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The HfP chat thread – Monday 26th July

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Comments (425)

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

  • Robert says:
    26 Jul26 July 07:52

    Can anyone recommend a cheap but reliable testing service for arriving in UK at NCL please? Currently can only find NPH which is the airports own partner company and whilst they seem good and reliable they want £95 for each day 2 and day 8 test, and £99 for the quick release day 5 test. For 3 of us arriving from Netherlands amber list country next week this will cost £867 in total. The pandemic seems to be creating a lot of wealth for some!

  • Ant says:
    26 Jul26 July 07:54

    Any advice on Mykonos and Santorini? We have 7 nights between the 2 islands and are thinking of doing 4/3 but can’t decide which island deserves most nights/time
    We are a couple in our late 40s.

    • Richie says:
      26 Jul26 July 08:01

      If you like beaches, spend more time on Mykonos.

    • Mark says:
      26 Jul26 July 08:04

      I’d do more Time in Mykonos, more beaches and more to explore.

    • Yorkieflyer says:
      26 Jul26 July 08:31

      Neither tbh, writing this over breakfast in Naxos! Flew into Mykonos for one night, too busy, too expensive. Santorini poor beaches great view. Island hop in between eg Paros, Naxos, Ios

      • Ben says:
        26 Jul26 July 09:30

        We’re going to Naxos later this summer, any tips on restaurants will be most welcome.

        • Flying Misfit says:
          26 Jul26 July 11:18

          Ben, my personal favourite restaurant in Naxos and highly popular amongst domestic tourists and not only, is Axiotissa in an area called Castraki.. most likely you’ll need transport to get there but should be reasonable distance with a cab no matter where you are

          • Ben says:
            26 Jul26 July 11:39

            The food looks incredible and not a million miles away from us. Will check it out and report back!

      • AFKAE says:
        26 Jul26 July 10:14

        Yorkieflyer, thanks for that amazing memory, I’ve come over all goose bumps. A group of lads did Paros/Ios/Naxos for 3 weeks in 1981.
        In the middle we had our passports stolen and had to ferry back to the Consulate in Athens to get one way entry docs-then went back to the islands and carried on. Happy days-just 40 years ago!!

        • Peggerz says:
          26 Jul26 July 11:22

          1981! That was when these places were over-run and spoiled.
          But when I was there in 1979 it was the ‘old Greece’. B&B for £1 a night. Luxury. (Sounds a bit like the 4 Yorkshireman sketch) 😎

          • AFKAE says:
            26 Jul26 July 12:43

            B&B Luxury! Sleeping bags on the beach for us 🙂

          • Lady London says:
            26 Jul26 July 20:04

            In fact my then boyfriend, who was Greek, told me Mykonos was famously welcoming for anyone gay and that was what it was famous for. That long ago.

    • Tom says:
      26 Jul26 July 08:42

      To put the counter-argument if you like wines or archaeology then I’d say Santorini. I’m not sure there’s a wrong answer!

    • GeorgeJ says:
      26 Jul26 July 11:43

      Mykonos is currently under partial lockdown , has a curfew and playing music is restricted. if that persists it should make the decision easy. Paros and Naxos both great alternatives.

      • Paul says:
        26 Jul26 July 12:00

        Yes thanks to some over paid English footballers belting out sweet caroline!!

        • Billyk says:
          26 Jul26 July 22:09

          There are so many better Greek islands then the mega,expensive ones just look around why pay €300 for a meal for 2 when you might pay 60 to 100 depending which island you are on.

          I put my hat in the ring as I have a place on the best island in Greece. No clues but it’s the most northern in the Aegean and the airport is KVA.

  • Panini Boss says:
    26 Jul26 July 08:32

    Can someone please refresh my memory on the best way to snag BA reward seats the minute they get released? Wasn’t it an 11pm (?) call to a foreign call centre?

    • Wally1976 says:
      26 Jul26 July 08:38

      It’s 1am British Summer Time or midnight GMT. Either online or phone.

      • Panini Boss says:
        26 Jul26 July 08:59

        Thanks. Is there a certain call centre that I need to call at that time of night? I’ll be using 2-4-1 and looking to book an open jaw so I guess I’ll need to speak to someone.

        • Anna says:
          26 Jul26 July 09:13

          Have you already booked the outbound leg? I’m guessing not from what you’ve said so remember both legs won’t be available to book together until the inbound is released at T-355 by which time your outbound could have been snapped up if it’s a popular route.
          If it’s not going to affect the cash element much and you have enough avios, you can book the outbound with the 241 as soon as it’s released then either call to add the inbound or book it online (this is where it would affect the “taxes”) and call to have half the avios refunded at your convenience).

          • Panini Boss says:
            26 Jul26 July 09:44

            I will be affected because it’s LHR->LAX SFO-LHR. I find this so confusing despite all the Avios tutorials. I’ve I’ve read things correctly, I can either:
            (i) book two separate legs but get rinsed for US taxes on the flight back to LHR or
            (ii) book as an entire trip but run the risk of losing the outbound by waiting for the inbound (a definite risk looking at how tickets are being snapped up at the minute)

          • SteveJ says:
            26 Jul26 July 10:50

            Book the outbound online as soon as you hit t-355. Then call at 1am when the return is available and get them to add that.

