The HfP chat thread – Thursday 12th August

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• SteveKicks says:

  12 Aug12 August 07:51

  Having trouble submitting a prenetics test for verification, the submit button just isn’t working.
  Has anyone had this issue before?
  I’ll call them but they don’t open until 8am

  • Blair says:

    12 Aug12 August 07:58

    Try a different browser in the meantime. Sorry if you’ve already tried.

    • SteveKicks says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:01

      Already tried different browsers/devices with no luck. Had to spend 45 mins with them over phone and email to get it resolved. Looks like it was a tech issue, their verification API was down

• Louie says:

  12 Aug12 August 07:58

  When you say vouchers, do you mean paper ones (do they still exist?)? If you mean online and they are of large(ish) amounts individually, just transfer the minimum number to Virgin Atlantic (£2.50 I think). The balance of the value of the voucher will be reissued as another voucher e.g. if you have a £50 voucher, transfer £2.50 to Virgin and you will effectively get another two years, or whatever their validity is nowadays, to decide what to do with the remaining £47.50.

  • Louie says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:00

    Oops, that was a reply to Patrick on the previous page. Seems that great minds think alike though as several other people have posted the same whilst I wrote it!

• BJ says:

  12 Aug12 August 07:59

  Given competitions are featuring across article, bits and chat today perhaps the lucky winners of the Naeco recycled swim suits in the competition a few years ago can report back on their durability and pulling-power? Newbies – please don’t ask 🙂

  • Number9 says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:56

    Don’t forget the competition for those awful shoes 😱

    • Mike says:

      12 Aug12 August 10:46

      Oh please don’t mention the “double monk” – I am already getting flash backs ( PS- flash backs are not are a type of shoe)

      • Lord Doncaster says:

        12 Aug12 August 13:12

        My God those shoes – even a charity shop would think twice about taking them

  • ankomonkey says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:15

    “pulling-power” – would also be interested to hear this 🙂

    • Pete M says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:35

      Thank you for this – I genuinely laughed out loud!

• Venturelog says:

  12 Aug12 August 08:11

  Query re IHG Redemptions – can you book 2 hotels on the same day under your own account? (Due to Family and only 1 room available at each hotel)
  If so, can I have the family member Check-In on under my name?

  • Craig says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:14

    You can add a second name under the booking when using the website?

    • Craig says:

      12 Aug12 August 08:14

      I should add that technically when booking for someone else you should call.

  • Allan says:

    12 Aug12 August 12:38

    Yes you can, but only one will credit. Have learnt this from experience back in the days of accelerate.

  • ChrisC says:

    12 Aug12 August 14:18

    Where will this beforte.

    Some countries have ID requirements to be shown before being given your room.

• Billy P says:

  12 Aug12 August 08:19

  Saved Hilton and Hyatt offers have disappeared from my Amex, I thought they expired 31st Aug.

  • Rob says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:23

    They do. Gone from your saved list or the main list? They go from the main list when the registration target is hit.

    • Billy P says:

      12 Aug12 August 08:44

      All gone from all x5 cards we hold (5x Hyatt & 3x Hilton offers)

    • David says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:21

      Saved list. Lots of saved ones have disappeared.

  • meta says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:27

    Same here. IHG Kimpton/IC/Regent offer too. I have a booking based on this in 10 days.

    I wonder whether it is just temporary as it seems that other IHG HI/CP/Indigo offer saved has been extended till 30 Sep. Or maybe they pulled offer…

    • meta says:

      12 Aug12 August 08:28

      They are gone from saved list. I also have a screenshot of the saved offer.

      • Andy says:

        12 Aug12 August 08:37

        Same for me

      • Young L says:

        12 Aug12 August 09:19

        Could you share the screenshot with me? yapizhit at gmail.com. Thanks in advance!

        • meta says:

          12 Aug12 August 09:21

          Unfortunately no, because it’s specific to my cards and my card digits show. You’ll need to be able to prove to Amex that you saved it on your card.

    • Ls says:

      12 Aug12 August 08:30

      Always get a screenshot.

  • Pid says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:42

    Already used all of Hilton but my Hyatt has also gone. A little frustrating as planning to use it. Yes it was supposed to expire at end of Aug.

  • Kevin says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:51

    The intercontinental, kimpton & regent offer also disappeared from my saved list. Got a stay next weekend and I didn’t have any screen shot. Would this affect in triggering the offer?

    • meta says:

      12 Aug12 August 08:54

      No-one knows. However, given it’s widespread it is probably a technical glitch or they pulled it temporarily as they are extending it.

      @Rob could you please ask Amex what’s going on?

      • David says:

        12 Aug12 August 09:20

        Amex chat confirmed it was still registered to my card.

        They said “some small technical glitch seems to be happening at present” – direct copy.

        • meta says:

          12 Aug12 August 09:22

          As expected! Thanks for checking for us.

        • K says:

          12 Aug12 August 11:19

          I just chatted to them. They said no such offer is saved. Annoying as I just checked out of a Hyatt hotel

        • Daniel says:

          12 Aug12 August 11:29

          I tried, also on live chat, and was told the same – ‘it could be some technical issue. Rest assured I see that Hyatt is successfully enrolled to your card, you can surely use your card to avail the offer. If you make any eligible purchases before 31st August you will be credit’.

