The HfP chat thread – Monday 11th October

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• Jamie says:

  11 Oct11 October 09:20

  Anyone here stayed at the Ink 48 in NYC? Got a two week work trip there in November but recent reviews look rather ropey

  • TGLoyalty says:

    11 Oct11 October 09:23

    I think there is an extremely high chance that no one on a U.K. website has been to ink48 recently.

    It was a highly regarded Kimpton.

  • Richie says:

    11 Oct11 October 09:37

    11th Ave is a bit of an extra walk from anywhere.

  • Blair says:

    11 Oct11 October 09:59

    Can you co-pay and switch to a hotel of your choosing?

  • CarpalTravel says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:53

    Really depends so much on what you are looking for, not sure you are going to get much (recent) feedback from anyone on this site though.

    Personally, for the money, I’d be looking at a Luxury Suite in the Kimblerly Hotel. Having stayed at many locations around Manhattan this is my now go to place due to the blend of value, comfort and location. Likely cheaper than the Ink as well which I have never fancied enough to want to try there.

    Not sure what availability they will have this late on though.

  • A says:

    11 Oct11 October 14:02

    Very, very quiet around there at night, and 3 long uphill crosstown blocks to the nearest A/C subway, and in November that wind coming from the nearbyHudson can start to be brutal..

    Still, right around the corner from a TS bar if thats your thing.

• Ryanfozzie says:

  11 Oct11 October 09:23

  Morning all!

  Sorry to duplicate a question from yesterday, but I really want to make sure I do the right thing.

  Flying to Dubai on Friday and need to book a test. Want to do an in person one to mitigate any postage issues. Anyway, I understand I need a test that will give me a certificate that has a QR code to check authenticity. Does anyone have any suggestions??

  From VisitDubai…..

  3. Negative COVID-19 certificates must be printed in English or Arabic; PCR certificates in other languages are acceptable if they can be validated at the originating station (the date and time of the test must be detailed). The printed certificate must have a valid QR code. No hand written, SMS or digital certificates will be accepted.

  Is that actually the case? Rhys, who did you use for your recent trip? Did your certificate have a QR code?

  Thanks!

  • Steve says:

    11 Oct11 October 09:34

    Hi,

    Just got to Dubai yesterday. We used Halo and it works a treat. But in essence, they just need a paper certificate. QR or no QR seems fine, customs just check as you arrive but it’s just a quick scan.

    Hope that helps & safe journey.

    • Ryanfozzie says:

      11 Oct11 October 09:35

      Cheers Steve! 🙂

    • Ryanfozzie says:

      11 Oct11 October 09:38

      Interesting that they allowed that test? It is my understanding that it has to be a supervised test?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    11 Oct11 October 09:46

    This was answered yesterday.

    Look at the specific section for U.K. arrivals and there’s no mention of a QR code or even the stipulation it should be in person.

    Anyway they have no idea if the Randox test is done in person or via Mail as the cert doesn’t look any different in my experience

    • Ryanfozzie says:

      11 Oct11 October 09:48

      Morning,

      I know it was, but I’m not sure if my reply was seen….

      From VisitDubai…..

      3. Negative COVID-19 certificates must be printed in English or Arabic; PCR certificates in other languages are acceptable if they can be validated at the originating station (the date and time of the test must be detailed). The printed certificate must have a valid QR code. No hand written, SMS or digital certificates will be accepted

      Again, sorry for duplication! RE the in person/via email, thanks for clarifying that part of the test 🙂

      • TGLoyalty says:

        11 Oct11 October 09:52

        Rules for travel from the United Kingdom
        All passengers travelling to Dubai from the UK must hold a negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and the certificate must be a Reverse Transcription‑Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT‑PCR) test. Note that NHS Covid Test certificates are not accepted for travel from the United Kingdom.
        UAE Nationals travelling to Dubai are exempted from COVID‑19 testing requirements prior to departure but will be subject to a COVID‑19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai.

        https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/tourists/

    • Ryanfozzie says:

      11 Oct11 October 09:52

      Right, so they don’t allow home testing kits, but as you said the certificate is the same?

      The certificate must be a Reverse Transcription‑Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT‑PCR) test. Other test certificates including antibody tests, NHS COVID Test certificates, Rapid PCR tests and home testing kits are not accepted in Dubai.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        11 Oct11 October 09:54

        Personally I would just go have it in person if it’s feasible. (My local testing centre is only 20 mins drive away)

        • Blair says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:01

          Yeah juat go in person. Why bother with the tension of taking the risk.as for QR, i thought that was only required for arrivals from a select number of countries where official documentation is often fraudulent.

    • Js says:

      11 Oct11 October 12:15

      Cant you just smudge the QR code so it canot be scanned to verify?

      • TGLoyalty says:

        11 Oct11 October 16:29

        They barely look at them let alone scan anything.

• Phil W says:

  11 Oct11 October 09:30

  Mrs W and I are off to Estoril next month. We had been so fixated about getting into Austria last month that we haven’t really paid attention about testing/declaration requirements for Portugal. So would appreciate reassurance from the HFP collective consciousness…

  We are both fully vaxxed and flying EDILIS directly. Am I right that

  – We do not need to test to enter Portugal but we do need to complete the Portuguese Passenger Locator Card.

