The HfP chat thread – Saturday 14th August

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Sina says:

14 Aug14 August 08:14

Amex Bicester £50 off £500 – can somebody confirm if it’s possible to buy a gift card? I know this was discussed previously but can’t find anything!?
- SteveJ says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 08:32
  
  Related to Bicester what’s the earnings advice? Platinum Charge Card gets a 10% eVIP discount. Is there Avios earning opportunities also? From memory requires a visit to the visitor centre?
  - Andrew says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 09:02
    
    Yes show your platinum card at the visitor centre for a 10% VIP virtual card. And send in a picture of each receipt after your visit and you will be credited with Avios. https://www.tbvsc.com/bicester-village/en/partners/frequent-flyer-rewards
- KBuffett says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 08:54
  
  Yes, I’ve purchased quite a few, always triggers.
- Andrew says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:00
  
  The terms of the offer specifically allow a gift card – the PDF of the participating retailers explains this and that you buy it from the visitor centre.
- Sarah says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 11:29
  
  It is. I have done this on a couple of occasions
- Sina says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 12:15
  
  Just got a 20% discount card, reserved parking and access to the Apartment by showing my Jade card! And all day drinks, etc in the apartment!
  - AY says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 21:10
    
    which jade card is this?
    - Rob says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 21:19
      
      HSBC Jade, a higher level of HSBC Premier, which requires £500k in a HSBC account.
- Tony Johnson says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 15:58
  
  Confirmed, just triggered the offer on various cards. It actually states in the Amex T&Cs that you can buy a gift card (“Bicester Village Gift Cards are included in the Offer”).
  - Sina says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 21:54
    
    Thanks everyone I managed to find the pdf that lists store and confirms gift card purchase is included!
Paul says:

14 Aug14 August 08:21

Woohoo….. BA just verified my docs for flight to Greece after letting me sweat 24 hours.
I might actually be able to escape plague Island tomorrow, just as long as Johnson doesn’t change his mind or the Greeks change theirs or we get Covid (despite double jabbed) or BA IT collapses, or ATCs or some other disaster!

Does everyone have a sense of doom around their trips until they:-

1.checkin
2 takeoff
3 Get through arrival passport control
4 None of the above. Paul is paranoid!!!

For a chance to win squat diddly Avios or Virgin miles send your answer to Rob, no widget required.🤣
- Guernsey Globetrotter says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:00
  
  Woot! Good luck & happy holidays Paul 🤞✈️😎
- AnotherUser says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:17
  
  Very much have a pre-departure sense of doom, not helped by the fact that Ryanair seem to check docs at the airport – so I won’t get the reassurance that they approve my docs until at the airport 🙁 Have a good break!
  - Doommonger says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 09:38
    
    Its a way of life, embrace and celebrate.
    
    The doomster
  - Yorkieflyer says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 18:01
    
    If you upload them they often don’t check again at the gate, dunno whether they are reviewed or not I doubt it. Today no gate check and vacc cert uploaded but not QR code
- Eoc says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:07
  
  Sitting in the calm of Galleries First on way to Crete sipping my tea after a big brekkie tends to dissolve most of those worries
- SteveJ says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:26
  
  Stopped reading at ‘plague island’
  - Doug M says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 10:28
    
    Agree, a beyond tedious term.
  - David says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 14:03
    
    Plague Island?
  - TOBIAS L says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 14:37
    
    Good for you! Bury your head in the sand and enjoy the wet “summer”, densely-packed overpriced sub-par holiday destinations and the infusion of grief/dismay in the bland meals served at said locations, courtesy of your government’s policies! The rest of us will continue enjoying the sunny world beyond Plague Island 🙂
  - Ash says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 22:16
    
    You know what children are like, always looking for attention… Just ignore them, they soon go away.
- Harry T says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 11:45
  
  I only feel at peace when I’m in my hotel room at the other end, these days!
  - Blair says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 12:41
    
    Same; only when inside my room especially with new measures like in Portugal requiring papers at hotel reception. Then once in room, tv remains on non-news channels only. Absolutely no desire to have 59 seconds of the BBC News ‘theme’ bipping away at me while on holiday.
  - Gary says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 14:25
    
    Until about 72+24 hrs before inbound UK pre-departure test is almost due
Vin says:

14 Aug14 August 08:29

Travel back from Germany to the UK : pre-departure lateral flow tests are FREE (!) for locals (who need it to access various venues) and for foreigners too. Multiple locations in all cities. You register using a QR code , receive an email QR code and appointments are plentiful . Passport or drivers licence to be shown for address verification . You get a certificate with your details (English available) which can be uploaded to UK PLF .
- meta says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 08:34
  
  In Croatia tourists can now get lateral flow test with a certificate for £8. It’s getting cheaper everywhere apart from UK.
  - Paul says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 08:40
    
