The HfP chat thread – Monday 1st November

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Rich says:

1 Nov1 November 16:41

Is it just me, or is the NHS app borked for other people too. Just showing an empty white square where the QR code should be.

Thankfully, I have a PDF, and Tous Anti Covid as plans B and C.
- stevenhp1987 says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 16:47
  
  Are you in Dark Mode on your phone?
  
  Always like that for me. I just use the PDF. If you really want to do it off the app, switch to light mode.
  - Rich says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 16:54
    
    Ah, bingo. Dark mode was the culprit.
    
    That doesn’t seem like a very good piece of design by somebody! I would never have guessed.
Graham says:

1 Nov1 November 16:42

Bit of a random one. Any recommendations on where to purchase Apple gift cards? I want to enrol in iCloud+ and it seems a good way to discount things. I unfortunately haven’t been targetted with any Morrisons 10% off etc. I have Amex BAPP, Hilton Barclaycard and Virgin if that’s of any assistance.
- elguiri says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 16:59
  
  I have 10% off morrisons on VA+ card, worth checking…
  - Pete1968 says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 17:16
    
    We’ve got 10% on Halifax debit card max £10 c/b, so worth checking all LBG cards.
    
    BTW, you can add £50 to your shopping bill with £50 cash advance at the till.
- Rich says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 17:00
  
  Make sure you buy iTunes gift card, rather than Apple (store) gift cards.
  
  I tend to pick up a bit of credit here and then when there’s a promo on. As well as the above, keep an eye out for discounts Tesco/ Boots etc. I think Sainsbury’s still lets you use ‘X off when you spend Y’ vouchers on gift cards, though I haven’t seen any for a while.
  - Cranzle says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 17:34
    
    Apple don’t sell their Apple Store gift cards through any other retailers.
- Graham says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 17:11
  
  Thanks both!
JandeW says:

1 Nov1 November 17:23

A NOTE OF CAUTION TO TRAVELLERS: Yesterday, when going through LHR T5 security, my wife was asked (the first time ever) to take off her Garmin Fenix Fit watch and put it in the tray with he bag, which she did. She then had to get patted down and by the time she went to get it from the tray, somebody had stolen it. Security checked the CCTV cameras and claimed they couldn’t see anything untoward or suspicious. Inside job? Unlikely, but please all be aware…
- Nick Burch says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 17:25
  
  How far inside the tray did it go?
  
  I’ve known small things on the top of a tray not make it through before, they can get knocked off by the plastic flappy things and stuck inside the machine…
- Cranzle says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 17:36
  
  Thanks for the heads up. Important to be prepared and put everything inside a bag or zipped jacket etc. Frequent travellers will have this routine well rehearsed.
  - David D says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 17:55
    
    Oh yes, if this ever happens to me it goes in very carefully with the cables and batteries. The face on the officer who tends to heavily drop the bag on the counter changes rather rapidly when they see the screen.
- SteveJ says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 18:08
  
  I’m surprised this is the first time she’s been asked to remove it.
  - ianM says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 18:15
    
    Indeed, why wouldn’t you. And put it in a pocket if it’s valuable.
  - stevenhp1987 says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:06
    
    I’ve never been asked to remove my sports watch.
    
    I’ve asked several times if I need to. Always told no.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      1 Nov1 November 19:54
      
      Just stick it in a zipped bag!
      - CF Frost says:
        
        1 Nov1 November 21:49
        
        Less worried then about the magnetic field in the arches? And then when inside an aircraft, the increased field continues with milliGauss measurements that are about ten times that inside your home, and highest up front. If you’re a frequent flyer with an expensive watch that’s gaining time you can always check its magnetism with the Lepsi watch magnetism app. And maybe demagnetise with a small ten quid device from eBay? That is unless you’ve indulged in magnetism proofed watches 😀
      - Pete1968 says:
        
        1 Nov1 November 21:57
        
        I refused to take off my belt, metals, pennies, boots and iPad once, it was in Russia. Last year.
        
        They let me lie on the belt and go through the scanner, not as bad as MRI, I have to say.
        
        The idiot on the controls made the belt go back and forwards a few times in the middle bit to check if I had something up the rear end, probably, though I don’t speak Russian. Maybe he was just joshing.
        
