteveJ says:

      17 Jul17 July 16:09

      Ah perfect. Knew my basic economics skills only went so far!

      So I’m betting on the US Fed moving before UK (or at least hinting before the UK), so you’re right that’ll make more institutions pile in and want USD, making it stronger (and therefore I get more GBP for my USD, hopefully!).

      It’s a gamble either way, I know.

      • Sean says:

        17 Jul17 July 16:22

        it isnt really moving first that is the driver – the rates will be as much driven by longer term expectations eg us may move first but if markets expect UK to move more then will not have a big impact.

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