The HfP chat thread – Friday 12th November

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• N says:

  12 Nov12 November 16:53

  Due to an unfortunate series of events, I left my amex platinum card and priority pass at home before flying. I’m flying back to London from Dubai tonight – any way I can get into a lounge with just a picture of my amex platinum card?! Long shot I know but worth asking!

  • N says:

    12 Nov12 November 16:57

    almost deff not. you might be able to use your priority pass app if you can get a photo of the pp card

  • Alex M says:

    12 Nov12 November 16:57

    install priority pass app and login into it.

  • meta says:

    12 Nov12 November 16:58

    If accessing via Priority Pass there, you can use the app. There is a digital card on there.

  • Blair says:

    12 Nov12 November 17:21

    Emirates lounge is pay on entry if necessary? Air France too

  • KP says:

    12 Nov12 November 19:01

    Ring Priority pass and ask for the membership number and validation code.You are set for digital PP.

• Tony says:

  12 Nov12 November 17:29

  Spending a week in the USA (arrive on a Wednesday and leave the following Wednesday). At what point do I need to take my test over there before I jump on my return flight? Is it day 2 after arrival, or within 3 days of my return date? Or both? I am vaccinated.

  • John says:

    12 Nov12 November 17:46

    You don’t need to take a test before travelling to the UK. You need to buy a test (most people have it delivered to their UK address) in order to board the flight and then take it before the second full calendar day after arriving in the UK

    • Tony says:

      12 Nov12 November 18:10

      I am an idiot. Thanks!

• Nick Booker says:

  12 Nov12 November 17:31

  Guys I am trying to put together some holidays for next year. What is the best place to find calendars giving prices in advance for hotels?

  • Toby says:

    12 Nov12 November 17:34

    I use Google Hotel Search which is great for that

    • Nick Booker says:

      12 Nov12 November 17:38

      I looked but cannot find the calendar function part of it

    • Nick Booker says:

      12 Nov12 November 17:39

      Cancel that its popped up! Thanks

      • Toby says:

        13 Nov13 November 08:38

        It’d quite hidden isn’t it!

• vlcnc says:

  12 Nov12 November 17:39

  Not sure the form on the member area for ITA Volare status match works just for people’s info btw – I did it this way and it’s been a week and I’ve not heard anything while others I know who sent theirs after mine via email as per instructions on their website, got theres in like 4 days almost universally. So probably do via email, seems to be better success rate!

• Clive says:

  12 Nov12 November 17:56

  Thank you VS Lounge Passes received today as promised.

• Steven says:

  12 Nov12 November 18:26

  For any regular billhop users out there, can you pay your other OT’s tax bill using a card in your name or do all bills need to match the cardholder’s name? Thanks

  • Anna says:

    12 Nov12 November 18:29

    Names not usually an issue as long as you’ve provided expiry date and cvv number, but I don’t know if there would be an inherent problem at either end for paying HMRC?

    • Steven says:

      12 Nov12 November 18:35

      Thanks. I had thought I had seen reference before to others paying HMRC via this method but maybe I’m mistaken. Had a look at the billhop website and doesn’t seem to specifically exclude HMRC.

      • Peter K says:

        12 Nov12 November 18:42

        HMRC is allowed. I’ve paid HMRC numerous times via billhop, but never tried paying someone else’s sorry.

        • Steven says:

          12 Nov12 November 18:47

          Thanks for confirming.

• Yorkie Aid says:

  12 Nov12 November 18:41

  Booking Virgin Atlantic Reward flights advice please. We want to book flights in PE with points and then use our CC upgrade vouchers. I’m sure I’ve read on here that this must be done over the phone but unfortunately I keep getting cut off before I can speak to anyone which is very annoying. Does anyone know whether I can book up the PE flights online and then Whatsapp them to apply the CC upgrade vouchers? Thanks in advance. I’ve already whatsapped them but got an auto-reply saying they bin messages sent between 5pm to 11pm. Can’t believe it’s so hard to book! Any help appreciated.