        Anyway – all clear though I couldn’t tie my laces for a few minutes.
- BP says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 18:51
  
  I never remove my expensive watches when going through security. I refuse when asked as they don’t set the scanner off.
  - Anna says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:08
    
    I always keep backup pics of our boarding passes etc in the event of the complete nightmare scenario of my phone going AWOL at an airport. And from this year, paper copies of vaccination passes and test results!
  - Aston100 says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:12
    
    Well done BP. Too many people are scared of airport security staff, as if they are the police or something.
  - Anna says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:34
    
    How many do you wear when travelling?!
    - BP says:
      
      1 Nov1 November 19:37
      
      One at a time but I have two which are very expensive to me at least – a Rolex and a Panerai. I wouldn’t leave a big pile of cash on the security tray so I won’t ever leave my watch.
      - CF Frost says:
        
        1 Nov1 November 21:55
        
        My milliGauss-themed response above was meant to have been placed here…
Young L says:

1 Nov1 November 17:31

Some random thoughts: Airtime (or Virgin Instore) asks you to link credit card with them. Would they see every transactions on the card? Or just the ones that are relative? How does it work exactly?
- Cranzle says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 17:37
  
  They get a feed of all transactions.
  - Paul Pogba says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:10
    
    Presumably not those with Apple Pay though else you’d be able to use it to collection points?
- SteveJ says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 19:11
  
  Part of how they make money is having your data. They see it all. It’s the price you pay these days, like having a Gmail/Facebook/etc etc account.
  - Young L says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 20:34
    
    Time to remove the linked card then.
Chris says:

1 Nov1 November 17:39

So, going back to Amex statement credits for hotels – do we think the Marriott 50 off 200 and 100 off 400 will work on pre-pay rates, even though it says for checkout spend only?
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 17:50
  
  Yes as long as it’s charged before the offer end date.
- Rob says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 18:49
  
  Yes, as long as the hotel really does charge you in advance and doesn’t decide to do you a ‘favour’ by waiting.
Gary says:

1 Nov1 November 18:05

Both player 1 & 2 are Amex plat main cardholders, any additional benefits beside 5000 points bonus & Shop Small if granting each other supp cards? Does supp cardholder get the £200 dining credit?
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 18:09
  
  No dining credit that’s main cardholder only. A Platinum supp gets all the status and the Priority Pass.
  
  But as you’re both main Plat then just order a gold you’ll still get the 5k points and all the normal Amex offers.
  
  Ofcourse order a Plat one if one of you are going to cancel the main card.
  - Gary says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 18:27
    
    Thanks. Good suggestion re differentiation by colour (gold) as gets pretty confusing with card offers when four cards look exactly the same.
- SteveJ says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 18:09
  
  No dining credit for Supp.
Rich says:

1 Nov1 November 18:06

Swindle of the day from Meliá.

Check in on the app for a free upgrade, they say. Upgrade offered is from a double to a twin room! (which is indeed offered for sale at a slightly higher price, but really…)
- Niall says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 18:44
  
  Is this with your birthday upgrade voucher? It is subject to availability and they say one class up. I have found that if availability is good, it usually offers me a choice of a few kinds of rooms. Some of the Melia hotels are better than others for it.
- Aston100 says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 19:14
  
  Does the second bed come with a hidden surprise for you?
- Rich says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 19:16
  
  Room was booked with one of my three annual 20% discounts. Upgrade was supposed to be on offer for checking in by app.
  
  Melia are already in my bad books. In BCN last week I fell for the temptation to book a Premium room. Appears to be a standard room with the addition of kettle, iron and slippers – all of which were unavailable because of COVID! Equally unavailable was anywhere open in the hotel to spend the ‘book on our website and get 3000 points to spend on f&b’.
- r* says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 23:38
  
  Its more amazing that they actually offered anything at all as an upgrade, all Ive ever got is there are no upgrades available lol
Josh says:

1 Nov1 November 18:18

Could anyone be so kind as to check if some seats in J are available using the BA 241 voucher? I am still waiting for my voucher but want to know if I need to consider other options ASAP.

If anyone can be so kind as to provide an email to send them my dates/route, that would be wonderful!

Thanks
- @mkcol says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 19:04
  
  Could you not just use SeatSpy?
  - Josh says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:17
    
    seatspy shows award availability but BA 241 unlocks additional sometimes!
    
    Aston is right would rather not share the route!
- Anna says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 19:10
  
  Can you not just post your dates/routes here?
  - Aston100 says:
    
    1 Nov1 November 19:15
    
    Probably worried someone will quickly nab them.
    - Anna says:
      
      1 Nov1 November 19:35
      
      Seriously – if someone’s that desperate to bag them, they will have looked already!
- Jimbob says:
  
  1 Nov1 November 21:11
  
  If you send me the details to foiled at Gmail dot com, I’ll have a look after Wolves finish beating Everton