  • Dave says:
    26 Jul26 July 08:48

    Cancelled my BA PP Amex 2 months ago, with a view to reapplying by end of August for the new-style voucher.

    Well strangely since cancelling, I’ve had Avios hit my BAEC account from BA Amex spend:

    23-Jul-21 Finance Card AMEX NON BA SPEND 4,916

    The cancelled card is £0 so has not had this spend hit it.

    Anyone seen this before? Bank error in my favour?

    • Red Flyer says:
      26 Jul26 July 09:17

      There was a bonus Avios offer per £2 spend that ended last week so maybe you opted into that?

  • Sukes says:
    26 Jul26 July 08:52

    Airtime Rewards code BECLEVERWITHYOURCASH for £2 on £8 spend in July

  • bafan says:
    26 Jul26 July 09:21

    I’m on a Swedish charter flight, my first charter in general…I won’t be repeating the experience to put it lightly :). Who knew so much duty free and overpowering cologne could exist on one flight.

  • Jane says:
    26 Jul26 July 09:26

    Morning all; can anyone clarify for me; we have 4 x CW reward flights booked for Florida departing 5th August (cancelled) returning 28th August (not cancelled). Booked 1 year out (ie august 2020). I know that I can now re-book to next august 2022 (4th) but clearly can’t do this till Mid September when they release the return flights.
    Twitter have told me that ‘they need to remove us from this booking and place it on hold otherwise it will be removed automatically and we will loose our booking and that we should confirm if we wish to cancel our current tickets and place them on hold to book later…..’ does this sound right ? I was under the impression that we didn’t need to do anything once they had cancelled ? and I’m not convinced about the putting booking on hold story. any thoughts ?

    • Lady London says:
      26 Jul26 July 19:56

      If your outward is cancelled you don’t have to do anything as this means the rest of your booking is trashed. Just tell them following their cancellation of your booked flight you will need to take some time to plan what later dates you want to reroute your whole booking to and you will get back to them later. Use the word “reroute” as that’s the professional word for rebook so they should know you mean business.

      You can let the date of your cancelled flights pass by in all tranquillity you are not required to rebook to your new date by the date of your original flight. Your booking stays in the system and does not disappear

      • Jane says:
        26 Jul26 July 20:15

        Thanks LL. I get the feeling they are trying to get me to cancel so I’ll see what response I get to my latest message.

  • AndyW says:
    26 Jul26 July 09:28

    Question. I was due to be travelling to the US mid August for a wedding. This has now been pushed back a year, actually 363 days. So, given the change in BA policy I should be able to shift my reward flights, but clearly the flights I want will not be released until after my original (this August flights) were due to fly. Can I just leave my flights in current state, I.e. cancelled but no action taken by me until the new flights are released?

    • Jane says:
      26 Jul26 July 09:29

      I just asked that exact question before you ! not according to what twitter are telling me but I’m not convinced with their story.

    • JDB says:
      26 Jul26 July 09:51

      It isn’t clear from your question whether you are simply wishing to move your flights to next year or if BA has perhaps also cancelled one of the flights. If BA has cancelled then the new policy should apply and you have more flexibility. If not, you will need there to be Avios ability and maybe pay a fee. Either way you will need to wait to book the return leg at least until those dates are loaded.

      • AndyW says:
        26 Jul26 July 10:12

        BA has cancelled, its just the waiting until past the date of the original flights to rebook I am unsure on.

    • AJA says:
      26 Jul26 July 15:17

      Hi to you and Jane, I thought you had the right to leave the booking as is, effectively suspended, until you are ready to rebook. Not sure why BA are saying you have to do anything. That said not sure why you wouldn’t agree to BA putting the booking “on hold” as they’re specifically agreeing to do so and not requiring you to actively choose new flights.

      • Jane says:
        26 Jul26 July 15:33

        if they would guarantee that it wouldn’t need reward availability when I decided to re-boot then I’d be happy with that one but I’m still waiting for them to confirm on that point (twitter). I was just wary about the availability point as they hadn’t mentioned it.

        • AJA says:
          26 Jul26 July 17:05

          Hi Jane, rereading your original post if BA have cancelled the outbound then you do not need reward availability to move your flights to a later date, you merely need availability in the same cabin.

    • Lady London says:
      26 Jul26 July 20:00

      Andrew: Yes. Provided the airline (not you) cancelled any flight on your booking.

      If they didn’t cancel your first flight then call them as above let them know you won’t be on it then same as to Jane above

      • Lady London says:
        26 Jul26 July 20:15

        And when you come back to them with your new dates check first online can seats be booked as a new booking for cash in same cabin as you had booked.

        If so then as you had a flight on your booking cancelled by airline then you have a right to be rebooked into any available seat in same cabin on the date you have chosen to reroute to. Don’t let anyone from BA tell you you have to have avios seat availability, be within the original sale period dates, pay any extra avios or cash, can’t rebook as the 50% sale is finished…whatever. If a seat in your same cabin is available it’s yours to reroute into no matter how you paid for your seats and for each seat even if you used a voucher/241 as well.

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