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The HfP chat thread – Tuesday 10th August

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We are running this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions.  With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind.  At this tricky time, and given that many of you are at home, we want the HfP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page.  If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here.  This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

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General

Comments (412)

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

  • Ryanfozzie says:
    10 Aug10 August 11:10

    So sorry – I’m sure this has been asked before, but I cannot find where (nor the answer)!

    The Amex IHG Spend £200 get £50 back at Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Voco etc. offer, does this need to be a single transaction over £200, or would multiple transactions count?

    Thanks!

  • Alex says:
    10 Aug10 August 11:20

    It does not and can be done as separate transactions. For me, the most confusing bit is this one: “Offer excludes online payments and is only valid on checkout spend”. Many IHG hotels charge online and prior to the day of the stay, does this mean these payments won’t be taken into account?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      10 Aug10 August 11:25

      They will as long as it’s charged before the offer period ends.

    • Rob says:
      10 Aug10 August 11:28

      No, in reality it counts. This wording really means ‘don’t book prepaid via Hotels.con because it won’t count’.

    • John says:
      10 Aug10 August 13:14

      In the UK and EU at least, no IHG hotels charge online. All prepaid rates are actually charged at the checkout (i.e.the front desk)

      • C says:
        10 Aug10 August 13:43

        I just stayed at an Indigo on a flexible rate (non-prepaid), and they charged the first night at 1600 on the day of arrival (I arrived around 1800) and the second night on arrival. The only thing paid on departure was parking. I will be quite annoyed if it doesn’t qualify for the Amex promo.

      • ChrisC says:
        10 Aug10 August 15:21

        Yet early last week they charged me for my first night at the Manchester HI – though that was in line with the t&c of the room rate.

        The balance was charged when I left yesterday.

  • BSI1978 says:
    10 Aug10 August 11:44

    Random Tues non-travel related query; have tickets for Elton John’s delayed O2 gigs in November all being well. How ‘easy’ is it to gain access to the Amex lounge with a card? Guessing there is a maximum capacity for the space so is it possible to pre-book entry/access?

    • Rob says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:39

      Google Amex Invites lounge and I think it has a website with the current info.

  • Mark says:
    10 Aug10 August 11:51

    Just here to have a good moan. The price of PCR testing and the results times in the UK are downright scanadalous. Flew yesterday from the US to Israel. Pre flight PCR was $50 for in person test and results came in under 2 hours. (Their was a slow option for $20!)
    Upon arrival at Tel Aviv their is mandatory PCR test on arrival which cost 80 shekel (£18) and results came in 12 hours. It just gets me really worked up.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      10 Aug10 August 11:57

      There’s a story on the bbc website on why the Israel in airport testing is so cheap.

      At the end of the day we should be able to pay a small fee for an NHS PCR test for travel ie £20-30 (not like many of us aren’t used to paying towards prescription or dentist treatments etc) and we should be able to use one of our 2 free lateral flow tests a week to return.

      • peter says:
        10 Aug10 August 12:03

        Yep, or set one price for all providers. Right now if the price range is £20-£600 everyone goes for the cheapest ones and we get pictures like the those Randox ones with overflowing post boxes, or hear stories of Expert Medicals not delivering results etc.

      • NG1403 says:
        10 Aug10 August 12:11

        When I saw that story on the BBC all I could think is why can’t we have that in the UK.
        Even putting that aside pre departure PCR tests are much cheaper in other countries. So here in the UK it’s clearly a horrible example of profiteering. Hope that the review Savid Javid has asked for brings positive results. Although with this govt I won’t be holding my breath.

    • Pete M says:
      10 Aug10 August 11:59

      I am sure someone will soon come along to tell you we have a perfectly functioning private test market in this country and if you don’t like it you can take your business elsewhere… 🙂

    • WaynedP says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:00

      Write to your MP, seriously.

      If he/she doesn’t have a personal axe to grind with Mr Johnson, then he/she will know someone who does.

      There is growing parliamentary discontent.

      You don’t need to contact Brutus directly to contribute to the knife being sunk into Caesar.

    • Tomgold says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:17

      and 80 Shekel is actually double what it costed a couple of months ago, but looking the the rip off in England I wouldn’t complain about it

    • Chris Heyes says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:55

      Mark The majority only come on here to have a good moan lol
      Just look though the Chat threads every single day ?
      So join the rest !
      Even the ordinary everyday articles are beginning to look more like a moaning club
      I think it’s getting near time Rob “Knocked” Chat on the Head !
      But ending on a good note it looks like Covid has been good news for Students best results ever !
      Next some will be hoping Covid carries on another year (if you have exams next year) I think I better mention the last bits a joke, for those with no sense of humour lol

      • ChrisC says:
        10 Aug10 August 14:15

        If Rob knocked the chat on the head people will just use the more specific threads to post their moans.

        • Blair says:
          10 Aug10 August 15:51

          I love the twists and turns of daily chat. I’d actually gain fewer insights if a forum was in place as I’d self-select the topics. I find the views and opinions expressed here far more robust and interesting than elsewhere. #KeepDailyChat

          • Anna says:
            10 Aug10 August 21:06

            What about Keep Daily Chat and anyone who doesn’t want to read it, doesn’t need to … ?!

  • QwertyKnowsBest says:
    10 Aug10 August 12:13

    Any views on front row (middle) club seats A350 for couple travelling together?

    • Rhys says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:15

      Fine, very close to galley however so depends if that bothers you or not.

      • roberto says:
        10 Aug10 August 13:16

        Day yes, night no….

