The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 25th August

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

We are running this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions. With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind. At this tricky time, and given that many of you are at home, we want the HfP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article. This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page. If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here. This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

Category

General

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

MW says:

25 Aug25 August 14:34

After two days of trying managed to book Expert Medicals Day 2 PCR. Seems like they are still around, after all.
- Keely says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 14:45
  
  Thanks! Was just about to give up ..
- Anna says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 14:47
  
  I’ve just noticed that! Most of them don’t seem to be turning up but if you just want a cheap code for your PLF …
  - MW says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 16:09
    
    Exactly! Got a DPD “shipped” notification already though, so hopefully all good.
    - Hak says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 17:44
      
      That seems to be an automatically generated thing as my test is meant to be here today and DPD states the goods are not at their depot.
- DZOO says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:22
  
  Thanks! Fill yer boots people!
  - Anna says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 16:08
    
    It’s not clear what happens if and when they are booted off the official supply list so maybe not a good idea to buy too far in advance?!
    - MW says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 16:10
      
      It’s a good point, but as you already have a test (and reference number), I am not sure what else you can do… Any supplier test (theoretically) carries the same risk.
      - Alex M says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 16:13
        
        Could not get to the payment page 5 minutes ago…
AL says:

25 Aug25 August 14:39

Hotel irons. Are they all rubbish? And, why? Do some chains have better irons and boards than others?!
- E says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 14:57
  
  Must be like the quality of kettles…
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:19
  
  Pretty much. No matter how good the hotel the irons are crap
  - JDB says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 15:29
    
    Good hotels don’t have an iron in the room as they will iron simple things for you at no charge.
    - MW says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 16:13
      
      I don’t think I have ever stayed in a hotel that didn’t charge a fortune for ironing/laundry.
      - Doogie says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 18:38
        
        I had the manager of a small independent tell me to ask at the desk for him to personally iron my shirt next time I visited, after I used the old hang in a steamy shower trick, which triggered the fire alarm and caused a full evac! Oops!
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 17:09
      
      While I’ve never stayed anywhere you might consider “super luxury” ie about £1k a night the best I’ve had is a couple of piece a day so one each which isn’t enough.
      
      From memory In the U.K. neither Corinthia, Four Seasons 10 Trinity, Claridges or Connaught offered to iron for free instead of bring me an iron for example.
  - Tony1 says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 17:49
    
    Was told that some “guests” use them to make toasted sarnies ….. ugg
    - Tracey says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 21:27
      
      Not as bad as people allegedly boiling their undies in the kettle.
- Anna says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 16:07
  
  As a reluctant but experienced ironer my theory is that hotel irons tend not to be the steam variety and are therefore less effective, and more prone to burning, which ruins the surface for future users.
  - Blenz101 says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 16:13
    
    Don’t understand why more hotels don’t offer ironing rooms. Well other than that they can charge for a proper pressing service.
    - Scott says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 16:26
      
      The Moxy at LHR had some sort of designated ironing room last time I was there. No idea how useful it is though.
      - Mike says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 17:04
        
        I imagine it’s usefulness would be related to wether or not you needed to iron something
      - Blenz101 says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 17:16
        
        A small room with a couple of quality well maintained ironing boards, high quality steam irons, heck even a trouser press if they feel like it is a dream only need it on a couple of floors. Surely a preferable solution to hotel operators than maintaining hundreds of crap irons and ironing boards that are likely to cause complaints as they impart the lasts guests burnt fabrics to your own. Not to mention risk of leaving them on. And the hot water I must have wasted over the years trying to steam my clothes crease free in the bathroom….
      - The Savage Squirrel says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 20:35
        
        “I imagine it’s usefulness would be related to wether or not you needed to iron something”
        
        This wins today! 😀
    - Eoc says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 18:19
      
      Lots do in the Fatherland
    - Michael C says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 18:56
      
      The old Strand Palace (i.e. pre-repaint and tripling of prices) had an ironing room on every other floor: so handy!
      - Rob says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 19:02
        
        My parents had their honeymoon there back in 1966!
  - Memesweeper says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 18:08
    
    The Apex Hotel in Temple, London offers an adequate steam iron 😁
- Harry T says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 18:10
  
  I’ve seen a couple of decent irons in hotels but most are rubbish, even at the relatively higher end.
- Craig says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 18:30
  
  Good for frying an egg on?
- Tracey says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 21:26
  
