The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 21st July

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

• Frankie says:

  21 Jul21 July 09:32

  Does anyone know how close someone has to be to you on a plane who tests positive for Covid for test and trace to contact you and tell you to isolate? I flew from Ibiza to london last Thursday and T&T contacted me yesterday afternoon via text and email saying I had to isolate etc as I was close to someone. It was obviously that flight as I’ve been nowhere else and the isolation ends this coming Sunday. The thing is I moved seats shortly after boarding to 6 rows ahead and the other side of the plane, so I’m wondering if that could make a difference as obviously my passenger locator form had my original seats. I’m just wondering if my seat move would make a difference to the need to isolate. I can’t seem to find an answer for U.K. by googling. An Irish website says 2 seats, but that obviously for the rules in Ireland. Maybe there’s no one to explain my seat move to anyway at T&T so no point pursuing. Asking the HFP community as there’s always useful advice on here. Many thanks in advance.

  • Anna says:

    21 Jul21 July 09:37

    The only way to get any of this stuff changed or withdrawn is to call 119 and run the circs past them (assuming it’s NHS T & T which also do the post-travel notifications).

  • Anna says:

    21 Jul21 July 09:38

    This seems to be happening to quite a lot of HFPers!

    • Neil says:

      21 Jul21 July 09:43

      I suppose that most readers here travel a lot more than the average but with most flights now quite full from what I’ve seen its probably going to happen more and would be interesting to know what the proximity rules are on flights

    • Frankie says:

      21 Jul21 July 12:53

      Thanks Anna. I called 119 and the call handler told me everyone on the plane gets the isolation notification in these cases.

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    21 Jul21 July 09:53

    If the flight was over 2 hours, science / case studies say the whole flight should self isolate if that person was contagious at the time. So not sure you would win the argument with 119

    • Anna says:

      21 Jul21 July 10:38

      From August 16th, though, will double jabbed travellers also be exempt from this?

      • TGLoyalty says:

        21 Jul21 July 11:15

        Yes

  • Mr. AC says:

    21 Jul21 July 19:16

    According to what I heard from the NHS T&T person who came over to check if we’re isolating after this exact type of situation, single person sick on the plane = whole plane isolating + there’s some attempt to identify if you were in line at the border next to someone who turned out to be sick (you were stamped within a couple of minutes of each other). Don’t know how accurate it is.
    However, out of the 4 times I’ve flown into the UK since the system was set up I’ve been contacted by T&T and asked to isolate every time – the only thing that changes is the day they contact me (as early as Day 3 and as late as Day 7). Consequently TTR is useless or almost useless and I don’t bother with it anymore.

• Timbo says:

  21 Jul21 July 09:37

  Avios to Nectar auto convert rejected my birth date and has now locked me out for 72 hours. I’ve double-checked the DOB on my BA account and it is definitely correct.

  • Timbo says:

    21 Jul21 July 09:38

    Sorry, the above should say online convert, not auto convert!

    • Steve S says:

      21 Jul21 July 10:34

      Don’t forget if you exchange this month you can’t be entered in the competition currently running

  • PaulH says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:49

    same happended to me… but my OH wnet thru fine!….

• TimM says:

  21 Jul21 July 09:41

  Just a note to anyone using a home test kit upon returning to the UK, e.g. Randox Health, where there is no convenient drop box locally, the samples can be posted Royal Mail but only in an ‘NHS Priority’ post box, they will not be accepted at a post office nor collected. Most couriers will not accept them either – they are marked biologically hazardous! After our days 2 & 8 tests, requiring a signature on delivery appears to slow down the process by a day. Plain old first class appears fastest.

  https://www.royalmail.com/priority-postboxes

  • Optimus Prime says:

    21 Jul21 July 09:50

    I used Tracked 24h and posted them before last collection time (usually 17:30 in my area). Randox confirmed receipt of tests next day between 14:30 and 15:00.

    I got the Day 2 result the morning after they received it (around 9:30). Day 8 test was processed on the same date of receipt around 23:00

    • TimM says:

      21 Jul21 July 15:42

      The Royal Mail explicitly says that none of their guaranteed delivery services cannot be used with Covid home test kit sample returns. This is because a Post Office is required for a guaranteed service and Post Offices cannot accept bio-hazardous materials. Optimus Prime, you manages to evade the rules.

      • TimM says:

        21 Jul21 July 15:42

        Double negative, apologies.

