Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

The HfP chat thread – Thursday 12th August

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

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.

Category

General

Comments (618)

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

  • Sarah says:
    12 Aug12 August 04:49

    Sweaty Betty is back 😆

    • Andrew says:
      12 Aug12 August 06:21

      Of course! Lovers of cut price Lycra rejoice! My new approach is to save their offer so I don’t have to look at it in the list every day.

    • Algor says:
      12 Aug12 August 08:51

      And it’s the spend x get y back every time.

      Now imagine this kind of offer let’s say with Hilton …

  • Ian says:
    12 Aug12 August 05:29

    Morning All. Hopefully I can get some OT advice:

    Following a flight back to uk, I was contacted by test and trace and told to self isolate until 18 August. I have been double vaccinated in July and am trying to find out if the restrictions changing on 16th means I am ‘free’ and don’t need to isolate for further days. I currently have a flight planned for 15th, so trying to work out when is the earliest I can rebook to.

    I can’t find any specifics on the government website, so any insight you have or even who to confirm this with is much appreciated!

    Thanks

    • Jenny says:
      12 Aug12 August 05:31

      Depends what you are travelling for next

      • Ian says:
        12 Aug12 August 06:15

        Planning on Portugal, but Spain an alternate option.

        • Tracey says:
          12 Aug12 August 08:20

          My understanding is that the form to enter Spain asks if you have been in close contact with anyone who has covid within the last 14 days. So longer than the UK 10 days isolation requirement.
          You may argue that you weren’t in close contact because you weren’t actually sitting near anyone you didn’t know on the plane etc, but your T&T notification suggests the UK authorities think you were.

    • Blair says:
      12 Aug12 August 06:20

      Hi Ian. Out of interest how long after your flight were you contacted, and via what method? I am often landing in the UK then back out again in 48hrs and I rarely take my phone off flight mode when abroad (I use wifi; haven’t gone full Chris Heyes cold turkey yet).

      • Ian says:
        12 Aug12 August 06:31

        Hi Blair,

        It was just under 48 hours from arrival when first contacted by text and email. I had a phone call that evening…. I don’t know how the results and instruction came out that quickly – I took the PCR the day of the flight and didn’t get the result until the day after I was told to isolate! (Negative result btw)

        Cheers

        • Ls says:
          12 Aug12 August 06:51

          Must have been someone taking a PCR at the airport on return then.

          • Blair says:
            12 Aug12 August 07:46

            Yes it’ll have been someone else on your flight. Useful to know the process. If one has departed UK shores by the time T&T call/text then it can hardly be held against me. Against one, I mean against one.

      • Chris Heyes says:
        12 Aug12 August 07:08

        Blair I Think most of the “younger generation” can’t help themselves there phone is their life, I have a trip coming up with oldest Daughter next year n I’M dreading it lol
        She honestly can’t keep off her phone, she uses wifi as well I don’t even know what wifi is
        She does my head in ! even if she comes for a visit she has her phone out
        Blair switch your phone off next time your on holiday you won’t believe how relaxing it will be ? the world will still be revolving when you switch it back on
        I Call them morons some people even walk along the street on their phones around here !

        • Andrew says:
          12 Aug12 August 07:20

          But maybe these “morons” know the difference between their and there and your and you’re.

        • VerdantBacon says:
          12 Aug12 August 08:34

          The grammar is this comment is so bad it reads like one of the “younger generation” wrote it

          • BSI1978 says:
            12 Aug12 August 11:21

            I love, absolutely love when people criticise grammar within a post, and then themselves make basic spelling/grammatical errors.

        • The Savage Squirrel says:
          12 Aug12 August 08:35

          Chris, my parents think as you. Balanced against that, I’m amazed quite how much unnecessary trouble and inconvenience they sometimes have during travel when access to, say, google maps, could have resolved the issue in 10 seconds. Maybe the key is to have the phone but use it as a tool rather than an endless social media stream?

    • Ls says:
      12 Aug12 August 06:51

      And no, all isolation started prior to 16th needs to continue for 10 days.

      • Rob says:
        12 Aug12 August 07:52

        Guardian today says the opposite.

        • Ls says:
          12 Aug12 August 08:32

          You’re right. The Previous GOV page I’ve seen has gone. I assume Jarvid has updated his mind.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        12 Aug12 August 08:26

        Who is your source as Javid suggests differently….via the Guardian.

        Don’t get mixed up with the rules for Green/Amber/Red arrivals before colour changes.

    • Jek says:
      12 Aug12 August 10:19

      You can’t travel to Spain until the 22nd. UK regulations don’t matter and Spain does not allow you to enter if you had contact within 14 days.

      We just had to cancel our trip yesterday as my wife (nurse) had contact with a patient who had a positive test 🙁 So I checked wether the change on Monday would make a difference – it doesn’t for travel.

  • Blair says:
    12 Aug12 August 06:21

    Dishoom £10 back on £60, appearing on sone Amex. New to me.

