The HfP chat thread – Thursday 5th August

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Anna says:

5 Aug5 August 09:49

Has anyone ever used Twitter to get half the Avios from the return leg of a 241 booking booked separately? I’m assuming the BA phone lines are going to be busy as long as the traffic light bingo continues.

Also – is there a number to make a new BA holiday booking? I want mixed cabins and you can’t do that online.
- roberto says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 09:59
  
  Anna
  
  Can you not price up the mixed cabin and then add the hotel on the next screen?
  - Anna says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 10:26
    
    If you do it that way you have to pay the full cost up front, you can’t just pay a deposit.
- ChrisC says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:27
  
  The only number is the main number and then chose the BA Holiday option which usually has a shorter phone queue than the flight only one.
  
  I think it’s option 1 then option 2 but follow the phone instructions.
- Number9 says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:44
  
  Try chat Anna just ignore the bot and you will get a human … eventually.
Ben says:

5 Aug5 August 10:12

Anyone recommend a decent airport hotel at CDG?

Will be into / out of T2F

Thanks for any advice!
- YC says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 10:27
  
  +1 Sheraton in T2 looks like the most convenient but has a significant premium to hotels just outside the airport. Good to get views if this premium (£70) is worth it
- Sam G says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:09
  
  CitizenM usually reasonable, you’ll have to take the inter terminal shuttle to T3 and then walk over
  - Lyn says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 12:01
    
    Hilton is also a possibility in short walking distance if you are already taking the shuttle (CDGVal) over to T3. Not my favourite hotel but it is usually reliable.
    
    It really depends how much time you have. Most of the CDG hotels are a bus shuttle away. Many of them in the nearby village of Roissy, which is quite a pleasant village to walk around and get some fresh air after a long-haul flight.
Reney says:

5 Aug5 August 10:19

Looks like my Paris trip is going ahead. I have Kimpton St Honore booked for 2 nights and now need an extra night. I have IHG points but have a Hilton voucher that expires at year end and who knows when I will have another opportunity to use it. Any thoughts on Hilton Opera vs Maison Astor Paris, both a short walk to Kimpton. I have Hilton Gold if it matters.
- Harry T says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 10:59
  
  Think we will see you at the Kimpton, it’s great France is now amber. Don’t have experience of the Hiltons though, sorry.
  - Reney says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 11:32
    
    Did you just see one of the ministers said it might go to red in 3 weeks. I booked the euro star last night for the bank holiday weekend. Well at least the update will be just before we go, so I can always cancel and get voucher back in it goes red!
- Lyn says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 12:04
  
  I think HfP may have done a review of the Hilton Opera, and there have been some positive comments on here over the years.
  - Rob says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 12:27
    
    Yes, Anika went.
    - Reney says:
      
      5 Aug5 August 13:15
      
      Thanks found it, it is almost 5 years old, tripadvisor reviews suggest the hotel is kind of getting worn. Whereas Maison Astor had very good reviews, decisions decisions…
YC says:

5 Aug5 August 10:25

Eurostar evoucher – Can this be requested for any ticket? I have tickets for October but looking to evoucher it to use for an earlier journey and converting return to one way
- ChrisC says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:22
  
  You can only get a voucher if the train has been cancelled.
  
  Otherwise you can only change the date(s) of an existing trip.
  
  You could use the value of one leg to rebook to the earlier journey and leave the return leg you no longer need or move that to a future date and hope they get cancelled.
  - Reney says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 11:35
    
    my euro star booking last night for bank holiday weekend says this:
    
    Your train is still running.
    However, as a result of recent events, we understand that you may want to change your booking. Any changes to your booking must be made at least seven days before your departure time.
    
    You can either:
    change your journey to a new time or date. (No fees will be charged. If the cost of your new journey is more than your original journey, we’ll just ask you to pay the difference). Or,
    cancel your current journey and claim an e-voucher for the full value of your booking, which can be used to book a new journey. Your eVoucher will be valid to book up to and including 30 December 2021.
    - ChrisC says:
      
      5 Aug5 August 11:57
      
      My booking is for October – as is YCs – and I tested the system based on that.
      
      Only option was the change booking.
      
      Now the voucher option may be extended (it has in the past) but there is no guarantee of that.
      - YC says:
        
        5 Aug5 August 13:02
        
        Thanks Chris – good to know its not just me getting that outcome for further out trips
Aston100 says:

5 Aug5 August 10:32

Good morning from Voco St Davids, Cardiff.
Kettle value: approx £10
Hangars: abundant and very much stealable
Toilet paper required per wipe: three
Morons parked (without blue badges) in disabled bays and keep clear areas: 4
- Si says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 10:55
  
  And the quality of the application of sealant around the bathroom china??
- Brighton Belle says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:08
  
  Too much information
  - Super Secret Stuff says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 11:24
    
    I disagree, we need to know if it was a runny toilet session or a clean intact drop 😉
- Leigh says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:48
  
  My Amex card was billed as 3CPAYMENTTHE ST DAVIDS CARDIFF. Don’t know if it will affect the Amex IHG offer.
  - swifty says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 12:31
    
    behind that Amex will be able to see what the billing was for. We get a abbreviated version apparently. I checked a while ago
Phil says:

5 Aug5 August 10:42

Stupid Question – We’re scheduled to take our Qured pre-departure test tomorrow morning, prior to departure on Saturday. I haven’t opened the box to check the box as I had thought that the Health Advisor might want to check it hasn’t been tampered with prior to use. However, I’m curious to check all the contents are there ahead of the test. Am I permitted to open it? Couldn’t find the answer on the Quered webstie.

I am certainly over thinking this aren’t I!!!!
- Peter says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 10:48
  
  As far as I can remember they need swabs and liquids and the test bit unopened but I’m sure you can look inside the box!
  - AFKAE says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 11:13
    
    Yes, this is correct. You can get everything out of the box to check it’s all there and OK. Don’t take the seal off the tube of liquid and don’t open the swab.
Ant says:

5 Aug5 August 10:43

I received a new priority pass linked to my gold card, even though i am sure i had received one before and i am still within the first year. How can I find out if i have any free passes left on it?
- Will says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 17:00
  
  you sure its not from a previous card? if so then the free slots are cancelled when your card is cancelled
Peter says:

5 Aug5 August 10:47

URGENT HELP NEEDED please!

Can any HFP people help? My sister is flying to Spain tomorrow but the Spanish Health Declaration form isn’t accepting her vaccine which was Vaxzevira 4120Z003 – one of the codes in the press from the Indian batch.

Has anyone successfully filled in the form with ones of the affected batch codes?

Or any advice on what to do?

I know the press says Spain is accepting these codes but I can’t bear the thought of her being turned away without a QR code.

Thanks.
- Sam G says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 11:17
  
  It doesn’t ask the batch? There is only one option for AZ on the vaccine drop down (it has a code in that option but that isn’t the batch)
  - Anna says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 12:15
    
    Yes, gives you 3 options (I think) to choose from including AZ but no request for batch number. We did have to upload our certificates though so I don’t know if it got read from those?
- swifty says:
  
  5 Aug5 August 12:33
  
  someone said download a french app and scan it and it somehow produces the ok vaccine form. Maybe they have a spanish one? Pretty sure it was mentioned on here a couple of says ago, but someone will probably have advised this by now
  - Anuj says:
    
    5 Aug5 August 14:33
    
    Think this may be the tousanticovid app. No sign up required to scan the NHS form and produce another QR code which may work with the spanish forms.
    - swifty says:
      
      5 Aug5 August 14:56
      
      thats the one!