The HfP chat thread – Thursday 26th August

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Amy C says:

26 Aug26 August 17:50

Sky just posted this:

UK travel list updated

The Department for Transport has announced the update to the UK travel list.

Canada, Denmark, Finland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Switzerland, and the Azores will be added to the green list from 4am on 30 August.

Thailand and Montenegro will be moved to the red list at the same time.
- WaynedP says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 18:11
  
  Hmmm, prices up Qatar J class CPH-DOH-JNB and return with 11 night stay in Denmark to wash the Red List virus from my leprous self at cheaper and better appointed accommodation than HMP Houndslow.
  
  Factors in contribution towards hitting spend target of £5000 to get 10000 bonus Avios before end November.
  
  Factors in how strikingly close TP accumulation gets him to fabled BAEC Gold (simply unattainable in normal times), given confirmed double TPs due on earlier booked BA Holiday.
  
  Starts getting excited and mentally lining up most persuasive arguments in preparation for confronting Mrs dP.
  
  What could possibly go wrong ?
  - Amy C says:
    
    26 Aug26 August 18:16
    
    Love it! I’m desperate to go SA.
    - Yorkieflyer says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 18:24
      
      Yes and why is SA still on the Red list? Ridiculous
      - WaynedP says:
        
        26 Aug26 August 18:27
        
        I can see the justification for as long as India remained on the Red list …
        
        … oh, wait a minute …
      - meta says:
        
        26 Aug26 August 21:02
        
        It takes a lot of « lobbying » (read fill Bojo’s, Schapps’ and others coffers) to get off the red list.
- Yorkieflyer says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 18:45
  
  Is it October when this idiotic traffic light system is supposed to be reviewed?
  - Yorkieflyer says:
    
    26 Aug26 August 18:47
    
    While it persists no one of sound mind is going to bother booking outside Europe surely?
  - meta says:
    
    26 Aug26 August 21:03
    
    Ends 31 October. Then they need to vote again to extend traffic light system.
    - Blenz101 says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 21:25
      
      They will extend it for so long as it’s popular.
      
      Doing what Australia does is always a vote winner on tough borders. Just need somewhere suitably foreign. Would Spain have ever gone red if the “risk assessment” justified it?
      
      These meaningless multiple tests, restrictions, locator forms, tracking phone calls etc. are lovely theatre to be seen to being tough, cracking down, saving the country from foreign variants (happy to export the Kent one though).
BP says:

26 Aug26 August 18:26

Just been asked for Source of Funds / Identity verification on Curve due to the high volume of Ernie transactions. Oops!
- Tom says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 18:33
  
  What sort of numbers are we talking?
  - BP says:
    
    26 Aug26 August 18:37
    
    1/2 my annual income every month
    - BP says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 18:38
      
      NS&I done a check and were satisfied with the evidence provided. I do earn a decent salary so have plenty of disposable income.
    - Si says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 18:40
      
      Keep us updated. Hopefully just a warning shot across the bow…
      
      It curve that has requested the info or it the underlying card(s)?
      - BP says:
        
        26 Aug26 August 19:09
        
        It’s Curve. I know plenty of others on here have had the same check so hopefully just a formality.
    - Degsy says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 19:56
      
      Yikes, good effort. That’s proper big boy stuff. I’m small time in comparison.
    - Babyg says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 23:19
      
      1/2 your salary could by any amount.. how muchy in real £££, im guessing it must many thousands per month the move the needle with curve.. hopefully your using curve for normal stuff too..
      - BP says:
        
        26 Aug26 August 23:24
        
        I earn a decent 6-figure salary. So let’s say more than £50k a month.
- S says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 20:20
  
  I’m getting in touch to let you know that due to the high volume of transaction to American Express and HMRC. In addition, these payments are being done by credit on credit and therefore we require some verification.
  
  If you could please provide the following information:
  
  Explanation of your transaction activity
  Confirmation of your occupation and proof of income such as payslips
  Documentation to support any source of income e.g. payslips, HMRC tax returns, savings account statements etc.
  
  We have also noticed a number of funding cards added to your Curve account under a different name. Could you please confirm your relation to the cardholder?
  
  Please note that we prefer our customers to only add funding cards that belong to them and kindly ask that you remove these cards from your account and confirm once this has been done.
  
  Please note that we have had to place a block on your card. Let us know directly once you have successfully uploaded your proof of identity.
GaryE says:

26 Aug26 August 19:03

Booked end November Gatwick to Barbados – if the flight is moved to Heathrow (still showing as LGW), even if it keeps the same flight number, is the moving of the flight grounds for cancellation and ask for cash refund of deposit? Also concerned as it has now been mentioned that Barbados is also at risk of going amber – so not looking good for that reason also.
- Rob says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 19:49
  
  It won’t be moved. If BA stops flying entirely the slots are lost.
  
  Amber is not an issue either if vaccinated.
  
  Your bigger concern is what happens to you if you test positive on arrival. If unvaccinated your risk of 10 days ‘sharing a shower with 30 others’ as reported this week is clearly higher.
  - GaryE says:
    
    26 Aug26 August 21:06
    
    That’s the greatest fear – not the positive on arrival the more likely scenario is they coming calling after 3-5 days as someone on the plane has tested positive and they haul you off to Harrison Point!!
    - Eoc says:
      
      26 Aug26 August 22:54
      
      Just moved my 10 days in Barbados to 4 days there and flight to StLucia for remainder of trip. So if they found a case on my outward plane and came calling, I’d either be at the airport or gone. Question is would they haul me off the Harrison’s Point on my return for the connecting flight 5 days later😳
      - Rob says:
        
        27 Aug27 August 08:08
        
        You get a PCR on arrival and the results are done in 5 hours. You will be hauled off before you’ve unpacked. Pointless splitting your trip for that reason.
Jerry says:

26 Aug26 August 19:25

Have a 241 50% LHR-HND on 15th Sept. Only 1 BA flight showing for sale at an exhorbitant £1500 econ while JAL is £500. Is it likely BA is planning to cancel their only remaining flight? Playing chicken don’t want to blink first…
- mr_jetlag says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 22:26
  
  probably not cancelling this late but you’ve got until 24hr before to apply for FTV.
  - Jerry says:
    
    26 Aug26 August 22:49
    
    Thank you. Looking like FTV and goodbye to 50% avios discount. I picked the wrong replacement flight when the May booking was cancelled, any of the other 2 daily flights would have done!
Luke says:

26 Aug26 August 19:36

I guess this won’t stack with PAW, as that only works with Visa/MasterCard right?
Yorkieflyer says:

26 Aug26 August 20:01

In other news, EasyJet has extended their free change 2 hrs before travel from 30 September to 31 December
Simon says:

26 Aug26 August 20:20

Evening, did everyone who booked a stay receive the bonus 10,000 IHG point from the credit card stay promotion around June time? Mine and the wife’s hasn’t been paid and I’m still waiting on a response from Creation.
Thanks
- Dani says:
  
  26 Aug26 August 23:41
  
  Email pong pong…wait til 6 weeks post checkout..
  
  You have a battle ahead
APB says:

26 Aug26 August 20:21

Have booked a Eurofins test online in Marseille for our 72hr test pre return to the UK. The charge at the end before I pressed book showed as €0.00 – can that be right?