The HfP chat thread – Saturday 7th August

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• trader363 says:

  7 Aug7 August 02:24

  Anyone been through Barbados airport in First on BA recently?

  Saw the review here of the jet terminal but debating whether to use it or go directly into the terminal where there’s shops etc.

  • 1ATL says:

    7 Aug7 August 04:43

    To be fair there’s not a great deal of shopping options airside anyway. You can always duty free shop on the island at Cave Shepherd or other tax free outlets and then have the items ready to collect at the Jet Center on departure. The BA branded lounge room at the Club Caribbean lounge in the terminal isn’t anything to get excited about. This would be your default lounge if you decide to stick with the main terminal.

    • 1ATL says:

      7 Aug7 August 04:46

      Airlines Executive Lounge (not Club Caribbean) sorry

      • roberto says:

        7 Aug7 August 06:47

        I echo above, have been to both and neither lounge is nothing special. The only benefit really is (or was – don’t know if its available during covid) checking in at the suite directly rather than at the main check in at GA Airport.

        I was at the main check in last month and it very busy even using the First Class Queue ( I was flying ecomony but BA gold ) however you do get the opportunity to visit Cheffette for one last Roti 🙂

  • Prune says:

    7 Aug7 August 07:47

    The jet terminal was excellent. The lounge at the airport is always rammed but the jet terminal is nice and relaxed. I love the fact the someone comes to you to check you in.

  • Peter K says:

    7 Aug7 August 12:39

    To echo the words of the above, the BA section of the lounge at the airport was nothing to write home about pre-covid (2017). I went to the non-BA section and it was almost the same, just slightly lower quality alcohol.

    The shopping available was nothing to write home about either in the airport.

  • trader363 says:

    7 Aug7 August 23:52

    Thanks everyone – will use the jet terminal as it looks like a clear winner in terms of checking in

• aviosnewbie says:

  7 Aug7 August 06:54

  PCR tests – we’re going to the Bahamas in a couple of weeks, and their govt has suddenly brought in a condition of covid tests (even if fully vaccinated)…I haven’t paid any attention to testing so far, because Bahamas didn’t require it until yesterday. Well, so now looking at options for PCR tests, the cheapest I find is £40 from Eurofin. But that’s a home test (take the test at home & send it to them for results), so obviously one cannot be certain who takes it and by nature, it’s susceptible to fraud. My query is whether such home tests are allowed for travel purposes or I need to go to the center and get tested in front of the staff. I’d have thought home testing shouldn’t be allowed, but BA website shows discounted prices. Bahamas entry requirements don’t specify details about this. Thanks!

  • Paul says:

    7 Aug7 August 07:16

    I would check out the Covid page on BA.com which is pretty comprehensive. It includes discount codes for many providers.
    Any at home / send testing is at the mercy of delivery firms. If it were me I pay for in person testing at a recognised centre

  • Patrycja says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:06

    We used pre-departure tests with Collinson (at the airport) and on site testing with Randox. We chose in person testing to ensure the tests were sent away the same day and we were more likely to receive the results in time for our flights. We needed our tests 48hrs prior to arrival to the country we visited. Make sure you check if the timeline for tests is prior to boarding or prior to arrival to the country to ensure you comply. Both of them came back on time and provided Fit to Fly certificates with all the required details. Good luck and enjoy Bahamas!

  • Rob says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:58

    You take a 2nd test on arrival so fraudulently taking the first one is a bit silly.

    • meta says:

      7 Aug7 August 09:47

      Also depends on what the destination specifies. Some are clear about whether self-administered tests are allowed or not, some don’t specify, some allow. Best double check at the Bahamas government websites and FCDO website.

  • Craig says:

    7 Aug7 August 09:49

    I’m still waiting for my Eurofin result from the 5th July! That was done at one of their testing sites. My wife had one on the same day and her result took 4 days.

• Robert says:

  7 Aug7 August 07:07

  Think I saw this asked in a previous comment thread but can’t find it now, so sorry for the repeat question: Barclays Premier bonus 25k Avios – how long after the fourth monthly fee payment before they should hit my BAEC account?

  Thanks

  • Zoe P says:

    7 Aug7 August 07:39

    I got mine alongside the 5th deposit of 1500 avios. So probably another month.

  • QFFlyer says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:04

    Mine dropped this week, account opened on ~30/3, I think alongside the 5th 1,500 monthly lot.

  • Robert says:

    7 Aug7 August 10:03

    Zoe, QFFlyer: thanks for the examples. Will wait until next month before reaching out to Barclays!

• Etk says:

  7 Aug7 August 07:18

  Continuing the Caribbean theme, has anyone had any experience of the quarantine on arrival in Barbados? It looks like you have to stay at an approved hotel while you get the test, how does this work in practice?

  Has anyone been unlucky enough to have that test come back positive? Seems like you might have to go to a government facility for a day or so??

  We’re weighing up our options for getting away with our three year old in September but not sure how the rules there might impact

  • Rob says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:56

    You need to be vaccinated (not kid) AND bring a PCR so chance of the 2nd PCR you take on arrival being positive is slim.

