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The HfP chat thread – Friday 17th September

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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.

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Comments (588)

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

  • Charlie says:

    Can anyone tell me how enforced the mask wearing situation is on planes currently? I have a 5 hour flight to Egypt in November and just wondered how strict it was

    • KBuffett says:

      Why not just respect it or don’t fly if you don’t intend to,

      • Charlie says:

        Have a day off

        • Dominic says:

          To be fair, if you’re in economy, I shouldn’t have to sit next to you because you don’t want to follow the rules.

          Make your own decisions in open air, but don’t be selfish.

        • Russ says:

          Carriers have their own rules about this and which cabin you’re in. Give them a call nearer the date if they haven’t contacted you earlier.

    • Blenz101 says:

      You can take it off to eat and drink. If on a full service carrier you can likely spend most of the flight with a drink on the go. You will need to put it on to move around the plane for the toilet.

      If not eating or drinking you can expect cabin crew to to ask you to put on / pull up your mask as they pass through the cabin.

      • Charlie says:

        Thankyou

      • Rob says:

        The key is to fly business and keep drinking ….

        • Tony1 says:

          Best comment of the week ! Thanks @Rob

          • Nick says:

            In CE the other day, crew were actively telling customers to put masks back on. Yes you can eat and drink, but they weren’t allowing it to stay off even if you had a drink on the go – this was only ‘allowed’ during the meal. Must say I was a bit surprised how officious they were being but thankfully everyone did comply so it didn’t become an issue.

          • Rob says:

            Not seen that on my four CE trips recently.

        • Degsy says:

          That’s my MO. As, I suspect, it is for most people on here. Certainly the first part.

      • Jane says:

        Kids too? Or just adults??

        • Nick says:

          I haven’t flown as much as Rob recently so can’t say how often it‘s like that… but it was very noticeable and I think they’d have been very strict if anyone hadn’t complied (and is the rules, so can’t really complain).

          It’s term time so we didn’t have any school-age children (at least in CE, I didn’t look down the back). The crew didn’t insist on masking the toddler – but his parents did, at least for part of the flight.

        • Blenz101 says:

          Varies by airline. Emirates is everyone over 6 for example.

    • Mike says:

      Charlie – mask wearing is there to protect others. So man up and wear a mask

      • Rob says:

        As there is, globally, no evidence of anyone with Delta covid getting Delta twice (AFAIK), there is zero benefit to anyone who has had covid in recent months wearing a mask.

      • Rob says:

        Don’t show your face in London Mike, it won’t end well for you! I was with the great and the good at the 500-strong Royal Academy party on Tuesday and zero masks, I was at The Aviation Club with 109 others on Thursday for lunch with Finnair’s CEO – no masks.

        • JDB says:

          Masks were worn at Glyndebourne (I know it’s not in London) on Sunday and by almost all at the Vaudeville and Arts Theatres in London the previous week.

        • Yorkieflyer says:

          More fool you all

    • Memesweeper says:

      Not enforced by BA on my recent flight to Porto.

      Assiduously enforced by the same airline on the way back.

  • Andrew says:

    LBG community?

    A 10% offer for Bicester Village has popped up on both my BoS and MBNA accounts this afternoon. £30 max return.

  • ChrisC says:

    looks like all is not well in the BA / BALPA / New LGW arrangements world

    see post 252 onwards but in summary the BALPA ballot has been pulled because BA has apparently reneaged on some key protections that had been negotiated.

    https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2050762-ba-planning-launch-low-cost-shorthaul-subsidiary-gatwick-2022-a-17.html#post33559577

  • Rich says:

    QQ re BA Hols.

    Have booked a Holiday to Greece, and paid the deposit only. May now prefer Turkey now it’s off the Red list.

    Best way forward: call BAH to change, or new booking and cancel the original for a FTV? Do I need to pay the balance on the Greece trip before cancelling?

    • ChrisC says:

      No you don’t have to pay the balance – you can get an FTV just for the existing deposit.

      Personally I’d cancel the Greece booking for the FTV, then book the Turkey trip online paying the deposit then when it comes to paying the balance reply to the FTV email (saying please apply this voucher to this new booking reference) which would save you a call and then pay the revised balance in cash.

    • Rich says:

      Thanks for the quick response.

  • Phil W says:

    My wife and I are due to fly EDIFRASZG tomorrow with LH. My understanding is that:

    – No German Pre-registration required because we are transiting.

    – No Austrian Pre-registration required because we are fully vaccinated.

    To test this was correct I tried completing both pre-registrations. The German one I get stuck at the page where you need to provide an address for 10 days and the Austrian one explicitly provides an error message stating you don’t need to pre-register if you are vaccinated.

    So earlier today I uploaded both our Vaccination Certificates to the LH website (both brand new Scottish certificates). Subsequently my wife received an email stating her documentation wasn’t sufficient but no real clue as to why. I’ve received nothing.

    I’ve tried calling LH but to no avail, they cannot help and direct me to the airport.

    Am I right to suspect that this is just human error, or have I missed something?

  • Dominic says:

    At Luton Airport. Never ventured here; got to be the worst London airport?

  • VerdantBacon says:

    To add to the Plat Amex dining credit data points, referred a friend to Plat last week, card arrived yesterday and he asked Amex chat if the offer is still available to be saved, got it added to his account right away and is showing as a saved offer.

  • rosie keeper says:

    If I get the Amex Marriott bonvoy card how long does it take for the elite nights to post and show on your Marriott account ? Also do they count when taken out a platinum challenge were 16 nights are required to keep it

    • E says:

      They don’t count for the challenge. Has to be actual nights in hotels.

      Not sure how long the credit card nights are taking to post at the moment though.

    • Rob says:

      Usually within 2 weeks. They don’t count for the Platinum challenge though – and neither do reward nights.

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