The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 25th August

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Mco says:

25 Aug25 August 16:24

Has anyone managed to find a workaround to printing a 100 pages from BA’s MMB if you need to carry your flight details with you.

Why BA.com can’t print the itinerary on 1 page rather than most pax wasting so many sheets.
- JDB says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 16:38
  
  There is a ‘print flight itinerary’ option that prints on one page.
  - Nick says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 17:13
    
    You could also ‘print to pdf’ and then selectively print that way. Or just save paper and keep it online like everyone else.
  - Mco says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 17:17
    
    Print itinerary prints off almost 8 pages. Save as PDF also saves across 8 pages and I need to print most of them to get the flight details.
    - JDB says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 17:25
      
      I just tried it again to check and got one page, but that doesn’t have things like ticket number. The print e-ticket is on loads of pages.
      - Lady London says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 17:34
        
        Print 2-up per page and reverse after choosing which pages on print to pdf?
- Travel Strong says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 18:57
  
  Haven’t tried for a while – but you used to get a much nicer summary by putting the booking ref into the Qatar’s site! (also oneworld, so still displays. Was a really nice layout in comparison!)
BlueDogz says:

25 Aug25 August 16:25

I booked a flight last month that has since been cancelled. When coming to the refund options, I’d prefer an evoucher. If I select that with I get the evoucher or will it be a FTV?
Don’t want to press the option without knowing for sure. Thanks
- Reney says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 16:36
  
  was it cash or avios booking? former is evoucher latter is FTV.
  - Nick says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 17:14
    
    You can’t pick and choose, it’s up to BA which version you get. MOST cash fares are sent as e-vouchers but there’s no guarantee.
- Lady London says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 17:50
  
  If the airline cancelled your flight you have a right to receive your refund in cash.
  
  Mysteriously though the previously existing Refund button on the BA website that did give you the option to select cash, has disappeared. So you’ll be forced to call but they can’t refuse.
  
  If airline cancelled and not you, you also have the right to choose to rebook it to any later date of your choice instead at no extra cost, no admin charge and no extra avios if you used any.
Gavin says:

25 Aug25 August 16:27

What’s wrong with Heathrow today? The arrivals queue (UK passports) goes twice round two sides of the whole of T5A. Totally crazy!
- JDB says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 16:39
  
  I understand a lot of Border Force staff have been seconded to Brize Norton and other places receiving inbound Afghan flights.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 17:02
    
    Why wouldn’t the egates be open?
    - George K says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 17:25
      
      presumably because the egates also require border force personnel to operate them (they are not automated, despite popular belief..)
      - Sina says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 20:18
        
        I hope you’re joking?!
        
        How people come up with these theories and so assertive, I have no idea?!
      - JDB says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 21:15
        
        George K is correct re e-gates that need some Border Force presence as well as manning a desk for the people who fail at the e-gate.
      - ChrisC says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 21:44
        
        Sina because if you have a quick look at the manned booth after you’ve cleared the gate you can see the agent looking at half a dozen or so monitors (one for each gate) showing the picture from the camera and the picture from your passport and making the final decision whether to let you through or not.
        
        It’s not a theory or an assertion it’s a fact. UKBF have stated this.
    - Gavin says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 21:47
      
      The e-gates were open, but only maybe 6 of them. However, the queuing system was inefficient and the gates were often not being used despite the 1000s of people queuing down the corridors outside of the immigration area.
Ryan says:

25 Aug25 August 16:31

Good times indeed, definitely made hay whilst that sun was shining!

They ran a 1% back promotion which was similar to BOE printing money…
Tracy says:

25 Aug25 August 16:32

Just got email from BA changing my airport from LGW to LHR for a flight to Porto in March 2022, return also changed to LHR. Unfortunately as I’m coming from the regions I also booked GLA to LGW to coincide but on seperate bookings. I did book the regional flights for a few days before outbound and one day after return. Don’t care about outbound change as I will be staying in London for a few days first but on the return was just going to overnight at LGW airport hotel and leave in the morning. Don’t really fancy a trip from LGW to LHR before checking into hotel. What am I able to ask BA to do?
- Red Flyer says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 16:47
  
  Same here for my January Porto Avios flights. However, suits me better as coming from the North West to start/finish at LHR rather than LGW.
  - ankomonkey says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 16:53
    
