The HfP chat thread – Friday 3rd December

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

• FlightDoctor says:

  3 Dec3 December 16:53

  Quick question around using companion vouchers for domestic flights. My wife and I have a shed load of deferred vouchers and want to burn a couple on a (cheap) trip in CE
  to Edinburgh in January. If I just do a dummy booking without the vouchers I can trade off Avios and cash (cheapest cash is £1 each). However, using the voucher defaults to £50 each. Is there any option to pay less for more Avios in this situation?

  • Anna says:

    3 Dec3 December 17:03

    No, you can only book the standard avios pricing with the companion voucher. Still a decent deal though if you’re flying on a busy weekend – I have seen MAN to LHR return on a weekend for £300+ before!

• Linda says:

  3 Dec3 December 16:56

  Can anyone tell me please that if you apply for an FTV/e- voucher (BA) because you no longer want to travel on your particular flights for now do you lose your paid for seat selection or will it be carried over? Thanks.

  • John says:

    3 Dec3 December 19:14

    The seat fees will be part of the voucher and can be used to pay for seats when you use the voucher

    • Linda says:

      3 Dec3 December 21:03

      Thank you John

• JD says:

  3 Dec3 December 17:15

  Dubai: travelling there pre-Christmas.

  Dubai rules say PCR test needed before travel…

  …but my wife currently has covid and NHS recommendation is that you don’t do any PCRs within 90 days of having had a +ve PCR because you can test falsely positive even though you’ve recovered.

  Is anyone aware whether Dubai allows entry with a “recovered from covid” status?

  Or do we need to take a chance on a PCR and cancel / take a FTV if it’s positive?

  It appears though that if the PCR is falsely positive, then it kick starts the NHS test and trace, 10 day isolation, so then you get no holiday in Dubai, plus you have to stay in the house in cold grey London…

  Sorry if this has been asked before…

  Thanks for any help / advice

  • Rhys says:

    3 Dec3 December 17:19

    I did numerous PCR tests within 3 weeks of having covid and nothing was picked up, I imagine it is fairly rare.

    • JD says:

      3 Dec3 December 17:24

      Thanks Rhys, fingers crossed… 🙂 I am concerned that it’s probably only a matter of time until I get it too, and then the window between ‘recovery’ and travel could be pretty small…

      • BP says:

        3 Dec3 December 20:31

        Writing this from Dubai, having had COVID less than 90 days ago (about 60). PCR was negative.

        I do the ONS COVID survey and was showing negative about 30 days after having it.

        • JD says:

          4 Dec4 December 13:58

          Thanks BP!

  • Phil W says:

    4 Dec4 December 00:34

    My recent experience:
    – PCR Tested for Covid = Day 0
    – Symptoms = Day 1
    – Positive PCR Result = Day 2
    – Symptomatic and LF Positive = Day 7
    – Symptomatic and LF Negative = Day 10
    – PCR Negative = Day 11

    Reason my original PCR predated symptoms was because I am part of the Oxford study. I kept testing because I was intrigued to see the results.

    YMMV 🤣

    • JD says:

      4 Dec4 December 13:57

      Thanks Phil, hoping our mileage doesn’t vary… 😀

• Tracey says:

  3 Dec3 December 17:34

  Speaking to BA, they tell me that if you take a FTV against a cash flight you can only use it against another flight and not against a BA holiday. Is this correct? Potentially want to book a short notice holiday so would be paying in one hit, rather than deposit plus balance.

  • Graham says:

    3 Dec3 December 17:44

    These are the official rules but they apply the vouchers. Booked a flight in the Avios bonanza a few months ago and used them for a BA Holiday booking.

• Metty says:

  3 Dec3 December 17:37

  Expresstest codes and the UK Passenger Locator Form: in case anyone else is stuck trying to get the PLF to accept their Expresstest locator, I’ve spent a few hours this PM trying to help darling daughter and her friend in Paris trying to get the test code accepted for their day 2 PCRs.

  The codes are EXPRS1234567, rejected. Change to EXPRE1234567 and it is accepted. Others on Flyertalk seem to have it the other way round. Heaven knows if this results in denial of boarding but without a PLF I guess they would be anyway! (Unable to contact expresstest or gov.uk via any media!)

  • James says:

    3 Dec3 December 18:02

    I’ve used Express Test lots and the PLF references they provide are always EXPRE followed by seven digits.

    • Metty says:

      3 Dec3 December 18:05

      Hmm, well I’ve got one for next week, which is, like daughter’s, EXPRS.

      • Sarah says:

        3 Dec3 December 21:05

        I used mine on Wednesday and it was EXPRS. This worked for me.

  • JDB says:

    3 Dec3 December 18:08

    We did PLFs on Tuesday with the EXPRS code which was the correct one as sent. The form did say something like – ‘are you sure this is the correct code?’, which it was, having rechecked and the form then accepted it when we each pressed submit again.

• Mco says:

  3 Dec3 December 17:59

  Anyone know if you get the £20 Amazon voucher back if you refund the product that it was applied to? Spoke to Amazon chat but got mixed answers.

  • Anastasia Beaverhausen says:

    3 Dec3 December 18:08

    “If any of the products purchased with the credit are returned, your refund will equal the amount you paid for the product, subject to applicable refund policies”

    • Anastasia Beaverhausen says:

      3 Dec3 December 18:11

      …which is not as clear as it could be. I took it to mean you will only get back anything you paid after the voucher was applied.

      • Mco says:

        3 Dec3 December 19:51

        Thank you for the clarification

• davef says:

  3 Dec3 December 18:01

  For anyone struggline with BA’s digital document upload pre-checkin – It doesnt work with Edge but it does work with Chrome. Way to go BA!

• AM says:

  3 Dec3 December 18:08

  I missed the last bonus avios transfer offer from HSBC which was a few months ago I think. Are these advertised here/anywhere else? Have got a fair bit I want to transfer and want to ensure I don’t miss out.

  • JDB says:

    3 Dec3 December 18:10

    They get mentioned on here and I got an email from HSBC as well with the bonus offer. Only seems to be once a year though.

  • Rob says:

    3 Dec3 December 18:15

    We cover them, yes.

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.