    But here you have to contribute to the cabinets retirement funds
    - Sandgrounder says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 08:54
      
      Minimum wage in Croatia for a 40 hour week is 560 euro a month, 420 euro a week in the UK. I’m not surprised they can process these tests for a lower price.
      We are getting ripped off though, just wish I’d had the balls and the liquid capital to jump on the gravy train myself tbh. Sadly though, I don’t have my own jeans shop in Bradford.
      - meta says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 09:37
        
        It has nothing to do with purchase power. It was £25 only a month ago. Other governments are constantly reviewing testing costs. It’s not just in Croatia, it’s coming down everywhere bit by bit.
      - mutley says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 09:43
        
        From experience of family members, unfortunately. many employers don’t bother with minimum wage requirements in Croatia, rules and regulations are ignored, and corruption is rife, as with many countries, if you have connections to local and or national politicians, you will be fine. 🙁
    - JDB says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 09:28
      
      Although prices in the UK are high, I do wonder whether these companies are really making a killing out of this. At say £35 for a day 2 trust, including VAT, paying two way courier/postage or dropbox collection etc. The testing staff must be relatively well paid, the testing equipment is expensive, high professional insurance costs etc. Do they clear £5/person before tax? Obviously if you are doing £200 central London PCR tests, that is different, but those places probably aren’t quite as busy as they were last year.
      
      The real winners are the makers of the tests and testing equipment (many non UK), not the testers.
      - Sandgrounder says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 09:46
        
        This is true, in any gold rush the only guaranteed winners are the guys who make the picks and shovels.
      - Rob says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 10:44
        
        And if Boris changes the rules on PCR testing soon, a lot of investment will have been wasted.
      - Alex says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 13:25
        
        Rob, is there any talk of that happening?
      - Nick Burch says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 15:49
        
        Most of them aren’t paying VAT even though they probably ought to be – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/13/firms-selling-uk-travellers-covid-tests-not-charging-vat-investigation
Mark says:

14 Aug14 August 08:33

What is the quickest turnaround in-person testing for PCR in central London?

Did Collinson and it’s been 41 hours and counting. Results meant to be within 48 hours. Yes 7 hours to go but I’m flying tonight 8.50pm from Heathrow T2 so would really need a back-up if it dosent come through soon.
- meta says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 08:37
  
  Was that PCR? Collinson lateral flow is meant to be 1 hour. I would find a back up now if you need a PCR test as quickest turnaround for those can be 2-4 hours and be prepared to pay significant premium.
- Simon says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 08:55
  
  There is a randox at heathrow in one ofnthe outer carparks that does a 3hr pcr for about 150
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:43
  
  Check your spam as that seems very strange for in person.
- KP says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 12:22
  
  Ouch… keep us posted! I’ve booked Collinson on Thursday morning for a Sat eve flight!!!
Chelseafi says:

14 Aug14 August 08:35

Any idea when T5 Premier Plaza opening? Due to fly 27th.
Wally1976 says:

14 Aug14 August 08:39

Anyone know if there’s any lounges at ZTH? Potentially going to have a few hours waiting there later today ahead of Jet2 flight. Nothing shows on a Priority Pass app so I’m guessing not!
- Sam G says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:09
  
  No. It’s not as bad as the old airport but it’s pretty limited. Don’t rush to the airport and don’t go through to non-Schengen too early as most of the facilities are before that check.
  
  If you’re buying water then get the 500ml bottles for 50c, they push the bigger bottles at a much higher price!
  - Wally1976 says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 11:59
    
    Thanks Sam, we’ve noticed restaurants doing that with the water too!
Zara says:

14 Aug14 August 08:56

I have now finally fulfilled £200 for ihg £50 cash back and they’ve said no as it needs to be on one transaction! I am beyond fuming!
- meta says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:00
  
  How long has it been since the last transaction?It can take a while and agents often don’t know the terms. For one of the Marriott promos last year it took 2 weeks for the credit to show on my statement. I don’t usually chase until it’s been at least a month and just keep screenshots of T&C and saved offers.
  - Zara says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 09:02
    
    I hope that’s the case but he’s probably written everything down on my account so I hope it just automatically triggers in that case. Amex CS are so incompetent and inconsistent! Sorry, rant over…
    - Andrew says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 09:03
      
      The agents will usually always say all in one transaction so I wouldn’t take that as fact. And like Meta says, can take a week or so to credit.
      - Andrew says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 09:04
        
        And many others have reported cumulative spend triggers.
      - Zara says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 09:20
        
        Thanks all. I hope so as I’ve ended up with spends I wouldn’t have done as I was not strategic about it all!
Ant says:

14 Aug14 August 09:07

I have an FTV with Avios & cash that I would like to use for another booking.
What is the easiest way of doing this? I keep calling 03444930747 as I am abroad but after a while the line drops.
We chat said they can’t help.