  – Returning, we are only required to complete the PLF and Day 2 Test.

  TIA.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    11 Oct11 October 09:47

    Yes

    • pauline says:

      11 Oct11 October 09:59

      I thought mainland Portugal required a Lateral Flow test unless you have an EU Covid pass?

      • TGLoyalty says:

        11 Oct11 October 10:14

        Changed late last week. NHS covid pass now accepted as proof of double jab.

        • Jonathan says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:43

          FCO website changed on Saturday I believe. Timatic still not updated today to include U.K. in list of countries whose vaccine certificates are recognised. At least 5 people denied boarding on my flight to Faro on Friday evening for only having proof of vaccination.

          I’d monitor this one closely & make sure there’s wider evidence of U.K. vaccination certificate being accepted before your departure. No point risking a holiday for £40 worth of tests

        • TGLoyalty says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:49

          Was announced my Portugal on Friday.

        • Babyg says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:59

          Which airline denied board to faro on Friday? (3 of us are flying these weekend and we werent going to get the test as its not needed), this worries me!

        • Jonathan says:

          11 Oct11 October 11:21

          Ryanair.

        • Jonathan says:

          11 Oct11 October 11:32

          Officially you don’t need a test anymore the issue is websites like TAP’s & the i newspaper (article from yesterday) still say you do as does Timatic which most airlines defer to. You won’t win in an argument with a gate agent so at the risk of being bumped & losing a days holiday I would get a cheap LFT (eg Chronomics) until it is more universally acknowledged.

          Jet2 have updated their website so if you’re flying with them then you are ok.

        • pauline says:

          11 Oct11 October 11:40

          We are flying tomorrow with Ryanair so may not be needed but v glad I have it to add to my mountain of paperwork!

        • Babyg says:

          11 Oct11 October 16:47

          Thanks TGL…

  • Phil W says:

    12 Oct12 October 01:02

    Thanks all.

• Tony says:

  11 Oct11 October 09:48

  Can anyone recommend a decent country hotel around the Coventry/Birmingham area for a Friday night stay? Pretty flexible on exact location. Typically use the Forest of Arden Marriott (so something along those lines ideally), but fancy a change. Budget £100-£200 pn. Looking for somewhere with a nice setting and a late bar/restaurant – spa/golf etc not required. Thanks.

  • JDB says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:00

    Mallory Court near Royal Leamington Spa is very comfortable in nice gardens. Many of their rooms are expensive but their standard doubles are around £120, but fairly small.

  • Yorkshire Rich says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:25

    My brother has booked me into the Coombe Abbey hotel for the commonwealth games next year. I haven’t actually stayed yet but it’s got a half decent rating. The hotel looks fairly dated but I have been in the grounds before and it’s a lovely area.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      11 Oct11 October 10:51

      It’s a lively area as you say and the hotel theme is very “classic” not sure it’ll ever be “modern”

      Hampton Manor could be an option it does more “foodie” stays.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        11 Oct11 October 10:52

        *lovely. Definitely not lively.

        The Kenilworth and The Edgebaston are well liked but not countryside.

• Alan says:

  11 Oct11 October 09:51

  Maybe they could use our Brexit dividend, it doesn’t seem to have been spent on anything else yet.

  • Anna says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:05

    I assume this should be on page 1, but I think the Brexit dividend might have been used for the furlough and business grant schemes!

    • Peter Taysum says:

      11 Oct11 October 10:49

      The Brexit dividend having cost us several billions of pounds…

    • Jeff Greene says:

      11 Oct11 October 11:26

      Not trying to get into a “brexit bad” or “brexit good” discussion as that’s no longer relevant but do you have an estimate for how many pounds the brexit dividend has been worth?

      • Andrew H says:

        11 Oct11 October 13:21

        -£800m a week seems to be the latest estimate based on a permanent hit to GDP of 5%

        Maybe it’ll come good in 50 years, which was Rees-Mogg’s estimate

• Jeff Greene says:

  11 Oct11 October 10:03

  “ At this tricky time, and given that many of you are at home”

  Time to change the blurb about “difficult time”, given that pubs opened 6 months ago, for example, and travel abroad has been possible for the last couple of months (and more)?

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:04

    I’d have thought the majority here are working from home though?

    I certainly am! 🙂

    • JDB says:

      11 Oct11 October 10:17

      I’m not sure about HfPers, but the Bloomberg Prêt à Manger index suggests a fairly significant return to offices, our trains are getting busier and station car park suddenly has cars! The M4 is also getting busier. It seems to vary a lot by company as to their requirements and timing of return.

