The HfP chat thread – Friday 8th October

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• aDifferentSimon says:

  8 Oct8 October 09:53

  Anyone tried to request a plastic card rather than a metal one from amex? It’s too heavy!
  I think I’d rather have some kind of compostable card than a metal one (pretty hard with a chip in I guess)

  • Sam G says:

    8 Oct8 October 09:59

    get a gold card (free in y1) or the rewards credit card – the earn rate is the same & you can ask amex on chat to merge the MR accounts & leave “the beast” at home. Otherwise load it in your google or apple pay. rarely actually use the card physically these days!

  • TGLoyalty says:

    8 Oct8 October 10:01

    Just order yourself a gold or green supp and carry that around.

    • Harrier25 says:

      8 Oct8 October 10:20

      When you order a Gold or Green supp for yourself on your Platinum account I assume you don’t have to pay the card fee of those cards too, but do you still get the standard benefits of those cards such as Deliveroo credit, double points on airline bookings etc?

      • Jonathan says:

        8 Oct8 October 10:24

        It’s weird but this is never mentioned here on HfP, even though there’s a large number of readers who’ll have the Platinum card, but don’t like how heavy it is

        • Save East Coast Rewards says:

          8 Oct8 October 10:32

          I don’t understand the appeal of metal cards, they’re at least 10 years too late. Unique when Centurion was the only one. But since the numbers no longer need to be embossed on the front so many metal cards have sprung up from the likes of bendy and pinky it’s no longer unique.

          Plus back when the Centurion was made metal you were often handing cards over to people, then chip and PIN meant you were usually the only one who handled your card, now mobile payments will hopefully make cards redundant at some point

        • Rob says:

          8 Oct8 October 10:54

          Tempted to agree. The inabilty to flex a metal card also makes it hard to use contactless at times if the card reader is in a funny position. I’ve given up now on the SumUp terminal by the ‘honesty market’ in our office.

        • davef says:

          8 Oct8 October 11:32

          I told them that when I cancelled it. Hate metal cards, HTF am I supposed to shred them at expiry.

          Supposed cool marketing factor overrides common sense yet again

        • aDifferentSimon says:

          8 Oct8 October 13:11

          So pleased I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a bit of an unnecessary enhancement!

      • Genghis says:

        8 Oct8 October 10:27

        If you have a Plat account, the Gold / Green supp is still linked to the Plat account with the benefits of a Plat account; nothing to do with the fees / benefits of a Gold / Green account.

      • Harry T says:

        8 Oct8 October 10:27

        You don’t get any benefits on green or gold cards that are supplementary to a platinum card, other than the complimentary travel insurance included with the platinum card. It’s best to see them as a separate product to the stand alone gold and green cards.

      • Rob says:

        8 Oct8 October 10:56

        No you don’t.

        Technically ‘Preferred Rewards Gold (home of Deliveroo credit and lounge passes) is a different product to ‘Gold’ which is what your supp will be.

    • KBuffett says:

      8 Oct8 October 11:06

      Or just order and use the AC (additional card)

  • Sandgrounder says:

    8 Oct8 October 11:05

    You used to be able to get an ‘additional card’ marked with AC for yourself rather than a supp. Not sure if you can still do this, or if it would be plastic!

    • A says:

      8 Oct8 October 14:18

      Replaced my AC card recently and is indeed still plastic

    • KK says:

      21 Oct21 October 19:31

      they wouldnt give me one (I dont get why), no travels, have the plastic ICC (cuz I also have the hk cards which is inferior in miles earn) + better insurance.

      as a result, AXE!

  • George K says:

    8 Oct8 October 15:26

    An alternative may be to order the Platinum *credit* card, which is a companion card to your account (and doesn’t count as an active credit card in terms of your allowance of -usually- 4)

    When I did that, there was even an extra MR offer for taking it out.

    But no matter what you do with this, a different card would have different offers from your main one.

• N says:

  8 Oct8 October 09:59

  Hey guys – just want to confirm, no testing required to enter Germany?
  Also for travellers arriving back into the UK around end of October (26th), any recommendations for day 2 LF tests?

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    8 Oct8 October 10:05

    Way too early to know what Day 2 LF tests will be available if that change comes in!

    • Pete M says:

      8 Oct8 October 10:08

      No testing if travelling to Germany and fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks beforehand. You do need proof of this (NHS letter or app will do) and the German PLF.

• Scott says:

  8 Oct8 October 10:09

  Assume Che is the correct nickname for my card 😉

  Anyway, how do you use this in a shop? If I got to say Tesco, and use either contactless or chip & pin, I get the message “no chip detected”.
  I’ve transferred some cash to someone online with it, and used a virtual card.

  Also, is the card fine to use in the US? Got some future hotels etc. booked and payment will be taken in $US. Will hopefully get a better exchange rate than what my Lloyds Banking Group cards will yield.
  Don’t want to find it gets refused after I’ve loaded cash onto it.

  • Rich says:

    8 Oct8 October 10:12

    Check you’ve got contactless and chip& pin turned on in the app.

    Never seen no chip detected though!

