The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 20th October

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

• Kevin C says:

  20 Oct20 October 08:18

  Have any of you clever people successfully used Skywards Plus to get the 20% discount on classic rewards on Emirates? Does it work now if you don’t have enough miles to get the full price award? I’ve seen people had problems with it.

• PaulC says:

  20 Oct20 October 08:19

  Virgin Atlantic Credit Card – I noticed there is a 10% back on £30+ Spend at Morrisons. Does anyone know if it can be used multiple times until the end date or is it a one time use only?

  • Paul says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:55

    Lucky you, not on mine. Probably multiple times if like before.

    • Chrisasaurus says:

      20 Oct20 October 21:49

      I have it on barclardxrd rewards so check there

• Andrew H says:

  20 Oct20 October 08:20

  Raised the issue with Virgin Red about VACC points not appearing in running total on VA, or not even showing at all at Virgin Red.

  As usual Virgin Red support very quick:

  “Thank you for getting in touch. We’re aware of a technical issue with the credit of Virgin Atlantic credit card points and them subsequently showing on Virgin Red activity. Virgin Atlantic are currently investigating and we hope to have this resolved as soon as possible”

• Fred s says:

  20 Oct20 October 08:37

  IHG Ambassador: booking Certificate 2 night London stay. Am I right in thinking other Ambassador privileges won’t apply at Kimpton, only at Intercon?

  • DJ says:

    20 Oct20 October 08:51

    Correct. Although you may get some benefits as a Platium Elite member.

    • Andrew says:

      20 Oct20 October 09:04

      Or as Spire, if you are.

• Shaw West says:

  20 Oct20 October 08:48

  Datapoint, Banca March indeed didn’t charge ATM fees for withdrawal using curve.

• NP says:

  20 Oct20 October 08:59

  Is anyone here planning to go to the F1 in Abu Dhabi this year and figured out how to navigate the Covid testing?

  I’ve booked flights and hotels (via Dubai) but I’m hesitant to book the race tickets because the procedure looks tricky. On the F1 site, it mentions non-UAE residents need proof of double vaccination and negative PCR 48hr before entry. The issue is my flight into Dubai arrives Saturday morning and so doesn’t leave much time for covid tests and setting up the Al hosn app if I make it the qualifying that evening.

  • Sam G says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:02

    https://milestomemories.com/how-to-get-green-pass-al-hosn/ I thought this was a good link. You’d need to find a 3hr PCR type place like we have in the UK – maybe on arrival at the airport?

    • NP says:

      20 Oct20 October 09:27

      Thanks that looks alright, I wonder if you can get the arrival PCR test in Dubai airport even if you don’t need to take one

  • Blenz101 says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:36

    You should be able to set up the Al-Hosn app before you leave. There is an option now specifically for non-residents.

    If you were landing into AUH you would have been needed to take a mandatory PCR test before leaving the airport.

    If landing in Dubai and flying EK you can still take a free PCR test in the arrivals hall, this is generally being offered for visitors to Expo where a PCR test is also required.

    If you miss it in the arrivals hall or are flying another airline tests are also available on the departures level of T3 near Costa.

    Test results are always same day (or arrive back in the early hours of the night) in Dubai, most I’ve waited is about 6 hours. The city really isn’t that big so no logistics involved in moving the samples around.

    • Rhys says:

      20 Oct20 October 10:02

      I wasn’t asked for the Al Hosn app once during my eight days there.

      • blenz101 says:

        20 Oct20 October 11:14

        You wouldn’t have been in Dubai as it isn’t required. It IS required in Abu Dhabi (Green pass system) which is where NP was was asking about. Like the UK nations different Emirates are applying different rules, AUH being by far the most conservative.

        The only place you will ever been asked for any kind of proof of vaccination / PCR results in Dubai is at the Expo 2020 site or the airport.

    • NP says:

      20 Oct20 October 12:09

      Thank you. Really helpful. Flying BA and flight lands around 7am in Dubai so will try the departures testing before I get the cab get to Abu Dhabi. Fingers crossed I get results in time for the evening.

• Diydegsy says:

  20 Oct20 October 09:13

  Hi looking at going to Las Vegas / Los Angeles next May but no availability on BA 241 tried other airports nearby but all the same, have I lucked out and left it too late or do you think there may be more availability in the coming months, never ventured this way before. Thanks

  • Neil says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:36

    Popular routes but you could take a punt on a seatspy sub and see if seats come up. Would still expect schedule / plane changes so could be in with a chance and there will be possible sale fares worth considering too

  • Jen T says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:48

    Availability seems pretty patchy in May – no idea if people have held back holidays etc. Have you looked a bit further afield (Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta, the Texas airports)? We normally find much better availability in the less ‘touristy’ destinations and connecting flights are cheap.

  • Anna says:

    20 Oct20 October 10:02

    If all else fails, use your 241 to somewhere with loads of availability like NYC or IAD then get a cheap connecting flight onwards. It can be fun adding 2/3 nights in a city to a longer road trip. You might even get domestic avios flights on AA if you have a load to burn through.

  • MattB says:

    20 Oct20 October 10:05

    Up until mid Sept there was decent availability to the west coast, we were able to get the flights we wanted at both Easter and in July easily enough without having to faff around with 1 am calls etc. Obviously since the recent announcements its all been hoovered up.

  • Oh! Matron! says:

    20 Oct20 October 12:57

    Try SJC. Lovely little airport, an hour to LV, and to LAX. BA fly direct, but not sure of schedule

• Diydegsy says:

  20 Oct20 October 09:17

  Hi should have said looking at business class

  • Spurs drive me mad says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:36

    Set up an alert with seat spy for your dates so if anything comes available you can grab the flights. Left it to late would be my thoughts and who knows if they will release new seats. That’s a how long is a piece of string question. I went to Vegas from Vancouver only 2 hour flight so that’s another option for you.

    • Neil says:

      20 Oct20 October 09:45

      If you are willing to take the extra flight then going somewhere else on the 241 and then taking a cheap internal to vegas or maybe la is good option. I’ve flown Denver to Vegas a few times and its cheap and almost like a bus service so a flight every hour or so

      • Anna says:

        20 Oct20 October 10:05

        +1 – we had a fantastic trip 3 years ago all on avios using the 241 plus a Lloyds voucher for MAN-LHR-IAD-BOS-LHR-MAN with DCA-MIA-GCM-MIA-BOS nestled in between!

  • Sean says:

    20 Oct20 October 09:37

    Probably lucked out – i suspect a lot of people (like me) have moved the original sale fares to those dates (I am going via LAX to retain First i booked in the 50% off sale).

    • SimonP says:

      20 Oct20 October 16:14

      PS – lucked out apparently means you got lucky, not that you ran out of luck!

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