The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 10th November

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• Scott says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:22

  Yet another testing question or two 😉

  Flying to the US on the 10th Dec. Early flight so will have to do a lateral flow the day before somehow (working until 6pm and nowhere near an airport at the time – a lot seem to finish at 7pm).
  Either I take a day off here, or somehow do a supervised on at home.
  Do you have to send the test off, or is it just a case of them watching the stick over 15 mins / getting a photo of the barcode?
  Any recommendations as some providers only mention unsupervised.

  Secondly, arriving back into the UK from the US on the 15th Dec, early morning.
  On the morning of the 17th, will be flying back to the US again.

  Do I still need to Day2 test after arriving back the first time, and then another lateral flow, or would say a lateral flow cover both options?

  • Tracey says:

    10 Nov10 November 08:46

    The last part of your question is easy. You are only legally obliged to take the test by the end of day2. You will be gone by then, so as long as you have bought the test and included the code in your plf, you don’t need to take the test. So just concentrate on the test you need to get into the US.

  • Jen T says:

    10 Nov10 November 08:49

    Qured do supervised tested by video call. If you are flying on the 10th, you can have your test done from 00.01am on 7th. Not sure what the time slots are like now but there was an excellent choice of times when we booked. You don’t need to send it off.

    I don’t think the lateral flow will satisfy the Day 2 requirement unless you have a code which you can put into the PLF.

    • Pete M says:

      10 Nov10 November 09:02

      I think Qured will work both ways – one for the outbound, with video supervision. Then buy the Day 2 test from them as well, add video supervision, and you can use your certificate for your return to the US as well.

  • AL says:

    10 Nov10 November 09:50

    I found Qured’s service a bit flaky the last time I hopped over. I’m trying Prenetics this time around – so far, so good; you get the kit early and then activate it when you need to test.

    • Pete M says:

      10 Nov10 November 10:25

      Prenetics would indeed achieve the same as above, alongside a few others.

  • A says:

    10 Nov10 November 13:35

    Why not do same day test before your flight to the US? As I (and others) have posted before, which gets lost in the sea of comments, rapid antigen tests at express test (£32 with code) at LHR are acceptable for the US, and the results come within 40 min. Earliest slot you can book is 6am, which is ample time to make the earliest US bound flights.
    Why give yourself the extra hassle of the day before or video calls and post when that route is so much easier?

    • KP says:

      10 Nov10 November 13:55

      Because i rather not find out a few hours before my flight that I am positive and take my sorry ass back home.

  • Lyn says:

    10 Nov10 November 20:27

    The test for the flight to the US on the 10th can be done on any of the 3 days before your arrival. So anytime on the 7th, 8th or 9th assuming that your flight actually arrives on the 10th.

    It must be supervised, but it does not have to be a PCR test, it can be a rapid antigen test. Would you be able to take it at a local Boots or somewhere similar? We were spoilt in that we had to take our tests in France and they are readily available at almost any rural or city pharmacy for 29 euros.

    Since the day 2 test is actually a day 0/1/2 test a supervised antigen test once you arrive in the UK ought to do double duty for your flight back on the 17th.

• Rui N. says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:24

  On that Clubcard offer of “3 months of Disney+ for only £6 in Clubcard vouchers”, does anyone know if these vouchers can be applied to an existing subscription?

  • Spurs drive me mad says:

    10 Nov10 November 08:28

    If you go to Tesco site click on the Disney reward it gives you all info on there. Was going to cut/paste for you but app won’t let me.

    • Rui N. says:

      10 Nov10 November 08:30

      Many thanks and apologies for the lazyness on my part!
      Here’s the info for everyone else:
      “How do I manage my existing Disney+ annual subscription?
      Good news – your Tesco Clubcard Disney+ Reward Partner code is valid until 10th August 2023. That means you can purchase it today, and then add on your 3 months once your annual subscription has expired. If you want to add it on now, you will need to contact Disney+ Customer Service.”

      • Rui N. says:

        10 Nov10 November 08:40

        Well, it doesn’t work! The price changes from £6 to £8 right at the end.

        • Spurs drive me mad says:

          10 Nov10 November 09:42

          I did mine through the app and it’s stayed at £6 but I never thought to buy enough to cover me at the £6 price so thanks for that idea! I’ve got a years Disney for £24.

        • Lady London says:

          10 Nov10 November 19:19

          What is Disney good for? How does it compare to others?

      • Spurs drive me mad says:

        10 Nov10 November 08:49

        Haha I never said that! I’ve got to do mine today so I had looked couple of days ago. But glad I waited £2 cheaper today!

        • Rui N. says:

          10 Nov10 November 08:56

          But it is true, I was lazy! I could have just clicked on the link on the email!
          BTW, now working at the proper price 🙂 got 5 vouchers to cover me until mid-2023 (got rid of all the vouchers expiring early next year; now don’t have to worry about expiring vouchers until November 2020)

• KP says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:27

  Do the free sim cards given at Dubai Immigration counter work? Last time I struggled to activate them. Going for a weekend trip need a sim card just to receive calls from food delivery and friends.

  • Jonathan says:

    10 Nov10 November 08:43

    Is the immigration counter the only place you can find them ?

    Surely there must be loads of stands in the arrivals halls selling sim cards

    • KP says:

      10 Nov10 November 13:56

      Yes and virgin was the most expensive and DU was the most reasonable

      (Another KP)

• Can says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:42

  Is it just me? I haven’t been receiving HfP post emails to my inbox in the mornings recently.
  Did you guys kick me out :))

  • Tracey says:

    10 Nov10 November 08:48

    Got mine.