      • Jeff Greene says:

        11 Oct11 October 10:29

        The tube is only at 60% of passenger levels vs 2 years which suggests that there’s not quite been a full return to the office (my company has permanently moved to 2/3 days a week in the office and the rest at home as staff and management voted overwhelmingly in favour of this)

        • Jeff Greene says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:30

          *in London obvs

        • Jeff Greene says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:36

          Football in city centres (not just tourist cities like London) is also still down around 30%\40% too

        • Jeff Greene says:

          11 Oct11 October 10:36

          *footfall

      • Sam G says:

        11 Oct11 October 10:48

        Tues-Thurs on my preferred train to London from the home counties is now not possible since schools went back, leaves people behind at the station before mine. Bizarrely despite still operating reduced timetable the train company say they have no more carriages to use! So it seems like a lot people are back in some form

        • Jeff Greene says:

          11 Oct11 October 11:01

          “ So it seems like a lot people are back in some form”

          Yes definitely. “In some form” is the key part.

        • Super Secret Stuff says:

          11 Oct11 October 11:17

          “Still operating a reduced schedule” being the key part of why there are no more seats left.

          Budget cuts is why they don’t want to run extra carriages. Train companies now run on basically ascertained costs plus a margin, but they have to go to the DfT with wire cutters to spend anything beyond there agreed budget. Also, train staff have left and often not hired a replacement or the replacement’s training has been delayed by Covid, so valid reasons not to run a full service. But at least fares will rise again soon 🙂

        • Sam G says:

          11 Oct11 October 11:33

          I don’t mind a reduced schedule to reflect driver availability, especially in the morning, but there isn’t really any good reason why the train sets (which leasing arrangements aside are a bulky fixed/sunk cost to someone) can’t be used to ensure the remaining services are full length.

          I noticed on Twitter my MP is also impacted so perhaps he can persuade them to throw us a few pennies & indeed the TOC are indicating some changes from December

          Don’t get me started on train fares….. 🙂

        • ee says:

          12 Oct12 October 14:05

          If it’s Greater Anglia the class 360 trains all got sent elsewhere and a large number of the class 321 trains went for scrap during COVID. The new trains are coming online faster now but I sense they are still playing catch-up with demand

  • Rob says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:15

    You’re right. We’ve not been working from home since October 2020, so a year now!

• Alison Day says:

  11 Oct11 October 10:05

  Received an email on Friday stating that my booking for Holiday Inn LHR, Bath Rd is cancelled (& points have now been reimbursed). Just checked IHG site and although other hotels appear available, when I read the small print they are either closed or being used as quarantine hotels. Any hotel recommendations (I have always used Staybridge Inn or one of the 3 HI) that are open. Staying 4th Nov (flying from T5 and pod parking – although the pods sound like a bus service now)…

  • Rob says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:14

    Odd. How many quarantine hotels do they need with just seven countries on the Red List?!

    • Anna says:

      11 Oct11 October 10:34

      I was thinking that. Let’s hope there’s not a spate of cancellations and rooms going back on sale at higher prices in the offing …

    • Sam G says:

      11 Oct11 October 10:46

      especially as if you’re vaccinated you’d be mad to come back in via the UK anyway, you can “quarantine” elsewhere first. I’d have thought a handful of rooms per day would be plenty. I wonder if the govt was contracted to the rooms and the hotels are holding them to it?

    • Richie says:

      11 Oct11 October 11:00

      Exactly. Many of the 7 red list countries have flights to Madrid, where you could stop-off and spend 11 nights, not in quarantine, before flying to the UK.

    • Alison Day says:

      11 Oct11 October 11:17

      The email I received stated the HI Bath Rd is closed until the 1st Jan 2022. I was surprised to see so many of the IHG hotels either closed or blocked for quarantine contracts at this stage.

  • Memesweeper says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:43

    If you’re pod parking the very tired Thistle can’t be beaten for convenience.

    Check “secret” sites like last,inute.com and Priceline for possible bargains at the Sofitel. The opposite of the Thistle.

    The HIX that’s almost in Slough is actually very close time wise by public bus – it runs almost non-stop to T5. 24 hours too (or it used to be).

    • Alison Day says:

      11 Oct11 October 11:20

      Good shout. Will take a look at options now.. thanks!

  • Craig Strickland says:

    11 Oct11 October 10:45

    Hilton T5 seems to be accepting bookings but NCP not available yet either?

    • Jane says:

      11 Oct11 October 11:23

      I called Hilton T5 at the weekend, they confirmed that they stopped being a quarantine hotel on 1st October and are back to normal. Pool currently closed but hoping to re-open soon.

  • elguiri says:

    11 Oct11 October 11:42

    Just a note on pods, according to Heathrow page, they will be back in service from 22nd October.

    • roberto says:

      11 Oct11 October 12:36

      Saw the pods moving yesterday, could be testing them but they were certainly zipping about..

    • Alison Day says:

      11 Oct11 October 13:20

      Flying with my 12 year old daughter who has not used the pods before so she will be happy (when booking they were only an extra £3 more than regular T5 parking).

• Alan S says:

  11 Oct11 October 10:16

  Anyone know what the current story is with Avios to Nectar transfers online?

  I’m just getting a server error message near the start of the process, so presume it’s back to calling?

  • John says:

    11 Oct11 October 11:14

    My wife tried a transfer online. Avios have disappeared but yet to turn up as Nectar points after a week of waiting.

    • Char Char says:

      11 Oct11 October 12:03

      Its 10 working days and seems a set delay

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