The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 6th October

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

• DavidW says:

  6 Oct6 October 19:33

  Random, but I noticed that my BA TLV-LHR flight on December 30 has been switched from a normal B777 to a “densified” Gatwick 777 with 3-4-3 seating. I guess they are starting to use the Gatwick fleet to add a bit of capacity to some LHR flights. Anyone else noticed this elsewhere? What are they like in the denser config?

  • Richie says:

    6 Oct6 October 20:46

    The new Heathrow B773s have been delivered with 3-4-3 seating, densification is wide ranging amongst B777s. I’m too broad to be comfortable in these narrow seats.

• Ash says:

  6 Oct6 October 19:45

  So a bit of a wierd one – but apparently H&M don’t accept Amex anymore?? I ordered something online only 2 weeks ago and it went through. Tonight just tried to purchase something and kept getting error message “VD2”. Contacted Chat agent and she said try again in 24hrs and when I enquired if they still accept Amex, she said they don’t accept anymore??

  • Harrier25 says:

    6 Oct6 October 21:33

    As far as I was aware H&M only accepts Amex in store. I’ve never to be able to pay with Amex online.

    • Ash says:

      6 Oct6 October 22:13

      I bought something online on 21st September and went through fine using the regular card payment option, but now that’s not possible, so seems like a recent change. My packing slip even lists Amex as payment method directly. It’s very odd as the other companies in the group such as Weekday, Monki and &otherstories still seem to accept it. Seems a bit of step back not to accept it after doing so especially as becoming increasingly common for even small businesses to accept (a local Lebanese grocery store nr me even accepts it!). Also rather odd as pretty sure Amex and H&M have done promotions together including this summer! Anyway got around it by using PayPal…

      • meta says:

        6 Oct6 October 22:34

        Try putting Amex number as if Visa or Mastercard and then for security code just first three number instead of four numbers.

• Bill says:

  6 Oct6 October 20:04

  BBC Jon Sopel on Twitter saying travel to the USA is increasingly unlikely to open up

  • The cyclist says:

    6 Oct6 October 20:18

    Biden’s advisors had to give something to Bojo on his recent visit to crow about, ( non – existent special relationship etc etc) Given the Afghanistan withdrawl fiasco had put a stain on US/UK relations. Nothing for 17 days since the vague sometime in November press release.

    • Yorkie Aid says:

      6 Oct6 October 20:21

      Ermmm. The ban does also apply to the entire Shengen zone and ROI.

  • BJ says:

    6 Oct6 October 20:37

    No surprise there.

  • AL says:

    6 Oct6 October 20:42

    The thread – https://twitter.com/bbcjonsopel/status/1445790234256371721?s=21 – doesn’t exactly say that and has lots of caveats.

    One source has been briefed that opening in *early* November might not be possible because, amongst other things, the Proclamation applies to countries with differing vaccine proof requirements – UK and France given as examples of good proof apps.

    Much of the problem, as ever, is federal government is rarely aligned and states have control over local policy – a bit of a mess.

    But this isn’t “not opening”, this is “might be delayed a bit”. And so far only one source with this…

    Wait and see is my view. We might get UK-only policy applied to us, for example.

    • Andrew says:

      6 Oct6 October 21:30

      Oh dear – I did think that BA and Virgin were a bit previous with all their social media posts about the US opening up in November.

    • BJ says:

      6 Oct6 October 21:31

      I think what we got was the politics, which probably caught the regulators and possibly also the advisors off guard. Ever since they have probably been trying to reconcile themselves to a workable solution. Such wheels generally move slowly so that’s why I think November will more likely than not slip a bit.

      • Lyn says:

        7 Oct7 October 07:19

        Exactly. They may not announce a date until the workable solution is ready to go and then it will all be a bit of a scramble.

  • Bill says:

    6 Oct6 October 21:35

    I omitted…..”in early November”

• The cyclist says:

  6 Oct6 October 20:18

  strain even!

• Cambridge Dad says:

  6 Oct6 October 20:34

  The Foreign Office has drpped advice against travelling to:
  Algeria
  Armenia
  Bangladesh
  Belarus
  Benin
  Comoros
  Tokelau and Niue
  Djibouti
  Equatorial Guinea
  Fiji
  Gambia
  Guinea
  Kazakhstan
  Kiribati
  Kosovo
  Liberia
  Madagascar
  Malaysia
  Marshall Islands
  Micronesia
  Nauru
  Sao Tome and Principe
  Senegal
  Solomon Islands
  Togo
  Tonga
  Tuvalu
  Vanuatu
  Congo
  American Samoa
  French Polynesia
  Ghana

  I imagine that there will be some co-ordination with Transport Dept, so when tomorrow the new Red list is announced, all the countries above won’t be on that list plus a lot more countries coming off the Red list tomorrow will also see relaxed travel advice by the FCDO in the next few days (validating travel insurance policies).

  • Rob says:

    6 Oct6 October 21:15

    The correlation between Red List and this list has not been perfect so far.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      6 Oct6 October 23:26

      It has not but sounds like it will when it comes to advice for covid related travel yes/no

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    6 Oct6 October 22:01

    Yes I can finally go to Tuvalu! 🤣

    • Roy says:

      6 Oct6 October 23:02

      The small island nation whose main source of income is selling .tv domains

• Adam says:

  6 Oct6 October 20:46

  QQ:
  If I do a PCR test at Collinson St Pancras on Saturday 12:00 PM when should I expect the results to be back?

  • AL says:

    6 Oct6 October 20:50

    Within 48hrs. 3hrs at MAN, LHR, LGW and the O2. Or antigen – if accepted – available in 1hr from St Pancras

    • Adam says:

      6 Oct6 October 20:51

      Does 48 HRS apply on weekend too?
      I need it by Monday for Tuesday flight

• Aston100 says:

  6 Oct6 October 21:13

  If a guest and I want to get into a priority pass approved lounge, do I need to bring my Amex Plat card with me, or do I just swipe the black PP card twice?
  I can bring a guest for free right?

  • Rob says:

    6 Oct6 October 21:14

    Need to swipe the PP. Free guest, yes.

  • Peter K says:

    6 Oct6 October 22:09

    You don’t swipe twice. Just once and they sort for the 2 guests in that swipe. Just PP required.

• Bizboy says:

  6 Oct6 October 21:32

  Does anyone know of any sites I can get a discount code for EE?

  I know staff get 30% friends and family but I don’t know anyone who works there.

  TIA for any help or suggestions.

  • Sandgrounder says:

    6 Oct6 October 21:44

    Edenred if you/anyone you know is a civil servant

  • Matthew says:

    7 Oct7 October 01:06

    I have a 20% NHS discount on monthly EE plans if that’s something you’d be intersted in. Send me an email a m at cheung dot cloud

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