    • Rob says:

      10 Nov10 November 09:20

      Just you …

      • Can says:

        10 Nov10 November 10:25

        I resubscribed. Still a mystery who kicked me off the list 🙁

        • Pete M says:

          10 Nov10 November 10:26

          If your email server rejected HfP’s emails a few times as spam, for example, HfP’s email server would stop trying automatically. Happened to me.

        • Rob says:

          10 Nov10 November 10:52

          Bingo.

          The other common reason is that you read them on an iPhone and you accidentally touch the ‘this email is from a mailing list, click here to unsubscribe’ message that Apple unhelpfully puts at the top of the screen.

        • Can says:

          10 Nov10 November 12:48

          No accidental touch, no spam. I was careful. And it all worked fine till very recently.

        • Rob says:

          10 Nov10 November 12:59

          I don’t have your old profile email, but I can tell you exactly why if you send it. What normally happens is that your ISP starts rejecting the emails – this is BEFORE they reach your inbox – because it mistakenly thinks they are spam. Three ‘soft’ bounces like this and you’re out (not my rule, Mailchimp’s rule).

          Occasionally we see faulty ‘hard bounces’, where Mailchimp gets a message back saying that your email account no longer exists. This gets you wiped instantly.

        • Can says:

          10 Nov10 November 14:13

          Thanks. It clarifies. I thought mailchimp was more clever than this — especially for a paid service

        • Rob says:

          10 Nov10 November 15:27

          Not sure what you mean.

          YOUR ISP would have sent a message to MailChimp saying that your account was closed, or it would have been offline when the emails were delivered and so marked as a soft bounce. MailChimp IS very clever which is why it can automatically delete people when this happens.

• Michael C says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:42

  Morning, all!
  So I understand that paying now for a cash booking for Sept. 22, it’s just tough boobies if I cancel, because it’s beyond the 31 Aug.
  If I do an Avios booking with 3 return passangers on the same booking, would the cancellation fee be GBP35 X 3?

  • TGLoyalty says:

    10 Nov10 November 08:47

    Yes

    • Michael C says:

      10 Nov10 November 11:53

      Cheers, TG

• TGLoyalty says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:47

  Seems to be a comment on here every few days about caps on IHG points cost with its new dynamic pricing method.

  If there was a 100k cap on Kimpton IC etc properties then that is no longer the case ie IC Park Lane is 120k on 24-25th Nov.

  • Aston100 says:

    10 Nov10 November 12:05

    Agreed, I have seen pricing in excess of 100k for IC and Kimpton properties recently (for next year)

• Kara says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:49

  Hello. I provided some hotel feedback via the app and email to Hilton but I have not received so much as an acknowledgment. Is there a specific email address to use these days? We tried the guest correspondence at Hilton one and the Hilton at Hilton dot com. Thank you

  • Cranzle says:

    10 Nov10 November 13:35

    Use Twitter to direct message them @hiltonhonors
    I’ve always found them to be very responsive

• Vit says:

  10 Nov10 November 08:50

  Good morning all, hopefully those with dual citizenship may be able to help?

  My partner is holding both Thai and Brit passports are travelling to Thailand next month. Obviously, she applied for her Thailand Pass using the “Thai citizen” option so that she does not need to take our specific insurance etc., The PCR fit-to-fly booking has also been made using her Thai passport details.

  However, the flight was booked using her British passport number. I know she can change her passport details (or not even inputting them) in the passenger details but what she is concerned about is that she may be denied boarding or check-in if she uses British passport at the check-in counter along with pcr fit-t0-fly test with her Thai passport number, etc.

  At the same time, she is concerned about “immigration record” if she uses Thai passport all the way through on everything. Any advices / experiences are much appreciated. We are flying QR out of EDI if that matters.

  I don’t mind getting another pcr fit-to-fly using her Brit passport if it is really necessary but my gut feeling says it is fine with what we have done now.

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    10 Nov10 November 09:07

    My wife is British/Polish.

    She’s been using her British passport on the flight record but has been showing her Polish (EU) passport at all EU passport controls.

    Fun at the Eurotunnel where she has to give Polish passport then quickly swap it for a British when we drive forward to the British passport control!

    You don’t have to show the exact same passport to all controls as in your booking.

    I wouldn’t overly worry about this too much. Just show the check-in counter the Thai passport and anything else required to fly there. Might be easier to put Thai passport on the booking as they have the more difficult rules?

  • Pete M says:

    10 Nov10 November 09:17

    I can’t comment on QR specifically, but BA never have any issues mixing and matching my various passports – the key thing they care about is I have a way of getting into the country, so they are not stuck having to bring me back straight away if I am denied entry.

  • John says:

    10 Nov10 November 09:54

    You don’t book a flight “using” any passport details in the first place so that means nothing

    When checking in in the UK she should use her Thai passport as that’s what she needs to enter Thailand. Same at boarding.

    She is a British citizen so her “immigration record” in the UK is also irrelevant. If there is a spot check by UK immigration officers at the gate or at security she should show her British passport to them.

    When checking in with the airline in Thailand they will need both passports as they need to see the right to enter the UK but also how she entered Thailand. Thai passport only to Thai officials. UK passport at UK immigration.

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    10 Nov10 November 13:37

    Airlines usually allow passport number changes. People renew passport, change citizenship, get an emergency passport if they lose the original – this is expected in normal course.

  • Vit says:

    10 Nov10 November 20:28

    Thanks everyone for your input here. They are very much appreciated and put our minds at ease. We agreed with the point you made above and that seems to be the experience we have had when travelling but as it is covid-19 we were not sure. 🙂

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