  Hair straighteners work very well as a substitute iron.
- AL says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 23:26
  
  The one at the Trafalgar St James prompted me this comment – shambles of an iron, which needed a proper clean and a crap ironing board without proper padding. Didn’t ever consider asking for my shirt to be ironed by front desk – seems a bit too lazy! About to invest in a travel steamer to see what they’re about…
berneslai says:

25 Aug25 August 14:44

What’s the deal with the Windsor/Heathrow Marriott hotel? It doesn’t seem to be designated as a quarantine hotel but it appears to be unbookable for any dates in 2021.
- KBuffett says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 14:58
  
  It’s a hole anyway.
- Paul Pogba says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:17
  
  Many unbookable hotels are being used to house the boat people.
Nick B says:

25 Aug25 August 14:57

Hi there. Does anyone know if BA are still running flights to Chile. Have a trip booked in November on a 241 and want to know if it is likely to be cancelled. Would be a good result to allow me to move the trip by 12 months to when things are more normal.
- Rhys says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:26
  
  A quick search suggests they are still operating.
- JDB says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:32
  
  The South America schedules for next (early) spring are in the process of being changed. Buenos Aires has just changed to a daily A350 via GRU (like the old days, albeit then on a jumbo) instead of direct 787-8.
KBuffett says:

25 Aug25 August 15:14

QPark – does anyone have any discount methods / money back methods?
- StevieKicks says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:40
  
  They have their own QPark Rewards app (whitelabel clone of Airtime Rewards), worth a look
- Rui N. says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 15:53
  
  I have 15%off in my Curve at the moment. At least some of them can also be booked on yourparkingspace at lower rates than going direct.
- The Savage Squirrel says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 20:36
  
  Curve, Natwest Rewards, Virgin. Barclays Rewards too I think. The chances of it NOT being in your card reward section for at least one credit card you have is quite low 😀 .
Rui N. says:

25 Aug25 August 15:54

Had some xmas flights on BA that were just moved from LGW to LHR. So I guess BA won’t be flying a lot from LGW for the winter season still.
- Tracy says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 16:34
  
  My porto flights from LGW in March moved to LHR too
JohnT says:

25 Aug25 August 16:17

PS Virgin Credit Cards – wanted to downgrade to avoid annual fee this year, was advised today “need to cancel Reward+ one first, then reapply for Reward card. When this is rejected, appeal based on wanting to downgrade” – Simples!
- Amy C says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 17:04
  
  Really, what faffery! I also want to downgrade. Need to spend £2k by Oct 3rd first though. Loathe to pay another £160 but been thinking about it all day and wondering whether it’s worth just sucking it up. After Oct I’ll have 2 vouchers, hopefully they can’t take them away but probably not enough points to make good use of them. Aghhhh decisions!
  - Reney says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 18:27
    
    amex plat sign up bonus would help you get more points
r* says:

25 Aug25 August 16:21

A bit of an open question but I cant decide where to go and have banked easyjet flights to all of them (for sept, before bozos’ randomizer adds anywhere else to the red list ), but any recommendations for any areas/hotels on a spanish island/greek island or madeira? Not including tenerife cos im there atm 🙂

Do greek islands still do random test on arrival?
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 17:01
  
  Turkey if rumours are to be beloved I’ll be jetting off to Edition bodrum … 🤞🏽
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 17:01
    
    *Believed!
    
    Are you staying at the RC Abama?
    - Harry T says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 20:23
      
      I love the RC Abama
- Eoc says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 18:21
  
  Crete last week no. Even the PLF check was a random wave thru once they saw the front page- from 5 yards….
- Paul says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 19:43
  
  It depends what you want. Just had a week on Naxos. Very much a laid back place t shirt and shorts. Would recommend Prokopious.
  Now on Santorini where I last visited with a back pack at 17! 41 years later and you only back pack here if it is with Louis Vuitton back pack.
  Breathtaking in every respect including prices! I wouldn’t mind but it’s not value for money
  - Yorkieflyer says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 20:08
    
    Shush, please don’t spread the word about Naxos
- Anthony says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 20:12
  
  There was random testing at Santorini airport on my arrival 10 days ago. I didn’t get pulled over but there were visible curtains / testing just after passport control
- Tracey says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 21:23
  
  Someone on here recommended the Cliff Bay, Madeira. Ended up booking Belmond Reid’s Palace – will report back.