The HfP chat thread – Saturday 9th October

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John says:

9 Oct9 October 09:55

So…. Still no letter from Creation regarding my IHG Card. However, I had a completely unexpected present from Curve in the post today…

To thank me for being part of their credit beta I had:

A Curve baseball cap
Two pairs or Curve socks
A laptop camera cover
Some stickers

Looks like I’m coming out smelling of roses from this saga – I keep the card (seemingly) and a bag of goodies!
- Ryan says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:14
  
  I was sent 2 even though I should have had only one!
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:27
  
  Don’t count all your chickens too early. Best to see what happens on Dec 3rd.
- Mike says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:32
  
  I’ve just come home from holiday and can’t see a letter either. As another poster has mentioned, see if the card gets cancelled in early December.
- aDifferentSimon says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:33
  
  I have no letter either. Curve regular spend only one. However I do top up Che once a month. Maybe that’s why the £3 contactless payment declined on IHG this morning…
  - Joints&Piles says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 10:39
    
    There seems to be a pattern emerging. Top up Che and Creation blocks your card.
    - Rui N. says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 10:56
      
      I don’t even have a revolut account and my Creation card will be cancelled.
      - Dayle says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 11:06
        
        I top up this and haven’t had a letter yet
      - Joints&Piles says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 11:11
        
        Not cancelled, blocked. Blocked for other transactions, so you have to call and speak to security to unblock it, and the transaction they query is che.
    - r* says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 15:45
      
      Fwiw i tried to top up che a cpl of days ago and couldnt. Card then wouldnt work. Called solihull and they said they dont support the revolution, but security had gone home so call back the next day. Next day, took about 15 mins for tge next solihull agent to get thru to security cos ‘theyre very busy atm’ (i bet, lol) then acct was unblocked and he asked me to retry my che payment as it should work. I didnt, cos i wanted off the call but it was amusing.
- Joints&Piles says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:36
  
  I wouldn’t risk Curve socks if you’ve ever done any M&S. M&S might cancel your black socks and you’ll be stuck with white.
  - John says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 10:42
    
    Or worse, no M&S socks of any colour
Mr. AC says:

9 Oct9 October 10:13

For a bunch of complicated reasons I won’t go into here related to vaccine trials, my vaccination record got bored so I don’t have proof I’m double jabbed. I’m traveling to Iceland soon – they accept proof of previous infection as well. I did have covid last year and have the emails from NHS, but they don’t have all the data Iceland wants (e.g. lab location, method of the test etc). Does anyone know how to turn this into a certificate of infection?
- Mr. AC says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:13
  
  *borked
- Anuj says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:18
  
  The NHS app does that however I think it only shows the last 6 months
- ChrisBCN says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:41
  
  Is it possible to beg your GP to add your vaccinations too your medical records so that you can see them in the NHS app? Presumably you have the proof.
  - meta says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 11:24
    
    Check the rules on what counts as previous infection, especially how long. Last year might not be good. I think 6-8 months. Hope you get to go to Iceland. It’s stunning.
  - Cats are best says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 12:00
    
    Mr AC mentions trials, perhaps in the same boat as thousands of others…
    
    I’m in the Novavax trial, double jabbed since last year.
    
    It shows in the NHS (England) app, but that is worthless outside the UK as other countries refuse to recognise trial volunteers as vaccinated.
    
    UK government has been completely ineffective in resolving this.
    
    It has already cost me a lot in extra tests to enter Spain, and I still can’t travel to countries I’d expected to as I’d have to quarantine.
    
    From next week the UK will finally let me get an approved vaccine, can’t wait!
    - David says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 12:04
      
      I had a narrow escape was in the novavax trial but unblinded and had the placebo so am now double vaccinated with Pfizer.
    - Ste C says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 18:05
      
      I am the same. you can claim back upto £100 per test (for 2 tests) from the trail though. well, you can in the north west anyway.
Billy says:

9 Oct9 October 10:24

Did the Gold status upgrade for the Plat card via the website but still showing as pending after 5 days. The Hilton one took 3 days. Anyone know how long it takes of if there is a number to chase up?

Looking to book rooms in Paris for Nov but would rather do it once the Gold status hits my account. Not sure if it will make a difference in terms of rates offered. Thanks.
- Jonathan says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:26
  
  Bonvoy? Shouldn’t make a difference to the rates offered as long as you have a vanilla Bonvoy account to qualify for member rates.
- Harry T says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:53
  
  Status makes no difference to the rates offered.
KBuffett says:

9 Oct9 October 10:27

I am flying BA tomorrow and have just received the results of my PCR test. Can I just turn up at the airport and show this at check-in, or do I need to use the Verifly App?

