The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 25th August

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• StevieKicks says:

  25 Aug25 August 13:16

  Deal with Caxton: Load their prepaid card with £10, get £10 bonus
  https://business.caxtonfx.com/aff/partners/holiday-extras-10/

  There are fees to withdraw at an ATM, but you can either use the card with PayPal to send money to ‘friends & family’ or to top up an Amazon balance

  • FatherOfFour says:

    25 Aug25 August 13:32

    Used to have one of these, it’s squirrelled away somewhere. It says on their website NO fees to withdraw at ATM, but are you saying this is not the case? How does Caxton compare to Currensea?

    • StevieKicks says:

      25 Aug25 August 14:08

      No fees to use an ATM abroad, there is a fee to use an ATM in the UK though (think it’s about £1.50).

      Not sure on the rates as I only got it for the sign up bonus 🙂

    • StevieKicks says:

      25 Aug25 August 14:08

      Unlike Currensea it does require you to manually top up, so a bit more of a hassle

      • Ed says:

        25 Aug25 August 14:10

        If you were to sign up and decide against ongoing use, what would be the most efficient way to make use the remaining balance in GBP? Paying a friend via PayPal? Or atm?

        • StevieKicks says:

          25 Aug25 August 14:50

          Paying a friend via PayPal. That’s exactly what I’ve just done, banked the bonus and will be cancelling the card within a week 🙂

      • kitten says:

        25 Aug25 August 17:40

        Does this issue a physical card?

        • StevieKicks says:

          25 Aug25 August 21:35

          Yes, takes a few days to arrive after the top up

• Rav says:

  25 Aug25 August 13:18

  Question here – given the article I read about BA charging loads and long wait times. I want to make a booking for myself and the family that has one avios ticket and 2 cash tickets (not enough avios availability).
  Does anyone know if this is possible on one booking before I attempt to spend hours on the phone.

  • JDB says:

    25 Aug25 August 13:21

    No, it is not possible to have a cash booking and Avios booking on the same PNR.

    • Rav says:

      25 Aug25 August 13:22

      Thanks – guess I will just make 2 bookings and hope we sit together

      • Anna says:

        25 Aug25 August 13:29

        We do this most years and rarely have issues getting seats together. If you absolutely have to all be together (e.g. small children), you can always use cash or avios to reserve seats as soon as you’ve made the bookings.

        • Tracey says:

          25 Aug25 August 13:30

          If you have small children BA are obliged to ensure they are not left sitting alone.

        • Anna says:

          25 Aug25 August 13:59

          I would think that’s only if you’re all all on the same booking, however I assumed OP would not be making a booking for children alone, rather one adult plus children, and 2nd adult on a separate booking!

      • Tracey says:

        25 Aug25 August 13:29

        If you are gold you could phone the gold line and ask for a note to be put on your record. That said a bit of careful manoeuvring when check in opens can usually yield seats together. Though we have had one or two journeys where he (with the gold card) has been upgraded.

        • Anna says:

          25 Aug25 August 14:02

          OH is Bronze and a couple of years ago we arrived at MAN to be told our domestic leg to LHR was cancelled. OH on cash ticket offered re-routing, son and I on avios told to come back in 2 days for the next flight! Needless to say we stood our ground with that one and BA ended up paying £300 for our taxi to LHR.

• Tracey says:

  25 Aug25 August 13:27

  A moan. Loaded all the documents, vaccine certificates to BA and still can’t check in online! Wish I hadn’t bothered.

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    25 Aug25 August 13:29

    Seems to be a common thing now – also shuts airportr out which can’t be all that amusing to them either…

  • Rob says:

    25 Aug25 August 15:36

    When we went to Spain last week, 3 of us could and 1 could not. No logic to it.

• H says:

  25 Aug25 August 13:49

  Hi. Has anyone returned from Dubai recently using the Chronomics test?

  • Blenz101 says:

    25 Aug25 August 14:17

    Someone here was looking to try this but don’t think they reported back.

    I will just repeat what I said last time, the only type of test available in Dubai is full on PCR test capped by law at 120AED and available right across the city with no booking / queues or hassle.

