The HfP chat thread – Thursday 4th November

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• Neil SouthCoast says:

  4 Nov4 November 12:07

  Just used chat function to get £200 dining credit added onto my new Amex Plat card. Was very easy to do and offer was not showing before (in fact I have no offers!)

• Ben says:

  4 Nov4 November 12:19

  Hi,

  Anyone with recent experience or understanding of the Belgian entry requirements?

  Eurostar say:

  “You’re not a Belgian resident: If you have an EU vaccination or recovery certificate, or a vaccination certificate issued in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, you must self-isolate and get tested on day 1 or 2 after you arrive in Belgium. If you test negative, you can end quarantine as soon as you get your test result, but you will still need to take a test again on day 7.”

  Whereas Foreign Office says:
  “… take a test on day 1 or 2 after arrival and quarantine until you receive a negative result. Alternatively, you can provide evidence of a negative PCR test upon arrival, taken no more than 72 hours before arrival in Belgium. If you have a negative pre-departure test, you do not need to take tests on day 1 or day 2.”

  Does full vaccination + pre-departure test get you out of having to quarantine? Does it have to be a PCR test?

  Thanks in advance

  • Pete M says:

    4 Nov4 November 12:22

    I’d recommend checking directly at the source: https://unitedkingdom.diplomatie.belgium.be/en/travel-covid-19

    • Ben says:

      4 Nov4 November 14:16

      Thanks, but I don’t think that is a lot clearer. The Embassy seems to say the same as the Eurostar page, but refers to the Belgian govt site: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/faq/

      Which includes:

      “Travellers who are fully vaccinated and can prove this with a recognised vaccination certificate and who have a negative test certificate upon arrival, as mentioned above, do not have to get tested on day 1 or quarantine. If you return from a red zone, you must get tested on day 7 without having to quarantine, except when travellers have been on the territory of a third country classified as a very high-risk zone during the 14 days prior to their arrival in Belgium. There are currently no countries classified as very high-risk zones.”

      (This is also linked to by the FCO advice).

      • FatherOfFour says:

        4 Nov4 November 14:33

        I agree the belgian rules are very confusing. The part above:
        “…and who have a negative test certificate upon arrival, as mentioned above, do not have to get tested on day 1 or quarantine.

        implies a test before arrival exempts you from the quarantine, but it doesnt specify PCR/LFT or Supervised/Unsupervised.

        I would trust the Belgian site more than Eurostar!

  • Patrycja says:

    4 Nov4 November 17:22

    This exctract is from gov.com foreign office advice which I would go with

    https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium/entry-requirements

    You must:

    complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF), unless you fall under a very limited list of exemptions listed on the Belgian government website (under the Transport and International section)
    take a test on day 1 or 2 after arrival and quarantine until you receive a negative result. Alternatively, you can provide evidence of a negative PCR test upon arrival, taken no more than 72 hours before arrival in Belgium. If you have a negative pre-departure test, you do not need to take tests on day 1 or day 2.

• KP says:

  4 Nov4 November 12:22

  I did look everywhere and did come to the conclusion that we cannot do bag drop the night before for Virgin Atlantic at Heathrow T3.Is that the case?

• mark2 says:

  4 Nov4 November 12:27

  Surprise in Waitrose (Evesham) this morning.
  They now sell gift cards for other retailers: One4All, B&Q …. as well as some Apple and Google.

• davefl says:

  4 Nov4 November 12:34

  I’ve got a BA Holidays booking to Cyprus next month flight+car. Just filled in all the Avis preferred stuff and when I go to MMB on the Avis site it tells me there’s £278 to pay on collection.

  Anyone seen this before?

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    4 Nov4 November 12:37

    Always that way for me.

    If you look in the app, the payment card will be a corporate card or similar.

    Nothing to worry about.

    • davefl says:

      4 Nov4 November 12:45

      thanks

• Amy C says:

  4 Nov4 November 12:52

  Just landed in Malta. First time I’ve ever had to join a massive, snaking queue just to leave the airport from the baggage area (and I’m HBO). Flew CE, half the plane was CE and first time I’ve not seen the cabin curtain drawn. In fact only half of it was present at all. Lovely crew, actively encouraging champers on everyone!

  • John says:

    4 Nov4 November 14:41

    Yes the left side of the A320N doesn’t have a curtain for some reason, reg numbers G-TTN*

    • Amy C says:

      4 Nov4 November 15:28

      Ooooh I love a geeky fact!

• Karl says:

  4 Nov4 November 13:19

  I’m off to Malta on Saturday. In two minds whether to go HBO, presumably you’d recommend it for speed of airport access?

  • E says:

    4 Nov4 November 13:30

    We flew to Malta a couple of weeks ago and there was no queue at all to leave the baggage area. The documentation checks were quickly done and we weren’t held up at all. We were HBO so that probably did help. Guess the queues might depend on whether another flight arrives around the same time.

    • Karl says:

      4 Nov4 November 13:33

      Thanks E. Will use this as a convenient excuse for the other half to pack less stuff by going HBO🙄

  • Amy C says:

    4 Nov4 November 15:27

    I landed in Malta 3 hours ago. 20 mins passport control and a at least an hour in humongous plf/vaccine form queue to get out.

  • DarrenS says:

    5 Nov5 November 16:09

    We are in Malta now. Landed Tuesday. Less than 30 mins between getting off the plane and into the taxi. That with two checked bags. Very efficient, unlike MAN security, which took nearly an hour.

• Michael C says:

  4 Nov4 November 13:28

  Thanks again for MAD advice from Rhys & co. yesterday! Airport v quiet except for passports. In fact, arriving from LHR, there were HUNDREDS in the UK/international queue, but luckily had Spanish ID with me.

  Stayed at NH Suecia and loved it. Buzzing rooftop bar, nice dark underground cocktail bar (former haunt of Hemingway and Che [the person, not the card]), pleasant piped jazz music, etc., and unbeatable location.

  Popped into the Four Seasons: public areas stunning, might give the 700€ for “small courtyard room” a miss!

  • Anna says:

    4 Nov4 November 13:53

    Lol! I had visions of Ernest trying to pay for his Daiquiris with Ernesto (see what I did there?)

    • Michael C says:

      4 Nov4 November 14:02

      ;o)
      Oh, and the Santander “we don’t charge for ATM transactions at Santander branches abroad” now says on the screen “…plus a 4.5% mark-up”!

      • Anna says:

        4 Nov4 November 15:20

        Is that for their own customers as well?!

        • Michael C says:

          4 Nov4 November 16:56

          @Anna yes, and @BP, yes!

      • BP says:

        4 Nov4 November 15:39

        Surely that’s false advertising? A mark-up is a charge!

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