Is there a cost for Verifly and/or any particular advantages or disadvantages to note?
- ChrisW says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:29
  
  No cost for verifly. Are you travelling ex UK? Verifly doesn’t work from some foreign ports
  - KBuffett says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 10:30
    
    Thanks, yes, flying from LHR to DXB
    - Andrew says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 10:37
      
      Just upload on to BA.com in MMB – never early understand what Verify does that MMB doesn’t.
      - KBuffett says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 11:03
        
        I can’t see an option to upload the test results. Is it only visible if you check in online? I’m hoping to ask for a cash upgrade at check in, so don’t necessarily want to check in online.
      - Chrisasaurus says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 21:12
        
        Flown several times recently and not once has upload been available in mmb (and hence no olci either)
    - Cats are best says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 12:03
      
      I think MMB upload activates 72 hours pre-flight, but it is not available on every route.
      
      It’s no issue doing it at check-in, just be sure to have everything ready, really shouldn’t take more than a minute.
- Ollie says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 12:19
  
  Make sure it’s printed too! As of last week they had out of date info and was almost denied checkin unless I paid £10 to excess luggage company to print 3 pages. Digital should be fine and it says that on u.ae, however BA don’t recognise this.
Laura says:

9 Oct9 October 10:30

Any issues in booking a soon expiring BAPP 2-4-1 for LHR-MAN and cancelling to get FTV, then cancelling the BAPP card that earnt the voucher before calling to rebook (using a different amex for extra taxes)?
- Harry T says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:55
  
  Should be fine.
- Pete C says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 11:46
  
  I had some issues once when I booked a 2-4-1 redemption with my BAPP, cancelled it and later tried to adjust the booking (with higher taxes & fees to be paid) with a different card. The agent was insistent that since the original booking must have been paid with the BAPP that earned the voucher, only that card could be used to pay any additional fees. However you could probably get around this by saying the original card was lost/stolen so you have a new card number now
  - Anna says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 13:12
    
    They don’t know which card you’re using though so just give them the details off any Amex!
  - Pete C says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 13:32
    
    The issue in this case is that since the original taxes & fees had been paid with one card (assumed to be the relevant BAPP), they were unwilling to let me pay additional charges with a different one – they were adamant it had to be the same
    - Anna says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 14:12
      
      How can they see the original card details though? The only thing I can think of is if they bring up the original booking confirmation and can see the last 4 or 5 card digits but I wouldn’t have thought they would bother checking.
    - Pete C says:
      
      9 Oct9 October 14:18
      
      For the additional fees they just asked me to confirm the CVC code on the card already on the booking so they could charge it, when I asked to give them a new card number they refused (even after checking with their manager)
      - Laura says:
        
        9 Oct9 October 17:49
        
        Ok thanks all. In that case I think I’ll give it a go but be sure to make the LHR-MAN booking using the non-BAPP card in the first place.
Chelseafi says:

9 Oct9 October 10:34

Can you have two plat supplementary cards in your name (one from OH one from son)? As OH going to cancel card soon and I think people have said taking a while for sup cards to be processed. Thanks
- Reney says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:53
  
  I think I have had the plat sup and green sup (the card holder had plat but gave the free plat sup to player 2 so i got the green) at the same time
- John says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 11:03
  
  Yes
Tarmohamed says:

9 Oct9 October 10:41

Which Hilton in Ras Al Khaima would you recommend and why? 2 adults, 1 toddler, 1 baby. Potentially 3-4 nights.
- Rob says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 10:50
  
  Waldorf. No brainer. Hilton is next door though. There is also the monster sized and brand new Hampton, but it is rare you can stay somewhere as plush as the Waldorf for so little cash (relatively speaking) and you’ll be in the hotel all the time as Ras has very little else to do.
  
  Emyr may have a 3-4-2 deal – drop him a note – and you’d get free breakfast via him.
  - Tarmohamed says:
    
    9 Oct9 October 11:18
    
    Thanks – will get in touch with him next few weeks.
- Cats are best says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 12:46
  
  We’ve stayed in the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort and the Waldorf, I’d say it depends…
  
  We enjoyed HBR as much as the Waldorf, but for different reasons.
  
  HBR – we stayed in one of the villas North of the main building, had breakfast/dinner at the cosy bar/restaurant at the far end, lay on our sunbeds directly outside the villa, a waiters came every so often for drinks/lunch orders, extreme laziness 🙂
  
  Waldorf, the concierge was in touch before arrival and sorted out transfer from DXB, met us, and during the stay arranged any bookings etc. We had a suite with sea-view and a good balcony, but corridors and stairs/lifts between it and the beach etc., not as relaxed/informal as the villa.
  
  If not staying in a villa, I’d definitely go Waldorf, far better decor and dining options, the main breakfast/dining area in the Hilton was pretty charmless.
  
  I’m Hilton Diamond, both hotels gave upgrades etc., cannot fault either for service standards.
Lee says:

9 Oct9 October 10:56

Just booked a birthday stay with them to use our soon expire free night cert. Their standard room only accommodates 2 adults so need to pay for an upgrade for kid. Not sure how generous they are for Spire Ambassador.
Which email address should I use for contacting IC O2? @Anna Thanks!
- Anna says:
  
  9 Oct9 October 13:16
  
  You should get a decent upgrade as Spire, it’s worth calling them and asking. They are pretty efficient at replying to emails as well though, there should be one on the website.