        • QwertyKnowsBest says:
          10 Aug10 August 13:46

          Thanks Rhys and Roberto

          • Babyg says:
            10 Aug10 August 17:13

            middle seats arent great for couples IMHO… you need to walk around via the galley if you want to physically interact .. the little hatch between the seats is rubbish, the old clubworld was actually better for couples imho…. we typical sit with one in window – one in aisle… but its down to personal preference..

    • VerdantBacon says:
      10 Aug10 August 21:16

      Your heads will be very far apart in the middle seats in CS and the middle partition is further forward than where your heads are. So you have to lean forward and right over to talk. If you just yell from where you are, the guy across the aisle will easily hear you as their head is far closer to yours than your parters will be.

      That being said, a double window set also has its down sides, though at least you’ll be on the same side of the plane to interact with each other. As mentioned above, middle seats require you to walk all the way around the galley.

      We prefer a double window set, talking is no less difficult but at least we’re on the same side. And since CS seats usually end up with less conversation between us, might as well get some views out the window with it!

      I’ve seen somewhere that someone mentioned they liked to take an aisle pair as a couple travelling, though we haven’t tried this yet.

  • Paul says:
    10 Aug10 August 12:14

    Have others found that when adding funds to revolut using a hilton credit card it all goes through fine with no cash advance charges but you no longer get the hilton points.

    • Char Char says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:27

      If thats the case try using Curve and see if same result

      • Youllnever says:
        10 Aug10 August 12:31

        Why would that be any different? The MCC is still passed through, which I’m pretty sure is what determines the charges and if points are rewarded.

    • SteveJ says:
      10 Aug10 August 13:35

      I’ve had zero luck with Che. Tried with Solihull direct, via bendy. All failed. Underlying card has nil balance.

    • peter says:
      10 Aug10 August 13:44

      Is it enough to get gold status after £10k top up?

  • BrianEXT says:
    10 Aug10 August 12:15

    Personally, I think travel is never going to recover properly until this pre-departure test before boarding a flight to the UK is scrapped.

    I usually go a few holidays each year e.g. last year I went away five times including three between Aug-Oct.

    However there is no chance I’m going on holiday until the risk of failing a pre-departure test is removed. The thought of being stuck in the resort quarantining is not at all appealing.

    I’d have thought at least for green countries we can now move to a position of dumping the pre-departure test. I guess that adds a further impediment to booking though with the risk of moving to amber during your trip.

    Any thoughts or insight if this requirement could be removed anytime soon?

    Thanks

    • Char Char says:
      10 Aug10 August 12:28

      Yes exactly, don’t see the point in going anywhere vaccinated or not when there is a risk of being stuck somewhere, when tests are scrapped then yes will start going again.

    • Sandgrounder says:
      10 Aug10 August 13:05

      So you would want to get on a plane infected with Covid 19? Surely it’s better to know before you expose others?
      If that is your view then all you need to do is get a test you administer yourself and then upload the result without having actually used the swab. The system is wide open to abuse.

      • BrianEXT says:
        10 Aug10 August 13:25

        Well Sandgrounder if we went with your view we would never travel freely again.

        Also, tests you administer yourself are not valid for the pre-departure test requirement.

        • Sandgrounder says:
          10 Aug10 August 13:38

          They absolutely are acceptable, Chronomics’ test is self administered and they are on the approved list for test to return, and they aren’t the only one.

          • BrianEXT says:
            10 Aug10 August 14:11

            Okay thanks didn’t realise that. Clearly need to update my research. I thought you had to ‘go somewhere’ in the resort to get a test. Surprised private self-administer is approved. Think I was maybe thinking about the NHS ones.

    • John says:
      10 Aug10 August 13:18

      You can go for 2 days or less so that you do the test before leaving the UK

    • Bagoly says:
      10 Aug10 August 15:12

      Completely agree with your approach.
      I suspect most people haven’t really considered this risk.
      When some stories of it happening start appearing in the media (or it happens to one of Carrie’s friends) is when we might see some change.

    • memesweeper says:
      10 Aug10 August 15:39

      “Personally, I think travel is never going to recover properly until this pre-departure test before boarding a flight to the UK is scrapped.”

      Some people won’t travel if they think they’ll be boarding a plane with untested folks. If you relax the rules you might get less people being willing to travel and more cancellations.

      I’m all for opening up but mandatory lateral flows before anyone boards any plane landing in the UK (including domestics) would strike me as a good idea. No one, jabbed or otherwise, wants a superspreader on a flight with them.

      • BrianEXT says:
        11 Aug11 August 00:08

        Each to their own. I think we have to get on with normal life stop hiding from a respiratory virus. Are we going wreck the economy again when the next one comes along? Problem is these ‘some people’ probably think this is a one off and are against tax rises to pay for the pandemic costs.

  • David says:
    10 Aug10 August 12:17

    Just a warning to people – a few months ago Amex imposed a limit on my account something that has never happened in the 20 years of having a Platinum card. I contacted Amex and was advised to check my credit report (after years of having a perfect score I took my eye off the ball). To my horror I had a CCJ.
    This related to a parking ticket from 2016 which I had refused to pay on the grounds I couldn’t have driven the car (I had a broken arm and was in Istanbul at the time). I was prepared to defend this in court as I wasn’t allowed to appeal the ticket.
    Despite having an up to date address and email they sent all the documents to an old address and got a CCJ against me in Jan 2021 – as I wasn’t aware of it I didn’t pay it within a month therefore it sits on your credit file for 6 years!
    I ended up going to court to have the judgement sent aside – but I was lucky and this kind of thing will stop you getting any sort of credit for 6 years.
    So the moral of this is always check your credit report at least once a month.

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