The HfP chat thread – Monday 15th November

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TicknBash says:

15 Nov15 November 11:25

Slightly off travel topic… looking for afternoon tea recommendations in London or even an hour outside London.

Langley on the shortlist but have found limited feedback online, otherwise Mandarin ?

Should be spoilt for choice but any favourites or hidden gem from HfPers ?
- Vit says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:31
  
  Done the Landmark one pre-covid. It was great along with Cello live music. Probably not a hidden gem though.
- Harry T says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:31
  
  Wouldn’t bother travelling to the Langley for their food and beverage, or service.
  - meta says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 15:44
    
    +1 The afternoon tea I had at Langley last year was the worst ever. Burnt panettone and the waiter telling me that this is how it should be…
- Milly says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:40
  
  We found the Four Seasons in Trinity Square really good
- Simon says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:45
  
  The Langham hotel was very good. As was Fortnum and Masons.
  - Faiza says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 16:49
    
    I second F&M at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Saloon
- Michael C says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:48
  
  The Drawing Room at Brown’s Hotel Mayfair.
  Apart from being lovely, food refilled until you say Stop!
- Alex M says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:10
  
  Ritz on Piccadilly was really nice 13 yrs ago…
- Amy C says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:30
  
  Did The Grove in Watford 2 years ago. Harpist in attendance. Lovely room and great tea.
- Gavin says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:33
  
  Cliveden
- Sarah says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 13:37
  
  Prêt-à-Portea at the Berkeley is my fave, more for the ladies though with the emphasis on fashion.
- JDB says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 14:35
  
  The Lanesborough for the quality of the tea and the setting
- AJA says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 15:33
  
  I like Dean Street Townhouse in Soho. It is over two years since I last went though.
- Igloo says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 16:19
  
  The Langham and Lanesborough have been two of my favourites. Haven’t tried it yet, but the menu at the Orchid Lounge at the Pan Pacific looks really good as well.
  
  For a more budget friendly option Dalloway Terrace was genuinely nice which I just didn’t expect at that price point.
  
  The Langley was potentially one of the worst afternoon teas I have ever had.
- Genghis says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 17:31
  
  Claridges. Excellent
endfire says:

15 Nov15 November 11:40

Planning a short break in the Canaries in Jan-Feb time, and thinking of going to Fuerteventura for the first time.
Anyone has any experience of Sheraton Fuerteventura Beach Golf & Spa resort? I’m not sure about the location, and I have zero interest in golf or spas, but it looks a relatively good value points redemption (Cat 4).
My main selection criteria would be a decent pool, easy access to restaurants or cafes outside the resort, and easy access to places to go hiking or running. Any tips welcome! thx
- Spurs drive me mad says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:56
  
  I’ve been here, I liked the hotel used the indoor pool as went in November I think. There’s a little shopping centre with restaurants etc about a 10 min walk. The main restaurants are a 10 min taxi drive. I can’t remember going to the beach but think it was easy enough to get to. The rooms were nice enough.
- Anna says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 11:59
  
  Just be aware that Fuerteventura (and Lanzarote) can be less than “beachy” in Jan and Feb, you’ll be fine in shorts and T-shirts but don’t bank on temperatures much above the low 20s.
  - Spurs drive me mad says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 12:06
    
    Shame you don’t like spa things as their spa pool was great. I spent most of my time in there!
    - Anna says:
      
      15 Nov15 November 12:25
      
      I would definitely be in the spa!
      - Spurs drive me mad says:
        
        15 Nov15 November 13:02
        
        They had different spa showers and jacuzzi jets all around pool. You could make a circuit up to get different bits of your body massaged.
  - endfire says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 14:16
    
    Thanks Spurs and Anna. Aware of the lower temps, as I’ve been to Lanza in Dec/Jan a couple times, and evenings were pretty cool, and that wouldn’t be much of a problem.
    I’ll ponder on it, as the location looks too quiet for evening meals&drinks, but the hotel does look nice and it’s good to know there are some restaurants walking distance. My plan B would be the Sheraton La Caleta in Tenerife, which I like (although a bit more expensive, and have been recently already)
trader363 says:

15 Nov15 November 11:52

Planning a trip LHR to SIN on 20th Jan (only Economy available using Avios) so will probably pay cash.

Only need one way as I’ll return from BKK via DXB on Emirates.