  • davef says:

    12 Nov12 November 19:18

    I did mine on the phone sunday before last around 11am, 21 mins on hold, 7 mins to complete the book PE and Upg with the voucher. (open jaw as well) Amazing service, so I’d say keep trying.

    I had browser windows open showing availability in both when I called to make it easy to give flight times etc.
    Try as early as you can over the weekend

    • Yorkie Aid says:

      12 Nov12 November 19:28

      That’s really useful, thanks davef.

      • davef says:

        12 Nov12 November 19:35

        One thing I forgot to mention was that the person who answered the phone said that they weren’t allowed to do UC bookings after I’d gone through all the details with her. So had to be transferred to a colleague.

        So make sure you tell them it’s UC at the start 🙂

        • Yorkie Aid says:

          12 Nov12 November 23:18

          Even more useful – cheers Dave 🙂

  • Roy says:

    13 Nov13 November 15:27

    Does it need award availability in PE and UC to do this, or just UC?

    • Rob says:

      13 Nov13 November 17:17

      If it works like BA, just Upper.

      • Roy says:

        14 Nov14 November 00:01

        Thanks, Rob.

        With the recent improvements to the Virgin card, maybe it would be worth thinking about running a series of articles explaining the ins and outs of Virginia Flying Club, like you do for Avios?

        I used to just collect hotel points but now that I’m focusing more on both Avios and Virgin miles, I’d love to read more coverage about how the Virgin programme works…

• David says:

  12 Nov12 November 18:57

  I really don’t get the point of the virgin club lounge passes – you only benefit when you are economy and won’t going the the lounge make you even more resentful of travelling in economy.

  • John says:

    12 Nov12 November 19:01

    Don’t use them then… I’m never resentful for being able to travel

  • Andrew says:

    12 Nov12 November 19:51

    But that’s the point of any airline status – you can enhance an economy ticket with a business or first class ground experience. Why would anyone want FlyingClub gold following your logic? And to note, you would also benefit when flying premium economy – which is pretty decent on Virgin, especially a day flight.

    • David says:

      12 Nov12 November 20:32

      The only reason status works for me – is use of the wing, use of first lounge when traveling business, extra luggage on short haul and spending it with decent partners. Plus higher earning rates. I won’t ever travel economy over 4 hours.
      Can I give my vouchers away ?

  • Blair says:

    12 Nov12 November 20:07

    I agree David. Status only interests me if it comes with a multiplier on points earning and upgrade vouchers. In this regard Aer Lingus AerClub is astonishingly generous based on cost of earning status to benefit of status ratio. I get 4 long haul upgrade vouchers a year and a companion voucher. I care little about alliance-wide benefits with OneWorld because I would just pay for business as a starting proposition anyway. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

    • Polly says:

      12 Nov12 November 20:41

      Seems way better than the old gold circle then. That was a nightmare

  • BJ says:

    12 Nov12 November 20:43

    I bet @Lady London wishes all the BA elites flying economy would feel sufficiently resentful to avoid the BA T5 lounges 😀

    • Lady London says:

      12 Nov12 November 22:00

      Not at all BJ.

      Being currently statusless and personally flying all my shorthaul Y, I’m happy if any Y flyer can blunt the experience at least by getting access to lounges.

      H*ll is having to fly shorthaul weekly for work and no lounge.

  • ChrisC says:

    12 Nov12 November 21:05

    What about in PE? That doesn’t get you CH access. Nor does VS silver.

    It’s a taster offer – “you can have this all the time if you fly Upper or get Gold!” – designed to convert people to upgrading their next flight.

    It’s why VS and BA don’t automatically upgrade elites flying Premium to Upper/ Club and they need to opup because they need the space.

    They upgrade the regular statusless premium flyer to give them a taster hoping to convert them into flying the higher cabin on their next trip.

    Other people having access to lounges never made me resent them. It made me pay more so I too could have access and get a nicer seat and a bigger luggage allowance,

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