    • BuildBackBetter says:
      12 Aug12 August 06:45

      Nice one. Benares is also good, but less generous discount.

    • Laura says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:50

      Might have to take advantage of this!

    • Olivia says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:59

      Potentially one of the best restaurants in the U.K.
      Food incredible but service up there with the likes of Hawksmoor. Will certainly be taking advantage of the offer

      • Zoe P says:
        12 Aug12 August 08:38

        Their Wrestler’s Naan at brunch is the best brunch item in existence. And that chai tea… sigh dreamily!

      • Paul Pogba says:
        12 Aug12 August 08:59

        It’s bland curry? Local independents are immeasurably better.

      • Ash says:
        12 Aug12 August 09:37

        It’s alright for a cheap eat and that’s about it. Just another chain.

        You will find superior food and service a stones throw from any of their restraints but you will be paying proper money!

        • Paul Pogba says:
          12 Aug12 August 09:57

          Its a Pizza Express-like “Indian” restaurant, it probably has a more tasteful decor than any curry house I’ve been in but the food feels really watered down to those of us that grew up on the spicy, slightly more authentic stuff found in grubby bits of provincial towns.

        • Aston100 says:
          12 Aug12 August 11:20

          “It’s alright for a cheap eat and that’s about it.”
          As an ‘Indian’ restaurant, it’s anything but a cheap eat. I have found very few authentic Indians restaurants that are at a similar price range, or in excess of that.

          I use the naan bread guide. A naan bread costing £1.50 or less is an indicator of a cheap Indian restaurant; £2 – £2.50 to be an average place; In excess of £2.50 is where it is no longer a cheap eatery and you better be getting the appropriate dining experience to go with it.

          However, if talking about cheap eats in the context of all other restaurants in general, then fine, yes.

          • Ash says:
            12 Aug12 August 11:34

            Well, I was in the OXO tower at the weekend for lunch. Was £8 a pint. 15 notes for a cocktail and 6 quid for a handful of chips. Mains about 24 – 34 and starters about 15.
            Bill £150 for 2 and that’s not exactly breaking the bank money!

            So, def cheapo!

            “Potentially one of the best restaurants in the U.K.”

  • Read2goagain says:
    12 Aug12 August 06:59

    Just trying to find the most cost effective method to arrange tests for a trip to Greece with a teenager… from what I’ve read I think I’m going for..
    collison at the airport for the antigen the day before departure
    Chronomics for the tests before return to England
    Expert medical for day 2 (if the website works – randox if not)
    Anyone see any problems with these? Or other suggestions? Thanks

    • Blair says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:28

      Soubds sensible to me. It’s what I’d do.

    • Tracey says:
      12 Aug12 August 08:23

      Kids used c19testing that were fine for the day2 tests.

    • david says:
      12 Aug12 August 10:43

      For Greece, if you are double jabbed, you only need a test in Greece for UK arrival. Day 2 PCR needs to be done for all travellers over 5.

  • Pete M says:
    12 Aug12 August 06:59

    Very happy with my BA data breach pay out, given I was expecting £30 like is common with these things in the US. Time to buy some more BA flights…! 😂

    • Craig says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:08

      Don’t mention fight club.

    • Jamie says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:10

      Did you make it into the hallowed group 1?

    • Andrew says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:23

      And good that you’re donating your winnings back to BA so they aren’t too out of pocket.

      • Pete M says:
        12 Aug12 August 07:30

        Only 30% to the lawyers, what’s fairer than that?

        • WaynedP says:
          12 Aug12 August 15:29

          Ever given 30% of the value of a satisfying restaurant meal on a busy night to a skilled, hard-pressed waiter/waitress ?

          Versus a firm who used advertising to get sufficient volume of claimants to sign up that the marginal cost of handling your individual claim ended up being tiny.

          One doesn’t need to scratch very far beneath the surface to realise that fairness is an elusive concept.

          I’m glad that you’re pleased with your outcome, though – it’s good to hear something positive come out of this affair.

          • Rob says:
            12 Aug12 August 15:54

            The PGMBM legal costs were £1100 per person plus £150 expenses plus £1m of advertising costs which the courts said could not be reclaimed.

            You can work out how far the 35% went, even with BA making ‘a contribution’.

          • WaynedP says:
            12 Aug12 August 15:59

            Interesting. Even better if both claimants are happy and lawyers failed to garner excessive profits.

            I learn that the same firm is getting involved in challenging the legality of enforced UK hotel quarantine and costs.

            Am not personally involved, but am watching with keen interest.

          • Pete M says:
            12 Aug12 August 17:01

            I should have perhaps highlighted I’m being a bit sarcastic 😂 Still pleased though!

