The HfP chat thread – Sunday 15th August

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Tiger says:

15 Aug15 August 13:19

Watching England spin a web around Indian batsmen at Lord’s today. What a morning for England – absolutely brilliant! Great turnout at Lord’s today to support test cricket, which is very heart warming.
- BuildBackBetter says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 13:36
  
  Does Hilton sell experiences for games at Lords? I know they are currently selling for old Trafford.
  - Rob says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 14:08
    
    Never seen one. They own the hotel overlooking Old Trafford, remember.
  - The Savage Squirrel says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 14:23
    
    More surprisingly, I’ve never seen one for Southampton (Hilton in place) either – do they exist?
- Craig says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 15:27
  
  Had a great day at Trent Bridge for day one of the first test.
  - BSI1978 says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 17:07
    
    Was there to see Jimmy bag Kohli for a Golden 🦆, great scenes…..🙌🏾
- Barnaby100 says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 18:39
  
  £20 to go tomorrow . Popping down
r* says:

15 Aug15 August 14:07

Can ppl from uk currently enter hungary without needing covid tests or anything if theyre vaccinated? Their site is a little hard to understand as it talks about entry being allowed with ‘immunity’ certificate.
- ChrisC says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 14:11
  
  check what the UK gov website says.
- AJA says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 16:12
  
  My understanding is that Hungary is currently off limits to UK residents.
- ACK says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 23:45
  
  Hungary was closed in a special way. Up until 7th of Aug, nobody without residency could enter, except for a) business purposes, b) after submitting a request for exeption which may or may not have been granted. The basic idea was to keep tourists / foreign citizens out of the country, but keep goods flowing. The current regulation is live since the 7th of Aug, which permits entry if having negative PCR test. I have to admit, I haven’t read the entire regulation as I’ve already given up travelling for the foreseeable future, but it seemed to me last week that the negative PCR test condition applies to anyone, regardless of residency. The PCR test needed to have been done in one of the selected countries, but from the looks of it, the UK belongs to this group.
AnotherUser says:

15 Aug15 August 14:09

Someone mentioned that Amex plat insurance covered changes to red list status of countries. If so, any pointers to which of the terms is relevant would be v helpful. Customer services didn’t want to say either way!
- Reney says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 14:11
  
  I recommend calling the axa helpline for amex plat rather than amex for help.
  - AnotherUser says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 20:20
    
    Thanks – will try that!
- K says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 15:16
  
  They do allow people in but quarantin is required. Another option is to spend 14 days in a Schengen country, then enter Hungary with a covid test. No quarantine required then. If you have a Hungarian passport, then it’s a different matter
Reney says:

15 Aug15 August 14:23

Testing question, going to Paris over the bank holiday weekend. I am planning to bring a testing kit with me for the return train. Hoping to order them tonight so have 2 weeks for them to arrive. I have read a lot of complaints recently about Qured, are there other options? MSE website has Chronomics and C19 as cheaper options but neither has a medical professional watching you take the test. I’m sure I read complaints here about Chronomics. I’ll also take Paris testing recommendation, will be staying near Opera.

Day 2 am thinking Expert Medical based on price or Collinson on site (twice the price thou). I don’t have a Randox drop off box near home.

Suggestions welcomed! Thanks
- Cats are best says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 15:00
  
  Overall I think Qured are ok, but as with every other provider they probably suffer from demand spikes or other issues that cause delays, missed appointments etc., certainly saw that happen with Biogroup a few weeks ago.
  
  People are far more likely to post reviews about problems than when things go well.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 17:09
  
  Nothing but good feedback here on Chronomics
  
  9 tests taken.
- Lyn says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 17:26
  
  Friends of ours took their tests (for return to the UK) in person at a French pharmacy and were really pleased with how efficient it was. Easy to make an appointment in person ahead of time, competent and quick tests, results in 2 – 3 hours, and less expensive than the UK. Small regional town, not Paris. Prices for tests are fixed in France I think. Our friends travelled back by car / channel tunnel and said everything had to be uploaded first and was checked in minute detail on arrival in the UK.
  
  There is apparently an online list of testing sites, but your hotel ought to be able to connect you with a pharmacy. The pharmacy outside the Le Grand hotel on the street facing the Opera are always helpful. I don’t know if the fact that you are there over a weekend would complicate things.
- Degsy says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 23:07
  
  We’ve recently used Breathe Assured for the UK return tests and then Expert Medical for Day2. Both about £35 a pop. Both arrived in very good time and both were very easy & positive experiences. Recommended.
Eppleby Green says:

15 Aug15 August 14:29

Is anyone having trouble with MMB on BA.com? We had paid for seats in CW from Boston, but the flight got cancelled. So rebooked whole itinerary to and from Chicago but when I try to reserve seats MMB says seats will be allocated at check-in! So where is the £150+ that I have paid. Emailed BA highlighting their T&C’s which states that they will refund charges if you are unhappy with the seats! We are clearly unhappy, and said so, but BA have refused to refund. Anyone got a solution?

This is the quote from BA’s T&C’s “ Paid seating is non-refundable unless:
1. We change your seat to an alternative that you’re unhappy with”
- meta says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 14:57
  
  Have you got the actual ticket? Check in manage my booking whether you have ticket starting with something like 125. If not, that means you can’t select seats. It doesn’t mean that they haven’t been put on hold for you. You just need to wait to be ticketed. This can happen at any point up to 48h before the flight.
  