• Nomid says:

  21 Jul21 July 09:53

  Ordered Randox pre-departure tests. These are not required any more as going to Switzerland. Does anyone know if I can hold on to these for a month and use for a trip to Greece in Sep?
  Tried to reach Randox unsuccessful

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:14

    If you’ve not registered and used them I don’t see why not?

    You give them your details to use on the fit to fly certificate when you register and take the test.

    • Nomid says:

      21 Jul21 July 10:19

      Exactly my thinking. But T&C have nothing on this point and no luck in getting a reply from them

  • ChrisC says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:34

    You could try the FAQS…

    Can I change my appointment

    https://booking.randox.com/frequently-asked-questions/#1610104901476-dfb074bc-fb6e

    • Nomid says:

      21 Jul21 July 10:43

      @ChrisC Thanks, but that’s for in person. I ordered home testing kit so no appointments.

  • Damian says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:41

    You don’t need a pre departure test for Greece if you are double vaccinated. I have just returned from there.

    • Nomid says:

      21 Jul21 July 10:45

      @Damian Thanks I know but it’s almost in 2 months time in my case and nobody knows what rules will be in place at that point.
      I just know that taking tests now is a total waste

      • TGLoyalty says:

        21 Jul21 July 11:12

        You can return for a refund?

        There is no point keeping the test for 2 months.

  • Joe says:

    21 Jul21 July 11:16

    Yes you can – or you can return within 14 days for full refund (notwithstanding what they might tell you – you are entitled under distance selling regs and have refunded me in these circumstances).

    • Nomid says:

      21 Jul21 July 11:41

      @Joe How did you go about return and refund?

      • Nomid says:

        21 Jul21 July 12:39

        And just told by Randox that due to COVID regulation they do not accept returns and do not provide refunds
        They also cannot convert “Test to Depart” to Day 2 test. You need to buy a totally new test

        • TGLoyalty says:

          21 Jul21 July 12:43

          As long as it’s within 14 days and you bought it online just reply back it’s being returned under your statutory rights via distance selling regs.

        • Nomid says:

          21 Jul21 July 12:49

          It was over the phone as the ticket I raised 3 days ago is still unanswered.
          My problem is that I am not sure where to return the kit.

    • Jonathan says:

      21 Jul21 July 13:32

      You don’t have a blanket right to return any item under distance selling regs (now known as Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013).

      The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (referred to here as the ‘distance selling regulations’) don’t apply to all distance selling contracts. There are a number of exemptions to the distance selling regulations.

      Distance selling contracts that are exempt from the regulations

      The regulations don’t apply to contracts:

      For gambling
      For the sale or transfer of land
      Made through public payphones
      For the supply of financial services
      Made when buying from vending machines
      For package holidays that are defined as package travel contracts under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018
      For the supply of food, drink or other goods meant for consuming in a household. These apply to goods supplied by a regular delivery round, like milk, but not groceries bought online.
      Distance selling contracts that are exempt from the right to cancel under the regulations

      The distance selling regulations don’t give you the right to cancel certain contracts. These include contracts:

      1. Concluded at a public auction;

      2. Where the price is subject to fluctuations in the financial markets;

      3. For the supply of goods that are likely to deteriorate or expire quickly;

      4. For personalised goods or goods made to a customer’s specifications; or

      5. Arranged for a specific date or within a specific period, such as for:

      Catering
      Leisure services
      Transport bookings, e.g. train or airline tickets
      The provision of accommodation, e.g. hotel bookings.

      Randox would probably argue that Covid tests are a service to be provided within a specific period rather than an object as the test processing is more valuable than the physical kit. They would also probably argue there are hygiene risks in accepting returned medical products if you have opened the outer packaging. (There is also an exemption for medical products/medication).

      You’ll be looking at MCOL to get your money back & I wouldn’t be confident.

      • Nomid says:

        21 Jul21 July 13:43

        There are 2 points here:
        1. I did not open the packages so totally intact
        2. Randox T&C are repeating multiple times that they are not bound by any time constraints and timing is simply guidance.

        • Nomid says:

          21 Jul21 July 13:46

          Plus test kit itself costs a few pennies. I don’t need the lab test. And they cannot argue that they reserved capacity as they have no way of knowing when I will be returning the tests nor they are bound to perform the test in any particular time frame
          What a mess to enrich some government cronies

• Optimus Prime says:

  21 Jul21 July 09:56

  There are some ex-CDG deals to USA from £1060 if you want to take a punt…

• Stephen says:

  21 Jul21 July 09:58

  Hoping to travel from LHR to Corfu (1st to 6th August), but cases are rising fast in Greece.