          It is not necessarily the most grammatically correct, but meaning is clear.

        • ankomonkey says:

          12 Aug12 August 14:48

          It’s the “Sweaty Betty effect” – Sweaty Betty’s offer is the most powerful of all Amex offers and has the ability to purge accounts of other offers so that it takes top spot. Then come Orlebar Brown, Vestiaire Collection and Cheval Residences that can all displace anything other than Sweaty Betty. Betty herself has influence with the head of Amex IT…

  • KP says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:58

    Does anyone know if the Hyatt offer can be used in Dubai ? Cant see in my amex list so cant verify. Thanks

    • meta says:

      12 Aug12 August 10:06

      No, usually none of the hotel offers are for outside Western/Central Europe and always exclude Portugal and Italy. I recall only one time when the IHG and Hilton offers were for US, but they were separate offers.

      • KP says:

        12 Aug12 August 13:03

        OK thanks. Then I wont feel so bad about not saving them… 😀

      • ankomonkey says:

        12 Aug12 August 14:44

        Anyone know why Portugal and Italy are always excluded?

• Bam says:

  12 Aug12 August 08:22

  Thinking of getting a personal Wifi (Mifi) device for use in UK (car journeys etc) and abroad (Dubai and Asia mainly) – any recommendations on device and sims – Thanks in advance 🙂

  • JDB says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:43

    I have used Skyroam abroad for years and it works really well all over the world. Although they hide it a bit, you don’t need to sign up to a plan (although you need to buy the device – I recently got a second Solis for $59). I just get daily passes virtually always on offer for US$5 (vs usual $8) which then works for the whole family. Great for things like maps and translators etc. in countries like China where language is an issue as well as Skype etc if away from wifi.

  • SteveJ says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:53

    I have a Huawei E5573B, does the job. Lots of 3g only ones out there, the above is 4g.

    Three is good for infrequent UK use, you can try their data offering with their free 200mb SIM
    https://www.three.co.uk/Free_SIM_MBB/Order

  • Aston100 says:

    12 Aug12 August 13:17

    Would setting up a hotspot from your mobile phone not be a suitable option?

    • Rob says:

      12 Aug12 August 13:32

      Not all mobile plans allow hotspot use, especially abroad. This is one thing that Vodafone is very good at – I have been operating 100% hot spot for the last 3 days up in Yorkshire and they are happy for you to hotspot abroad too.

• Diydegsy says:

  12 Aug12 August 08:28

  Looking at flights Singapore return to Phuket for December and all business class fares are the same price £550 is that the norm just seemed expensive especially as we are using a 241 with BA to get to Singapore in the first place?

  • Sam G says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:45

    Yes pretty normal. Either use Krisflyer miles or just go in economy, it’s a v short flight ! If you book eco you sometimes get an upgrade offer but even then they aren’t great value

    Just to warn you that as it stands you won’t be able to enter Singapore or transit from BA on seperate tickets . Singapore is slowly starting to ease things so that might change but keep an eye on it.

  • Craig says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:52

    Desperately hoping to get to Singapore in Feb. Don’t mind too much where I go from there I’ll sort that out nearer the time.

  • Andy says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:58

    In my (limited) experience, short haul tickets on Singapore Airlines are extremely expensive. In my case flights to both HK and KL were significantly cheaper with CX and MH and Singapore Airlines had no interest in competing on price.

  • Billy P says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:06

    Check the rules, it was recently reported on another site…

    “Details of your flights must be complete. This was very time consuming. We had booked to fly to Singapore with Avios on a companion voucher, then were going to fly to Thailand on a budget airline, which fortunately we hadn’t booked. Singapore are not allowing BA flights, despite allowing U.K. citizens to transit with other airlines, so we cancelled our BA flights. We had to fly from outside Thailand directly into Phuket, which limited our options due to red zones. In the end, we decided to fly premium economy with Singapore Airlines (the cheapest business flights were £8k for 2) direct to Phuket and inward from Bangkok, buying a cheap flight with Bangkok Air for the Phuket-BKK leg”

    • Sam G says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:10

      BA are flying but are not allowed to transit anyone in Singapore – same or separate tickets.

      There are some very good deals ex-EU into Phuket on Singapore Airlines – e.g. Paris or Germany so if anyone is headed that way worth considering. Of course now you can transit UAE/Qatar which opens up options too

• Jaime says:

  12 Aug12 August 08:35

  To anyone in a similar position.
  Had my first jab in Portugal in spring, came back to UK went through all the trouble of recording my 1st dose with the NHS and took my 2nd dose here.
  Surprise, surprise the NHS pass does not consider the 1st dose taken even if it is on my record.
  So technically for travelling purposes I am not double vaccinated. Is that screwed up or what.

  • Ls says:

    12 Aug12 August 08:43

    Just get a third. It’ll be the easiest way of resolving, and you’ll probably have extra protection.