  If you have actually been ticket, then just initiate chargeback/S75 claim via your credit card quoting BA’s T&C.
  - Eppleby Green says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 15:15
    
    We had etickets for the original booking and I assumed, probably wrongly, that these ticket numbers remained valid! It is now 22 days since I made the new booking!
  - Eppleby Green says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 15:23
    
    If I have to wait until up to 48 hours before the flight doesn’t this negate having to pay to select seats since I can choose my seats for free 7 days before the flight! It, also, means that the seats that we want will have, possibly, been chosen by other passengers. We chose specific seats on our original booking because my wife suffers from lymphodoema in her legs and if she can raise them then it eases the discomfort.
    - meta says:
      
      15 Aug15 August 15:39
      
      I’m sorry to hear that you have to go through this. It’s really nothing new from BA. Ticket numbers change, but booking number (PNR) stays the same. I’d call BA and put in a request for seats since you paid for them. Or you could contact them via Twitter.
      
      If they still refuse, then I’d initiate chargeback with the credit card for seats. I’m sorry, but that’s the only option available at the moment since BA is refusing. This might actually make them issue tickets and you’ll be able to select seats.
      - Eppleby Green says:
        
        15 Aug15 August 16:30
        
        Thus is the notice from our MMB, giving notice of the cancellation of the flight for which reserved seats: BA212 CANCELLED Logan International (MA) to Heathrow (London) Booking Reference XXXXXX
        29 Aug 2021 19:10
        30 Aug 2021 06:45 and this is what BA’s T&C’s state:
        
        Paid seating is non-refundable, unless:
        British Airways changes your seat to an alternative seat and you are unsatisfied with the alternative seat;
        British Airways cancels your flight;
        you become ineligible to sit in an exit row and you inform us at least 48 hours in advance of scheduled departure of your flight; or
        you have paid for a cabin upgrade and do not wish to pay the difference to select your seat in the upgraded cabin.
        
        And BA definitely cancelled the flight!
      - Lady London says:
        
        15 Aug15 August 22:06
        
        I’d certainly want my money back if I wasn’t able to select seats as soon as I’d paid to do that. I’d not put up with BA not having ticketed my flight as an excuse. Why should I pay and be left with the dregs if BA takes their time ticketing the flight?
- Harry T says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 16:11
  
  You can claim the cost of your seats back from a cancelled flight using a form on Ba’s website but I agree that doesn’t help with the fact you now aren’t receiving the product you paid for. The ideal resolution depends on whether you just want a refund or the seats you paid for. I suspect former easier than latter. I also think there’s a chance you haven’t been reticketed yet.
  - Eppleby Green says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 16:31
    
    Where is the form? I haven’t, as yet, spotted it!
Anna says:

15 Aug15 August 14:32

Anyone know the Cala Pi area of Mallorca? Need to find somewhere to do our return tests but there don’t seem to be any pharmacies nearby and the hotel wants 45 euros each. I’m wondering whether to order some to take with us now. It sounds a bit of a faff but might actually be more convenient than trying to hike somewhere miles away with a 5 year old!
- Economist_Nearby says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 16:09
  
  https://15minutetest.com/es/en are reasonable and very efficient.
- Simon says:
  
  16 Aug16 August 06:30
  
  No. But we went to Miguels for dinner there last night. Highly recommend !
Save East Coast Rewards says:

15 Aug15 August 14:40

The Bon Vivant web page says Hilton Impresario bookings get double base points. Does this mean you get double qualifying points and all other bonuses are stacked on that or does it just mean the value of double points in based on the base value like most other promos.

e.g. if you earned 2000 points would you get:
Impresario bonus 2000 points
Diamond 100% bonus 2000 points
Diamond myway bonus 1000 points
2021 double points promo 2000 points
Total 9000 points of which 2000 qualifying

Or does it mean
Base points 2000 doubled to 4000 due to Impresario
Diamond 100% bonus 4000
Dia myway bonus 1000
2021 double points promo 4000
Total 13000 points of which 4000 qualifying
- David says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 14:49
  
  The former, from experience and at least as far as I can remember.
- Rob says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 15:00
  
  I think only 2,000 are qualifying. If qualifying points were doubled Impressario would be a far bigger thing.
Stuart says:

15 Aug15 August 14:40

Hello, I’m double vaccinated and recovering from covid. I have a trip mid September, am I right thinking I will fail my day 2 pcr test and need to quarantine? Uk govt seem to suggest this – NHS will not retest a person for 90 days and fco say while some countries make an allowance for this the Uk doesn’t. I have a domestic trip at the end of September so can’t quarantine and also not sure what the point of a 6 month covid pass is in the NHS app if you still need to quarantine
- Matt says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 14:55
  
  You might test positive – it’s not guaranteed. We don’t test within 90 days because some people test positive weeks after infection, without still being infectious, but it’s not universal
  - meta says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 14:59
    
    By mid-September testing requirements for double vaccinated might change. I wouldn’t work until 1 Sep.
    - meta says:
      
      15 Aug15 August 15:00
      
      *worry
  - Ben W says:
    
    15 Aug15 August 16:37
    
    I’m thinking of doing a PCR under a false name to see if I still test positive on the basis of having it a month ago…
    - Rob says:
      
      15 Aug15 August 22:14
      
      Two weeks after infection seems to be good enough according to Government guidance but I have read of people still testing positive after a far longer gap, albeit they are usually in hospital at the time.
- Anna says:
  
  15 Aug15 August 16:29
  
  My nephew had Covid at the beginning of June. He was testing negative on lateral flow tests after 10 days and had a negative PCR test to travel at the end of July. He’s too young to be vaccinated and also was confirmed as having delta, so there’s clearly a lot of variation.