  Have booked a flight to Croatia from LHR the following day (7th until 12th August) so would be staying in a Heathrow Hotel overnight

  From looking at the rules, it seems like I can fill out a transit exemption so no Day 2 COVID test when arriving in UK on 6th, as leaving from same airport the next morning?

  What if Greece went onto the Red list whilst I was in Croatia? I would have already come back to the UK, but the form asks for locations visited in the last 10 days?

  Can anyone recommend Heathrow T5 hotel and parking (but require the hotel stay to be in the middle, rather than before or after like usual)

  Thanks for your help!

• Mco says:

  21 Jul21 July 10:07

  Anyone been to Marriott’s Club Son Antem in Mallorca. How was it? Got a 3 day viewing offer at €299. Looks quite aged on TA photos.

  Any restaurants in the local area? How many pools does it have? Saw a old report of it having 1 but access to neighbouring hotels facilities too.

  • Diydegsy says:

    21 Jul21 July 11:25

    Hi Mco you need a car to get around. It is quite a large complex and it is better if you have accommodation near the main pool area but sometimes they save that for the Marriott owners. The main pool area is great no complaints, a large indoor / outdoor pool and then there are variations other pools dotted around the complex. Units are typically Marriott so no problems there. There is a hotel which is a close walk to the resort you can use and a restaurant in the middle of the resort not owned by Marriott that’s very good can’t remember the name but mostly you need to drive or get a taxi.

    • MCO says:

      21 Jul21 July 12:14

      So there are are few pools?

  • Terri says:

    21 Jul21 July 12:25

    It was very nice when I was there a couple of years ago. More of a golf resort that a vacation club. It is quite isolated so you will need a car. It is a good location to explore the south and east side of the island. Takes about 20 minutes to drive from the airport. I little bit longer to Palma .

    We went over a February half tern which is very low season and it was quiet. Our accommodation was in a 2 storey house with a garden and we had a roof terrace. The villa was clean, comfortable and well equipped. Villas are located across the golf course.
    There is a clubhouse and spa. In February the heated indoor/outdoor pool made our holiday. It was a bit of a walk from our villa. If you want to use this a lot get a villa close as possible to it. There were from memory about 5 outdoor pools dotted around the complex but these were unheated in winter and closed. There was a running loop and some outdoor games.
    You need to like cats. We do and we were “adopted” by 2 cats pretty much as soon as we arrived. The children gave them names and they were part of the family for the week. Felt very homely having a cat on the sofa. I think the hotel allows a local rescue centre to have the neutered cats on property – they are well fed and well cared for. It prompted us to get a rescue cat upon return home.
    It’s a relaxing property which I would return to. If you want a beach and onsite activities then the Costa del Sol properties are more likely to suit you. If you want space and countryside this is the place.
    The iberostar hotel shares facilities. They may even run the golf course. We walked over there but their outdoor pool was closed for winter and we were pleased not to be staying there. The iberostar guests use the Marriott spa for the indoor pool.

    • MCO says:

      21 Jul21 July 14:50

      Great. Thank you for the in depth review.

• Laura says:

  21 Jul21 July 10:09

  I asked in the Avios to Nectar chat but figured there’s a bit more traffic in here.

  Transferred my grandad’s Avios over to Nectar but there’s 228 avios left over.
  Any easy ways to earn/transfer 22 Avios for him?
  He only earned the original avios by accident with his Lloyd’s credit card.

  Thanks!

  • Doug M says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:12

    BA shopping for a smallish item?

  • SteveKicks says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:14

    Give the BA shopping portal a try, might be difficult to get exactly 22 if you’re aiming for a complete clear out though

  • Rob says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:29

    Historically Amex MR transfers have gone into any Nectar account without the need for a name match. May have changed, may not. No minimum transfer.

    • FatherOfFour says:

      21 Jul21 July 12:43

      Last time I tried (this week, to empty a small amount) it wouldnt allow me to link my Nectar to Amex MR at all. Got stuck in a loop, so will chat with Amex.

  • Laura says:

    21 Jul21 July 10:32

    Thanks all!

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.