    Mine also changed from LGW to LHR. I booked last weekend using the 2p/Avios offer. Now I can cancel for an e-voucher without risking the wrath of BA for taking the pi55 of the offer. It’s their fault I now need to cancel 🙂
    - Tracy says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 17:05
      
      Unfortunately they are not changing my regional flights…..
      - Nick says:
        
        25 Aug25 August 17:17
        
        If you booked on a single PNR, then you can ask for your connections to be changed as well – there will be no problem with this. If you booked on separate itineraries… well, sorry, but there’s nothing they need to do. And it’s not as if you couldn’t have foreseen travel disruption during covid!
- Tracy says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 19:04
  
  Yes, separate PNRs unfortunately. Bloody annoying as only booked on Saturday. Thankfully it doesn’t impact my travel…..might phone BA and ask nicely if the could change the final booking to LHR to GLA, don’t ask you don’t get 🙂
Stephen says:

25 Aug25 August 17:26

Hi all – just trying to plan strategically ahead for 2023. Armed with new BA 241 and the new Barclays upgrade voucher when it hits am I right in thinking they are both bound by same rules for open jaw bookings? Basically I am trying to work out an itinerary going westbound with 5-7 days in each of French Polynesia + New Zealand. It looks like flight to LAX is best way to position for PPT but then I think Tokyo would be only option to ensure both BA flights are longer than distance between start of inbound flight and LAX. Anyone have any brighter idea?
The other thought I had since I was considering a brief trip to Easter Island from PPT was if we flew to Santiago and then flew back from Sydney allegedly Santiago is 200m closer to Sydney than it is to London so I think this would be ok. Then we could hop Santiago to Easter Island to PPT to Auckland, do NZ and then hop down to Sydney for flight home – thoughts?
One thing to bear in mind is we both work so I need to do all this as time efficiently as possible (1 reason to go westbound!)
Any advice appreciated – we are used to time constrained itineraries for all those who say I am crazy for looking at 2-2 1/2 weeks timeframe to do all this!!
- JDB says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 17:49
  
  I’m sorry not to be able to help on the technical questions, but re Easter Island it is totally magical and really worth fitting into your itinerary if you can. Explora there is vv expensive but I would definitely go back; it’s comfortable and they organise all the trips etc brilliantly as they do in their other locations. Family don’t like constrained time itineraries so they all stayed in Uruguay while I went!
- Doc says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 17:55
  
  If you want to include Easter Island and PPT, then Santiago would be better. You can fly Santiago to Easter Island directly (classed as a domestic flight with LATAM) and there was a once weekly direct flight from Easter Island to PPT pre-covid with LATAM. If that is back on, then saves you double backing and from PPT, you can fly to NZ and then Australia (obviously all dependent on COVID restrictions etc).
  If you want to miss out Easter Island, LAX is best to go to PPT with Air Tahiti Nui and Air France options or you can go to SFO and fly with United or low cost French Bee.
  - Stephen says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 21:34
    
    Thanks very much. This is very much for a post covid world!
George K says:

25 Aug25 August 17:53

General knowledge question: Does anyone know what rules apply for a father taking their kid TO the UK and back (to another EU country), without the mother travelling? It’s a simple holiday for the kid, but the guy is a UK resident (but the kid and mother are not). Would he need any paperwork?
- JDB says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 17:59
  
  You need to check in the country the child is leaving from and if the parents are separated, what the formal child arrangements are which may specify the requirements for taking the child out of the jurisdiction. Some countries do require the authorisation of the absent parent. I only know this as my wife is often asked to certify documents for friends needing to do this!
- JDB says:
  
  25 Aug25 August 18:05
  
  Sorry, I should have added that even if it isn’t a legal requirement in either country, it is a good idea to have some paperwork in case questions are asked – some immigration officers are quite sensitive to this.
  - George K says:
    
    25 Aug25 August 18:25
    
    Thank you. There is no actual separation. They are still happily married. It’s just that for various reasons he is considered a UK resident, and he splits his time between the countries. I’ll tell him to have some sort of paperwork with him
    - John says:
      
      25 Aug25 August 20:10
      
      Have the mother available to be video called during the time they are passing through airports. So-called written consent can be easily fabricated…
      
      I don’t think the “residency” of the father is relevant unless there is some complicated visa situation, for example the if father is in the UK on a work visa – then the child would normally be on a dependent visa but not in this case, so there might be questions as to whether he is trying to bring the child to live in the UK.
will says:

25 Aug25 August 18:11

Yeah I got over £3k out of that paypal Debit card during the 1% time 🙂