    • Jaime says:

      12 Aug12 August 08:47

      Ls
      I doubt the NHS will give me another dose when my record shows 2 already

      • Ls says:

        12 Aug12 August 09:00

        There is no limit to the depths of NHS IT stupidity.

        • Jaime says:

          12 Aug12 August 09:25

          IT stupidity or intentional from the government????

      • Andrew says:

        12 Aug12 August 09:53

        Get it done in Scotland instead. Different NHS.

        A good friend, who works for the NHS on both sides of the border, has had a double doze of AZ in Scotland and a double doze of Pfizer in England.

        • Mike says:

          12 Aug12 August 10:50

          Andrew – quad covid jabs are quite common amongst the border community

    • Tony1 says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:44

      Similar if you have one jab in UK, and one say in Spain … needed two more in Spain to get an EU pass. Well on my way to get 5 jabs now – waiting till the delta variant is “coded” for in the booster jab here before getting another to complete both EU and UK passes.

      Totally stupid that the IT systems wont or cant talk, and taking jabs away from others, but done as walk in at end of day so they may have been “unused” anyway.

  • Kay says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:20

    Is it necessary to have the NHS pass for travelling purposes? Can’t you just get official documentation of your first dose administration from Portugal and your second from NHS. Then you can show evidence of both doses to whatever travel authorities want to see them.

    • Jaime says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:24

      Kay
      I do have both but when reading the UK legislation (I might be wrong), in am not considered doubled vax therefore I am in a situation that Amber is not green for testing and isolation purposes.

      • Kay says:

        12 Aug12 August 09:49

        So its not really for travelling purposes, it’s for testing and isolation purposes. When the change was introduced only those who had been fully vaccinated by the NHS were eligible to take advantage of avoiding quarantine if coming from countries graded amber under the traffic light system. So it’s nothing to do with the IT, its policy. You had your first dose out of the UK so you would not be eligible even if the covid pass was able to show evidence of your vaccination in Portugal.

        • John says:

          12 Aug12 August 11:54

          If I was in this situation (although I wouldn’t have put myself in it) I would not quarantine and dare the government to prosecute me

  • Gary says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:32

    NHS Covid pass relies on vaccine data inc a location code (where the vaccine was physically given which presumably doesn’t exist for doses received abroad) input onto a system which is entirely separate from what GP practices use. Hence GP records may show it was given (abroad) but would not upload to produce NHS Covid pass. Hopefully solution would be found as very common & frustrating issue.

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:33

    The NHS pass has always been doses given in uk. That’s maintained in a different database from your personal records. Stupid gdpr rules.

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    12 Aug12 August 09:34

    And how is this a surprise? You being an exception to the normal process and try blaming others. The level of entitlement of some people one here…

    • The Savage Squirrel says:

      12 Aug12 August 09:46

      Seems very harsh to lambast someone who has taken extra trouble to responsibly get themselves vaccinated at the earliest opportunity.
      Unable to help though. Seems it’s either fly to Portugal and get “second” dose there, or endlessly fight stupid NHS bureaucracy. Flying will probably be quicker 🙄.

      • BuildBackBetter says:

        12 Aug12 August 09:48

        Not lambasting for taking the vaccine, but for blaming others.
        Sometime in the past these people have signed privacy forms for data not to be shared without understanding the implications and then go blame everyone else.

        • Pete M says:

          12 Aug12 August 09:51

          But that’s not the case here? The issue is the GP records system not properly speaking to the national NHS database. A friend who had both his doses in Dubai at the start of the year ended up repeating the whole thing here because there was no way he could get the NHS to recognise his Dubai vaccinations…

        • The Savage Squirrel says:

          12 Aug12 August 10:27

          Exactly. GDPR is now the standard excuse for a lot of stuff that is, in reality, bad design, poor IT, incompetence or laziness…

  • Louie says:

    12 Aug12 August 11:31

    A lot of ignorant criticism here. Are you a British citizen Jaime? If you are, this should not be an issue according to the vaccines minister’s pronouncement on 22 July that overseas vaccines would be recognised by the end of July – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/26/covid-quarantine-for-britons-vaccinated-abroad-to-be-dropped. Of course, they failed miserably to actually implement the change by then and as far as I know, they still have (failed), but they have at least announced the intention . It’s rubbish to say that it is policy or intentional not to recognise overseas jabs in these circumstances.

    • Jaime says:

      12 Aug12 August 13:13

      Louie not a citizen but a legal resident, NHS registered and tax payer, and I don’t see how it is relevant.
      As you mentioned they still have not delivered what was promised, no changes in there.
      I just refuse to get engaged on rubbish/ignorant criticism as you mentioned, including being called entitled. My simple view is if you promise to deliver something and over a month later still have not delivered despite being questioned by public opinion (media etc), it is either policy or intentional.
      If I behave like that in my line of work, I will be out of work very quick.

      • Louie says:

        12 Aug12 August 14:19

        The reason nationality is relevant is simply because the minister referred specifically to UK nationals. I doubt the intention is to exclude non-UK citizen residents registered with a GP in the UK, but nevertheless that’s what was said.

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