The BA cash price for a one way is £420, but return is £470ish. Any way of bringing the one-way ticket price down?
- Anna says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:01
  
  One way prices are always very high on BA long haul, usually not worth paying cash for.
  - mr_jetlag says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 12:13
    
    You’re also competing with a lot of travellers as BA has only one, VTL compliant, flight. SQ has several options and some may be cheaper cash fares.
- Sam G says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:49
  
  try playing around with a throwaway return back into Europe but I doubt you’ll get much of a reduction
  
  If you need a ticket to Thailand you may find a one-way or throwaway return on SQ LHR-SIN-stopover-BKK better value, SQ one way fares are usually a bit lower. But SQ still only has 1 VTL flight per day so it’s also v busy.
  
  Dubai will now be a VTL corridor so might be better off adding it to your Emirates ticket
- Thom says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 18:26
  
  If you were to book an open jaw with the the return from somewhere like TLV you should be able to get to closer to £385 … Whether t
Patrick C says:

15 Nov15 November 11:54

Qucik question on amex promotions:

Is it possible to trigger both the 100gbp of 400gbp and the 50 of 200gbp at the same time? i.e. get £150gbp back in one transaction ?
- Shaw West says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:03
  
  If your transaction meets the criteria on both offers, then for sure.
- Anuj says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:35
  
  Assuming those offers are on separate cards, no, unless you pay in person and ask to split the bill over two cards.
- E says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 14:18
  
  If this is the Marriott offers then there is only one hotel on both lists.
- TGLoyalty says:
  
  16 Nov16 November 00:35
  
  All offers stack IF they are valid at the exact same location. That last bit is the most important but so check the participating locations carefully.
Phil W says:

15 Nov15 November 12:00

Portugal Passenger Locator Card Query – I’m trying to complete the Portuguese PLC ahead of a trip this Thursday and I am having problems with the Postal Code in Portugal.

The hint text is “ex: 0000-00”. I’ve inserted “2765-249” but when I submit I am repeatedly getting an error message stating, “The postal code format is invalid.”

Has anyone else experienced this issue, and if so how did you get around it?

Thanks in advance.
- Phil W says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:15
  
  Must have been user error. Typed it in (rather than Copy/Paste) and it worked this time.
  - Andrew says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 13:10
    
    The printed or screen world is complicated.
    
    You may have copied a dash “—” (Code 0150) when the input required a hyphen “-” (Code 45).
AngryOctopus says:

15 Nov15 November 12:02

Datapoint on recent datapoint(s) I’ve seen on the comment section relating amex offer redemptions:

£100 off £400 posted yesterday for flight booked 29 October .
Hawksmoor in London credit posted this morning, went this sat weekend.
All Morrison offers posted now (10%) split across 20 spends with first spend 24 October and most recent 6 Nov.

Hopefully those are some useful datapoints.
- Shaw West says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:05
  
  Mine(100OFF 400 Amex travel spend) posted as well. Txn on 30th October
- Sandgrounder says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:26
  
  All of my Morrisons 10%s dropped in this morning.
Aston100 says:

15 Nov15 November 12:04

In case it helps anyone:
Amex Travel spend £400, get £100 statement credit.
Single transaction in excess of £400 made on 5th November; Statement credit landed on 13th November.
HH says:

15 Nov15 November 12:15

Google Maps satellite view of LHR appears to have been updated to a shot taken during the depths of covid—not a single plane sitting at a gate in the entire airport. Looks so eerie and deserted.
- Simon says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:25
  
  I also saw that- I even wondered if the planes had even been ‘photo shopped’ out- nothing even on the eastern maintenance ramps!
  - N says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 12:32
    
    I’m tempted to say they might have been. Bit weird to have no planes at all visible at LHR except for a single Qantas on the runway?
- PaulC says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:30
  
  I’ve found them, all parked up at Gatwick!
  - Genghis says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 13:37
    
    and BOH
- Humphrey says:
  
  15 Nov15 November 12:35
  
  The planes have been manually edited out, its not an actual photo of a moment in time.
  - HH says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 13:56
    
    What a strange thing to do. I can’t think of any security benefit to scrubbing them out. So why bother?
    - Dubious says:
      
      19 Nov19 November 05:16
      
      If you are someone that uses Google Maps as an image layer in design a d planning work, the presence of the aircraft can be quite bothersome. This makes it easier for users to put their own aircraft in those spaces as an overlay.
      
      I don’t know if this was the reason but it is one helpful outcome.
  - John says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 13:59
    
    What’s the point of that?
  - Genghis says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 14:12
    
    Except Qantas and Saudia? Strange.
  - AJA says:
    
    15 Nov15 November 15:51
    
    I think you could be right. I just searched and it is the same thing with FRA airport.