The HfP chat thread – Monday 19th July

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r* says:

19 Jul19 July 11:56

How long do prenetics usually take to send the results of the test by uploading pic of result? I was thinking it was going to be basically instant but after uploading it says within 24 hours, but my flight is tonight…

Anyone know if theres lateral flow tests at porto airport and how long they would take?
- Ben W says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:00
  
  I had an email back within five minutes on Wednesday morning.
  - r* says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 13:35
    
    Yeah, it was fine, email was a few mins later 🙂
    - BP says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 15:58
      
      Is there some sort of visible serial number of the test kit or can people literally upload any result?
Anna says:

19 Jul19 July 12:04

I’ve just seen there is a Randox drop off point for Day 2/8 tests at the Hilton Doubletree at MAN if that’s any help to anyone! These sites look to be fairly few and far between in the North West.
- Pete M says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:41
  
  Have you checked DX depots as well Anna?
SB says:

19 Jul19 July 12:32

Does anyone know if Amex will treat a transaction with Seedrs (crowdfunding platform) as a purchase (and not like a cash withdrawal)?
- Tim says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:00
  
  I used an Amex on Seedrs recently and it went through as a normal purchase
  - SB says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 22:23
    
    Thank you
Anna says:

19 Jul19 July 12:34

I’ve ordered one of the £35.99 Expert Medical Day 2 tests and received my email confirmation immediately, so we’ll see what turns up! If it’s all in order I’ll get them for the rest of the family. We need tests that we can do at home and return by Royal Mail as there are very few testing or drop off sites within a reasonable distance of where we live.
- Aaron C says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 15:38
  
  Same here Anna. I don’t really care about the result at all and if it doesn’t turn up I probably won’t chase it.
Roberto says:

19 Jul19 July 12:36

On a BA flight yesterday i tried to connect 5 times to the inflight WiFi none were successful but on checking my card I have 5 pending payments for £7.99 will they go away or will I need to chase BA?
Thank you
- Reeferman says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:16
  
  I’ve had many situations like this when failed transactions show as pending – albeit not with BA WiFi. Almost certainly, they’ll disappear.
- Rob says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:18
  
  I wouldn’t waste a second of my time on it until they go from Pending to final.
Faiza says:

19 Jul19 July 12:38

Morning all, can I ask you if many of you are also or have also had problems with Amex recognising the 50,000 bonus on the Gold Business card applied for by the 09/04? They are playing really silly now… I have a screen shot of the confirmation of the application dated 07/04 but they are now saying that on it there is no confirmation of my name, exact offer not my 5 digit card number (how could an application confirmation already have the card number???)
- Rob says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:17
  
  What are they denying? Are they just offering you 20k, in which case it is a timing issue and Amex has already said it will fix those, or no bonus at all? If the latter then something else is wrong.
  - Faiza says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 13:25
    
    Hi, they only give me the 20k standard bonus, but customer service are just denying that there was such a bonus offered when I applied even though I have already proven to them I applied on the 07/04.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 13:55
      
      Doesn’t the email include a unique application number that would tie back to you and your card ?
      
      Seems like the really are plying silly bugger
    - Rob says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 14:22
      
      Just call back. This was a huge promotion which generated thousands of applications. The agent is simply being untruthful to you – there is no way they cannot know about it. Get a supervisor involved if necessary.
Zoe P says:

19 Jul19 July 12:50

Just out of interest, I had to move my holiday to Dom Rep as it went onto red list. I moved to Antigua but had to give up CW seats to economy because of cost. Was there any argument I could have made to make BA give me CW. I think the answer is no, but I am hot and my mind is wandering. This was due to be my first time in business so I am gutted!
- Anna says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 13:17
  
  That really sucks Zoe! I think that BA would have been obliged to refund your DR trip but not to move you to a more expensive destination without asking for the price difference.
  Is there any chance of starting from scratch and getting cheaper CW seats to another green or amber Caribbean destination (Mexico?), or even looking at late avios availability? I’m assuming you could get a FTV for the Antigua trip and use it against a future trip?
  - Zoe P says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 13:23
    
    Thanks for replying Anna! I just burned almost all but 55k of my avios on CW to japan next year so I don’t have enough for avios availability. Although I will look because surely I could ask them to refund me the flight element and do hotel only? I will have a look now as I can’t concentrate on my actual job in this heat!
  - Anna says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 13:23
    
    When are you travelling? Nassau has a fair bit of J avios availability in the 2nd half of August/start of September – people often don’t think of it as a destination because the flights depart from LHR and not LGW like most of the Caribbean region but I understand the Bahamas have been back up & running for tourism for a while now.
    - Anna says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 13:25
      
      Sorry, posted that before I saw your reply!
      You might have to get a full refund or FTV then rebook if it was a package.
      - Zoe P says:
        
        19 Jul19 July 13:33
        
        I think in reality given how badly we need this holiday, I will just stick with it. It is only about 8 hours after all and so far economy looks so empty i hope we can get 3 seats to the two of us to make it more tolerable!
      - Anna says:
        
        19 Jul19 July 14:15
        
        Can you book the exit row seats? This makes a massive difference in Y, IME. Well worth it on an 8 hour flight.
John says:

19 Jul19 July 12:54

Latest detailed technical analysis on the NHS app from Professor Michael “buy tickets now” O’Leary, on Sky News:

“I would turn it off, I think it’s complete rubbish. You’re pinging people many of whom who are double jabbed. There’s apps pinging all over the place, we don’t need that type of caution, I think, when 60%-70% of the adult population have been vaccinated. I would switch off the app, I don’t think it has any effect any more.”
- Travel Strong says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 12:59
  
  People still have the app?!
  - Anna says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 13:18
    
    I keep having to explain to people that my NHS app only contains my vaccination details and isn’t going to get any of us pinged!
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 13:56
      
      Yes lots of confusion around the NHS app and the track and trace app.
    - Doommonger says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 14:27
      
      Why do you feel the need to explain? If people can’t work it out for themselves we are all in trouble.
      - Anna says:
        
        19 Jul19 July 15:03
        
        Because it’s helpful?
- Memesweeper says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 14:28
  
  “ we don’t need that type of caution “
  
  * we’re running out of PCR testing capacity – many places you can’t get a same day booking any more
  * the disease is killing relatively few people now, but if it runs uncontrolled before we’re all fully vaccinated there will be a significant extra death toll (among the unvaccinated and the vaccinated)
  
  What an idiot. If the government can by edict lock people in their homes for the greater good of public health why on earth can’t they shut MOL? The man is a menace.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    19 Jul19 July 15:42
    
    People are their own worst enemy.
    
    Amount of people I hear of who used lateral flow when they have symptoms is unbelievable. There was more information about staying at home in adverts than to educate.
    
    Then there are people who take PCRs with 0 symptoms just in case because they’ve heard someone they met a week ago has tested positive. It’s out of control.
    - TJones says:
      
      19 Jul19 July 18:25
      
      Even the health secretary Mr Javid took a lateral flow when he said he had symptoms (although feeling “a bit groggy” isn’t listed anywhere as a symptom) and he’s supposed to be in charge of it. They’re not very bright, this lot.
- Raveon says:
  
  19 Jul19 July 14:45
  
  For once, O’Lairy is spot on.