    If you are not taking a proper PCR test the risk you run is that you encounter a check in agent can’t match up your test type to what their guidance says and worst case you are denied boarding or best case you have time have to pay for and take a rapid PCR test anyway. There are also some rumblings based on Sky News reports that the UK may got to a full PCR test being required at the next travel corridor update.

    In short, no saving to be made over taking a ‘gold standard’ test locally, slight risk that it won’t be acceptable to the airline (but would be to the UK if you got that far as things stand). I guess you know there is some risk or wouldn’t have asked.

    • Harry T says:

      25 Aug25 August 14:22

      I’d be getting a PCR for 120 AED/24 GBP!

      • Blenz101 says:

        25 Aug25 August 14:31

        Had one this morning for travel back to the UK on Friday. Was in and out of my local Aster clinic within 10 mins and as an extra bonus it was just the slightest tickle in the nostril.

        I really begrudge paying 60+ EURO and having a deep brain probe in both nostrils and down the back of the throat although I suppose you do get value for money in the thoroughness of the collecting!

    • TGLoyalty says:

      25 Aug25 August 14:56

      Nt sure what the issue is as the UK Gov website specifically says antigen and all the BA staff I’ve ever encountered in Dubai are british.

      anyway no mention of pre departure PCR changes here https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-turkey-expects-to-be-removed-from-red-list-when-travel-rules-reviewed-later-this-week-12388876

      • Blenz101 says:

        25 Aug25 August 16:10

        No idea which airline H is flying. The issue is that there are very specific specificity and sensitivity requirements for a test other than PCR to be valid.

        If the check in counter representative can’t match whatever the non-PCR test states with what is on their screen at the time of check-in then an issue arises.

        The basic point was that gold standard PCR tests are cheap and plentiful and for just a few pounds more they will even come to your hotel and take a sample. There is zero risk of being turned away with this test type (other than if you test positive!)

• Neal says:

  25 Aug25 August 14:00

  New Accor experience
  Le Jasmine package for Chelsea flower show (retails for £402) and overnight stay at the Mantis Draycott Hotel with breakfast for 24th Sep

  18K – 20K points

  Bargain

  • Rob says:

    25 Aug25 August 15:32

    Accor asked us not to cover until Friday so we are sitting on it.

• Anna says:

  25 Aug25 August 14:05

  Re – non-arriving day 2 tests. Just found a post on MSE saying that someone returned from an amber country while the quarantine requirement was in place and his tests hadn’t arrived. He told Test & Trace this when they called him and they said to call 119 and they would post him a free one. Think this might be a plan …

  • Sam G says:

    25 Aug25 August 14:21

    why would you bother being proactive about it if you are Amber + vaxxed? If my test doesn’t turn up and T&T contacts me then I would, otherwise I won’t be worrying!

    • Anna says:

      25 Aug25 August 14:46

      Granted, but I have several friends who have ordered these tests and aren’t as laid back about it as we are here! Also given some of the fines issued for spurious breaches of covid rules last year I wouldn’t put it past the government to start dishing them out to boost the coffers.

      That said, the website is now letting you go through to the payment page so if anyone wants a cheap code to put on their PLF, now might be the time to get it!

• Memesweeper says:

  25 Aug25 August 14:23

  Jersey Airport has confirmed that British Airways will continue to operate its route to the island from London Heathrow for the winter 2021 season. (HT London Flyer on Twitter)

  • Lady London says:

    25 Aug25 August 17:45

    Oh dear I hope that wasn’t on the basis of the bookings for JER last weekend 🙂

  • Guernsey Globetrotter says:

    25 Aug25 August 19:01

    Yes – the Trotter family had a sudden need for 120 tickets on that route recently !

    • Louie says:

      26 Aug26 August 00:19

      That’s good going 🙂

• Simon says:

  25 Aug25 August 14:28

  BA cancellation roulette again….. Looks like Porto early September flights aren’t being cancelled. Any ideas for the next likely culling. Be nice to cash in a FTV….

  • Sam G says:

    25 Aug25 August 14:36

    Looks like they’re kicking off with a Wednesday-Friday-Sunday pattern. Could try the Thursday/Saturday flights later in the month?

    • Simon says:

      25 Aug25 August 15:32

      Thanks. Worth a shot !

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