The HfP chat thread – Saturday 14th August

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N says:

14 Aug14 August 09:13

How long for the 15 nights to land from the Marriott Amex?
- Rob says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:23
  
  Usually within 2 weeks of applying and then every January thereafter
  - N says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 11:33
    
    Thanks
David says:

14 Aug14 August 09:20

Any suggestions for pre departure return to UK test – Ive had it with Qured.
- Nick Burch says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:24
  
  I’ve used Qured 4 times now, all fine!
  
  Try something local? Many places you can get tests + certificates from a local pharmacy
  
  Otherwise, if you tell us what you don’t like about Qured, we may be able to offer alternatives that don’t have exactly the same behaviour…
  - David says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 09:48
    
    problems with Qured – failure to deliver kit – refusing a refund – ending up having to do a card charge back.
    Previous time I used it was on hold for an 1hour and a half waiting.
    Read the reviews they are shocking .
    - Isherwood says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 11:12
      
      Qured – last week in Spain I needed to book an online appt but there was nothing on their calendar for 3 days so I had to quickly find a local clinic (Dam in Alicante; recommend; 39 euros; book online) – and I duly made a complaint to Qured. Immediate reply with apology and full refund. Earlier in the week Mrs I did manage to bag an appt OK and although she was kept waiting online for 20 mins and the connection kept dropping off, she was quite happy with the process. So book a slot well in advance and allow at least an hour for all the faff. Personally the clinic was just as easy thanks to the excellent tram network in Alicante and the peace of mind of being tested in person.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:46
  
  Chronomics was perfect for me and 8 other friends over the past couple of weeks.
  - KP says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 12:24
    
    Thanks I’ve ordered chronomics for my return flight from DXB
    - Blair says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 12:47
      
      Be careful; a few of us warned earlier this week that saliva-based tests are non-existent in Dubai (except for kids….dunno why) so if you’re flying with BA Chronomics prob fine but I wouldn’t risk it with Emirates or another airline’s outstation staff.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        14 Aug14 August 15:20
        
        What exactly do you mean? It’s a nasal swab in to a vial of reagent just like any other test. The difference is how it’s processed.
        
        There are saliva tests you can take without a swab but this isn’t one.
- Blair says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 17:05
  
  Yes I don’t know why I said saliva. But LFTs aren’t a thing in Dubai nonetheless. PCRs are cheap and quick here. For the quiet life, especially when checking in after midnight, I’d go with that.
Tony1 says:

14 Aug14 August 09:21

Escape lounge Stansted empty, poor food selections but ok for a priority pass redemption.
- Blair says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 12:48
  
  Wait till the Emirates First suites people are back flying and using it. Sad faces all round.
Amy says:

14 Aug14 August 09:37

Apologies if this has been beaten to death already, but can someone remind me of the restaurants and bars in the Shard where I can use my Shangrila Golden Circle points please.
Thanks.
- Blenz101 says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:58
  
  http://www.shangri-la.com/london/shangrila/dining/
- Munch says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 16:46
  
  Used last week at Gong bar. Just showed the points from the app. They had to split the bill as I used points from mine and wife’s account.
AnotherUser says:

14 Aug14 August 09:38

Should help people flying into Scotland – CTM day 2 test cost cut to £68 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58206517.amp
- Patrycja says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 11:33
  
  The prices have been updated on the official website now as well🥳🥳🥳
  
  Thanks for pointing out. I’m off to Madeira next week so this is great news!
  
  https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/red-amber-and-green-list-countries/
JFS says:

14 Aug14 August 09:40

Does anyone know whether BA has an operational phone number these days? I’ve tried several numbers I’ve found online and they’re all closed. I’m in Spain at the moment.

My query is regarding a return flight to Mauritius. Our outbound was cancelled long ago and was due to happen end of June. BA not keep messaging me about our return flight tomorrow, which we obviously not going on as they couldn’t bring us to Mauritius in the first place. I want either a rebooked dates or a cash refund. What do I need to do? I cannot see any options for either of these in manage my booking online.

Thanks!
- Rob says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:46
  
  If you don’t have status, you’re not getting through. Try again in October when it should be quieter.
  - Sloth says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 12:03
    
    Not quite true…I rang +44 (0) 207 949 3086 yesterday at 6pm, from the UK and after listening to the recorded message got cut off…rang back, pressed 1 and then 1 in quick succession as soon as the automated message started and got dumped into a queue and was answered after 20 mins. I have no status…well blue obv…
- Harry T says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 11:49
  
  The only options at the moment are to break through by sheer attrition or only make First class bookings. I got through to YouFirst in about two minutes the other night. My poor gf had to ring the main BA line about 40 times (not joking) to finally get a human at BA holidays for a business class booking. She also got repeatedly cut off when being transferred to BAH. Chat agents are useless by the way – on numerous occasions they cited BA policy from 2019.
  
  I would call BA either bang on 8am or around 7pm. Or, as Rob says, wait until a quieter period.
Andrew says:

14 Aug14 August 09:42

It just mentions NHS, not NHS Scotland which is a different organisation. (Even the NHS numbers are incompatible cross border.)
- AnotherUser says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 09:48
  
  Now costs £68 on CTM site
  - AnotherUser says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 09:49
    
    Though I may have got confused by all the different organisations involved! The price cut is showing, though
Diydegsy says:

14 Aug14 August 09:52

Any thoughts? I have business class flights booked Manchester to Singapore with BA 241 and hopefully the idea was to book a connection to Phuket if the situation changed for December now my husband thinks I should just book with Qatar due to their refund policy Manchester to Phuket as we have a better chance of getting there but the cost is £2400 each with lounge access etc I have never flown via this route before and wondered if this is a good price or should I wait, I know how long is a piece of string comes to mind but any thoughts appreciated from anyone who does this route?
- Mjshort says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 10:33
  
  Have you looked at ex-eu flights, we booked from Milan at half the price of UK?
  Also v.cheap out of Stockholm and Budapest
  - Diydegsy says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 10:45
    
    Thanks Mjshort but the main problem re ex EU was finding suitable connections without being in the airport for 6 hours.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 10:49
      
      Is that 6 hours+ in Doha or the EU airport?
      
      The idea is that you use some of the money saved to have a small mini break 1/2 nights before you start your ex EU as so much can go wrong arriving same day and you aren’t protected if you miss the long haul flight.
    - Harry T says:
      
      14 Aug14 August 11:50
      
      Stay over the night before an exEU, unless you enjoy spending thousands of pounds on missed flights.
  - Mouse says:
    
    14 Aug14 August 12:47
    
    Oslo & Gothenburg have been cheapest in my experience
- Blair says:
  
  14 Aug14 August 12:50
  
  I booked MAN-CDG-SIN with AF not too long ago for winter 2021 for £1988. It is an expensive route especially ex-UK but your fare does seem very high. I’ve seen it as low as £1400 from some EU hubs when doing ex-EU.