          • Tim says:
            12 Aug12 August 23:54

            That’s interesting. I wondered after the second corrected email – the £1 million advertising explains it. Part of me was a bit disinclined to go about this. But as a 1 level recipient, who genuinely was inconvenienced, had all bits of data taken over forty bookings during the period, and would likely not get even 1/800th of the amount if I approached BA directly, I am content with result. It also pushed me towards Star at the time having been BA Gold for 10+ years – it genuinely was the last straw. And now the lounge at NCL has gone, and Lufty have started NCL-FRA (instead of NCL-MUC – what happened to that?) even more so.

          • Tim says:
            13 Aug13 August 00:36

            replying to WanyedP: …c[a]me out of this affair 🙂 And yes, whenever I’m in the U.S., I do give 30% for a good meal. 🙂 And in this case, I did not need to 🙂

  • Dave says:
    12 Aug12 August 07:22

    I would like to plan a holiday costing approximately £520, any suggestions?

    • Blair says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:29

      On HfP? Dave dear, you’re going to need to list your elite statuses and your points balances first.

    • Yorkie Aid says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:37

      Should this have been a reply to PeteM above perhaps? Otherwise it must be April 1st.

    • Mike says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:55

      Dave – are you looking at one night or two nights ? UK based or Europe ?

    • Guernsey Globetrotter says:
      12 Aug12 August 09:30

      🤣

    • Guernsey Globetrotter says:
      12 Aug12 August 09:31

      That was a ‘woosh’ moment for a few peeps I think!

      • John says:
        12 Aug12 August 11:57

        The stupid formatting of the comments on mobile doesn’t help. I keep not noticing replies because they don’t indent properly

    • Tim says:
      13 Aug13 August 00:16

      Have you tried BA holidays? There’s a 35% discount code at the moment in some places.

  • BJ says:
    12 Aug12 August 07:23

    There is supposed to be a Nectar competition launching today to win 20,000 Nectar points for spending points or transferring them to BA. Anybody got it? Not on my app so far.

    • Toby says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:36

      I have a new one in partner offers showing win £500 off a BA holiday and another with a prize for redeeming nectar in Sainsbury’s, eBay, Argos etc….

      • BJ says:
        12 Aug12 August 07:45

        Thanks Toby, just checked and those you mention plus the 20k competition are now loaded. The ebay one is worth a go too, most will get 50 but hopefully an HfP reader can get the 50k.

        • BJ says:
          12 Aug12 August 08:49

          Sorry, misread it, it is only 1, 000 x 50 prizes.

          • Toby says:
            12 Aug12 August 08:59

            Oh yes. The eBay one does look good. This makes me think I should maintain a higher nectar balance for when these competitions appear!

        • AJA says:
          12 Aug12 August 10:24

          Just seen those competitions. The £500 discount on a BA Holidays booking is quite interesting. Do you think this will stack with the 20k nectar points competition ie we only need to do one transfer of 400NP to get an entry to both competitions? As an aside I had 100NP appear in my Nectar account today with the description “Bonus reward”.

    • Dave says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:41

      Still no sign of the 50,000 Avios I transferred to 80,000 Nectar last Friday…

      • BJ says:
        12 Aug12 August 07:52

        My last transfer took 13 days.

        • Secret Squirrel says:
          12 Aug12 August 08:36

          Im on day 12 today and still no sign of points. There is no pattern to this now as my first transfer was in 9 x days.

      • Dr C says:
        12 Aug12 August 10:55

        It has usually been a claimed 10 working days not 10 days in general, if you claimed on the 2nd in theory then that would be the 10th working day tomorrow. Your Friday claim should be latest 19/20 next week.

  • Patrick says:
    12 Aug12 August 07:38

    Morning all, advice needed here: I have a bunch of Tesco vouchers that are due to expire, but I’ve left the UK already (EU based) and won’t return to old blighty this year…apart from the obvious donation to charity, what’s the best way for redeeming them to something that can be ordered and delivered outside of the UK?
    Thanks for your help!

    • Blair says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:45

      How much are we talking? Small change or a decent amount? Many of the Tesco partners have minimum cash out thresholds.

    • Mike says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:53

      Or consider extending the life of the voucher by only spending part of it and getting the “ change” issued by Tesco

    • Joe says:
      12 Aug12 August 07:57

      Just transfer the the minimum (2.50?) From each voucher to flying club. The change will get turned into new vouchers and you’ll get another three years. You might need to VPN to do it outside uk.

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

New to Head for Points?

Welcome!  We’re the UK’s most-read source of business travel, Avios, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty news. Let us improve how you travel. Learn more on our About page.

VAA

Latest comments

Latest Forum Posts

Get 30,000 points bonus with American Express Platinum

Amex Gold

Check reward flight availability instantly for free!

See a whole year of reward seat availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Booking a luxury hotel?

Our luxury hotel booking service offers you GUARANTEED extra benefits over booking direct. Works with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, The Ritz Carlton, St Regis and more. We've booked £1.3 million of rooms to date. Click for details.

Get 20,000 bonus points and your first year free with American Express Gold

Amex Gold