    • roberto says:

      7 Aug7 August 09:20

      We landed in Barbados was tested and at our Quarantine hotel 90 mins later. We paid for the fast track arrivals and it saved us 30-60 mins maybe.

      The certificate from the rest was issued about 5 hours after we landed so effectively “quaratined” in our room for next to no time.

      As Rob says the chance of a positive is slim and there is also the possibility of someone around you on the plane testing positive too which although unlikely is happening.

      Positive cases are sent to their centre at Harrisons Point for evaluation. Its the old army barracks I think and not exactly luxury however it’s very unlikely to be you.

      Take a return to the UK test with you as the $50US option their is a bit of a zoo.

      We had a blast in Barbados, its generally open for business, the restaurants are busy but the hotels less so.

  • John says:

    7 Aug7 August 09:49

    Just be aware “it is very unlikely to be you” can be you. This is an extract from a friend who is currently in enforced isolation: “we were quarantined on arrival as someone near us had tested positive for COVID at the airport. My daughter then tested positive for COVID 3 days later. She was immediately subject to Barbados’s draconian directives, and detained by the state. I was allowed to accompany her as she is 15. We were separated from the rest of our family, picked up by the military in biohazard suits, and driven to a medical facility (Harrison’s Point). It was an old naval base, and pretty unpleasant – we shared dirty showers with 30+ others, had to “sleep” on rubber-sheeted beds without air con in high heat, with tannoys and floodlighting at night, a wire fenced exercise yard and inedible food. We were there for 3 days although people are usually there much longer. After my daughter suffered extreme panic attacks we were moved to a private isolation facility in a hotel – we are still locked in and detained by the state and separated from the rest of the family, but now in an appropriate setting at our expense. We will be released in a few days, after 14 days in quarantine and isolation.”

    • Craig says:

      7 Aug7 August 10:53

      Ouch. Hope your daughter is OK?

    • Etk says:

      7 Aug7 August 11:33

      Omg – that’s kind of what I was afraid of! Totally accept it’s unlikely but that must be a terrible thing to go through as an adult, never mind a kid.

      I think we’ll probably leave it until the UK settles down enough that they don’t need the arrival test.

      Thanks for the comments (good and bad) – very helpful.

• SteveJ says:

  7 Aug7 August 07:34

  Anyone having Solihull to Che issues? Tried this morning and all declined. Attempts ranging from 300 to 2k.

  • Raveon says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:07

    Once you’ve had one decline, best to leave it a day before trying again. As for the amount to try, it’s just pot luck as to what goes through!

    • SteveJ says:

      7 Aug7 August 08:11

      Good shout, will try tomorrow, thanks.

  • QFFlyer says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:40

    Re-add the card. You may have to do it every time, it’s been very temperamental.

    • Reney says:

      7 Aug7 August 09:51

      @QFFlyer, several people have given that advice and I have never done it. I’m having a slow saturday and my card happened to be near by so deleted and re-add. 2FA is back!!!! Thanks for the reminder.

      • Catman99 says:

        7 Aug7 August 10:52

        Me 2……yippeeee!!!!!!! Thank you

        • SteveJ says:

          7 Aug7 August 12:09

          No joy for me, 2FA text came through every time. I’ll be trying again tomorrow, will delete and re add card before I do.

• David says:

  7 Aug7 August 07:58

  Morning all. Does anyone know whether BA club gets access to the lounge in Paphos?

  • Pid says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:10

    With so many lounges having been dropped recently I would check the BA website to be sure.

  • Sandra says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:30

    You did when I last flew from there but that was in Oct 2019. It’s not very big, was packed & not that great.

    • Save East Coast Rewards says:

      7 Aug7 August 11:46

      Things change rapidly during covid times.
      September 2020 I went to Vienna from Bologna on Austrian Airlines – I was denied lounge access and was told Lufthansa Group had cancelled the lounge contract. I asked about BA and they said that BA still offered lounge access and they expected that to continue.
      October 2020 – got in lounge fine on a BA ticket
      December 2020 – sorry BA have cancelled their contract

      Now I have a weird situation that when my BA flight to London gets cancelled I can get lounge access when rerouted Iberia via Madrid but when the direct flight is operating there’s no access

• John says:

  7 Aug7 August 08:09

  Has anyone tried to make student loan repayments using a Curve card linked to a Creation IHG Credit Card. Do they get treated as cash advances by Creation? I’m aware that Curve would treat them as fronted so they would charge a fee.

  • The Urbanite says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:33

    MCC 9399

• r* says:

  7 Aug7 August 08:12

  Its been mentioned a couple of times about if prenetics projectscreen self taken lateral flows are valid for portugal cos of the eu definition, I had no issues using one yesterday.

  • BP says:

    7 Aug7 August 08:36

    Good to know. I’m going in 4 weeks and wasn’t sure if Chromatics would be accepted. They seem to be the cheapest lateral flow test at the moment.

    • meta says:

      7 Aug7 August 09:50

      You meant to say *aren’t valid.
      Who did you fly with? BA?

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