    • Save East Coast Rewards says:

      8 Oct8 October 10:16

      Sounds like a faulty card! In the meantime if you have bendy you can strap che to bendy and use it that way

• Jim says:

  8 Oct8 October 10:21

  Interesting Creation IHG scenario playing out…so, I’ve had a black card for several years, low amount of MS via Curve occassionally (£5k annually I’d guess across NS&I, cash withdrawals & Revolut). I had the letter of death last week and informed my black card is being cancelled on 3rd December. I immediately applied and was approved for the white card and that has now been received. The white card has been activated and I used it successfully for the first time yesterday. I now have a ‘restricted functionality’ on my black card so I call Creation today and they tell me that another letter is on the way (posted yesterday) which will explain why my black card has been cancelled with immediate effect on 6th October. Waiting for the postie to see what’s been said…

  • Harrier25 says:

    8 Oct8 October 10:30

    Interesting Jim. I would be grateful if you could report back here tomorrow once that letter has been received.

• Harry Holden says:

  8 Oct8 October 10:37

  Did anyone have experience with getting a pre-travel PCR test last Christmas? Travelling to JNB and the 72 hour window starts at 21:10 on 24th December. I live 3 hours from LHR so that is a real last resort.

  Alternatively, hoping SA drop the pre-travel PCR test requirement before then. Is there any local knowledge in the wisdom of the forum on whether that is on the agenda over there?

  • Richie says:

    8 Oct8 October 10:50

    Try and find a 21.15 appointment for the 24th.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    8 Oct8 October 11:31

    There are lots of testing sites at other regional airports.

    better to say where abouts you are so people can advise but Randox, collinson, expresstest all have facilities across the UK

  • WaynedP says:

    8 Oct8 October 11:38

    Hi Harry

    I think the chance of SA Govt removing 72 hr PCR test requirement this year is minimal. Schools break up for six weeks on 9 Dec and very little bureaucratic movement will occur again until after mid January when families return to school and work. If it doesn’t happen in the next two months (no signs that it’s likely) then it won’t happen until some time 2022.

    Last year I travelled out at 21:10 on Tue 1 December. I booked a Boots appt at 11am on Sunday 29 November and had the results available at 09:30 on Tue 1 December (not bad given test day was a Sunday, which I was anxious about).

    I am flying again from Dublin via Doha on Sat 6 November and plan on booking Boots PCR test again at 10:00 on Thur 4 November, which should see me right for a JNB landing scheduled for 09:40 on Sun 6 November.

    Requirement is “provided that the traveller has tested negative after completing an official COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departure, and upon arrival the traveller must present a negative COVID-19 test result not older than 72 hours from the time of departure.” source = Covid 19 FAQs link from http://www.airports.co.za

    You will also have to fill out the International Traveller Arrival Entry Screening Health Questionnaire (follow the link on the landing page of http://www.airports.co.za).

    Border office officials will take a paper copy of this form as well as a paper copy of your negative 72 hr PCR Covid test, so ensure that you have several hard copies printed out. I previously populated the form with all the details using a pdf writer, and then just signed it on the day in the queue and had no problems. But fortunate to have several copies as was stopped at a traffic check on the N3 from JNB to DBN and had to show my Traveller Health Questionnaire when I presented a UK driver’s licence.

    Good luck, hope you have a lovely trip.

  • WaynedP says:

    8 Oct8 October 15:15

    Your timing is tricky @Harry (on re-reading your post). I understand you depart at 9.10pm on Mon 27th.

    I would book a rapid (3 hour for results) LHR Collinson test on that Monday late morning. Just means you have to hang around at the airport for most of the day.

    There may not be many open options other than airport testing centres on Christmas and Boxing Day unfortunately.

    The SA Govt Gazette does state in Section 75(4)(d) “In the event of the traveller’s failure to submit a certificate as proof of a negative COVID-19 test, the traveller will be required to do an antigen test on arrival at his or her own cost and in the event of a traveller testing positive for COVID-19, he or she will be required to isolate him or herself at his or her own cost, for a period of 10 days.” source = https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202110/45253rg11342gon960.pdf

    Which means if you aren’t able to provide a negative pcr test that meets the requirements, as long as you’re not Covid positive, there will be a facility to take a pcr test on arrival, but it probably won’t be quick. If you’re arriving on the morning of Tues 28th, that will be the first working day since the previous Friday 24th, and things are likely to start slowly and gingerly after a heavy long weekend for many.

• Kevin says:

  8 Oct8 October 10:41

  Does anyone apply for Amex platinum in Oct still able to get the £200 free dining offer ?

  • Brian W says:

    8 Oct8 October 15:45

    I had it added via chat on Monday for my new account. Took a while for them to find it but got there in the end.

    • Kevin says:

      9 Oct9 October 08:52

      Glad to hear that Brian

• Josh says:

  8 Oct8 October 10:42

  Another quick Q as Ive been on the line for over an hour to try and book flights using my Virgin 241 –

  Can I book flights online and then retrospectively get refunded the virgin points when I finally get through to someone?

  This is awful since they stopped Whatsapp

  • Harry T says:

    8 Oct8 October 11:17

    Ring later at night. I got through in about 20 mins earlier this week at around 19.30. The Whatsapp is continuing but with reduced working hours.

• Imran says:

  8 Oct8 October 10:42

  Thanks for all the comments on my Day 2 test query yesterday. I am about to return next week and with the new government announcement yesterday, I am a bit confused.

  Am I right in thinking that I still need a Day 2 test (RT PCR) and not a Rapid Flow or LFT test upon my return next week? Is there a date announced by the government when the LFT/Rapid Flow test will replace RTPCR test?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    8 Oct8 October 11:29

    yes still need a PCR nothing has changed yet and no date announced of when it will but certainly not next week (comments suggested end of the month)

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