The HfP chat thread – Saturday 4th December

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• Paul says:

  4 Dec4 December 16:48

  Good afternoon from the snug in the Glasgow BAEC lounge. Roaring fire (TV) and a 12 year old malt. Simple pleasures!

  • His Holyness says:

    4 Dec4 December 17:44

    32 inch Samsung LCD roaring away

• Gerry says:

  4 Dec4 December 17:37

  Would you recommend IHG ambassador membership, I am currently spire but staying using points in Mexico next year, would you generally get access to club lounge as ambassador ?

  • DJ says:

    4 Dec4 December 17:58

    AMB membership doesn’t guarantee access to the lounges, it only guarantees one-level upgrade on the room your booked.

    • QwertyKnowsBest says:

      4 Dec4 December 17:59

      and of course a free night as explained in the recent H4P article, best read that.

  • John says:

    4 Dec4 December 18:49

    You never get access with spire or ambassador unless you pay for a room with lounge. Even if upgraded to a club room you don’t get access. Some hotels can be generous though

  • Phil W says:

    5 Dec5 December 00:27

    Some ICs offer discounted Lounge access to Ambassadors. However, you’d struggle not to get value from Ambassador for a prolonged IC stay.

• cabal of rabid baboons says:

  4 Dec4 December 18:13

  I think their is breaking news for people flying to Blighty?

• Elizabeth Wright says:

  4 Dec4 December 18:13

  Just announced at the end of channel 4 news bulletin: Government has this evening announced pre departure testing for travel back to the UK. To be introduced from next Tuesday 7th December. Assume LTF, but don’t have details.

  • meta says:

    4 Dec4 December 18:25

    Yes, all over the news!

  • Andrew says:

    4 Dec4 December 18:27

    So every Saturday evening we are adding an extra step, let’s hope next Saturday we don’t announce a return to day 2 and 8 testing and isolation.

    • Elizabeth Wright says:

      4 Dec4 December 20:34

      Yes, must be a record as G Shapps said no way they would be introduced only yesterday…!!!!!

      Piss up and brewery springs to mind. These guys make it up as they go along.

      https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/news/shapps-pre-departure-test-vow-and-booster-jab-optimism-31772

  • Lady London says:

    4 Dec4 December 18:50

    Oh, F

    • meta says:

      4 Dec4 December 18:51

      And guess what Randox has the package ready!

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        4 Dec4 December 20:36

        Express test is looking to launch one too soon

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        4 Dec4 December 20:40

        Express test is looking to launch imminently too, according to friend that woks there

        • meta says:

          4 Dec4 December 21:27

          Randox had the package ready within minutes it was announced which means that they must have had advance notice.

• cabal of rabid baboons says:

  4 Dec4 December 18:14

  there*

• BP says:

  4 Dec4 December 18:16

  Hello from Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf. It’s my first time here and it’s incredible. Service has been spot on. The room wasn’t ready when I arrived at 2:45pm (check-in 3pm) so they offered a free lunch with non-alcoholic drinks as service recovery without me asking. We were also upgraded to one of the refurbished Gulf rooms which are very nice.

  • Rob says:

    4 Dec4 December 18:46

    All the rooms are redone. It’s a fab place, probably done 75 nights in the villas in the last 15 years.

• Whisper says:

  4 Dec4 December 18:21

  Is there anywhere airside on LHR T5 that I would buy a return to the UK Lateral flow test kit? Flying to Tenerife tomorrow and had day 2 PCR’s booked and now they have moved the goal posts again!

  • Andrew says:

    4 Dec4 December 18:28

    You’ll need to just get tested there and get a certificate – a clinic will do a LFT as well as PCR.

    • Whisper says:

      4 Dec4 December 18:30

      I thought it had to be UK Gov approved test? Will a LFT in a Tenerife clinic be acceptable?

      • Rob says:

        4 Dec4 December 18:45

        If they give you a certificate in the prescribed UK Government format, yes.

      • Anna says:

        4 Dec4 December 20:13

        We all got done in the clinic in Golf del Sur back in August, very prompt and professional, printed certificates back in about 30 mins, 35 euros each.

    • JDB says:

      4 Dec4 December 18:41

      Is the pre-departure test instead of the Day 2 PCR or in addition to it?

      • Andrew says:

        4 Dec4 December 18:48

        Addition unfortunately.

        • MrHandBaggageOnly says:

          4 Dec4 December 19:20

          How, if you have tested negative before you fly, can the government justify keeping the Day 2 PCR tests in place? Seems crazy to me.

          Was due to have 3 nights in France next weekend, but just don’t think I can face all the faffing around. That would be three tests in four days. If you’re on a tight budget then it makes it difficult to justify now, especially for a weekend.

          I thought 2020 travel was bad, but had no idea that 2021 would turn out to be so much worse for travel. Fingers crossed things start to get back on track next year.

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          4 Dec4 December 19:28

          “ Fingers crossed things start to get back on track next year.”

          Depends what you mean by on track. If you mean the same as 2019, then no chance

        • meta says:

          4 Dec4 December 19:43

          Yes totally bonkers. You could do LFT 2hrs before the flight and then PCR straight on arrival…

  • Whisper says:

    4 Dec4 December 20:17

    A friend suggested the Randox Certifly Click and Collect LFT. Managed to pick up 2 at the BP garage. Hopefully they will be OK. Thanks everyone for the advice.

• Sophie says:

  4 Dec4 December 19:32

  Anyone else noticed a general decline in Amex customer services? Recently added husband as supplementary card holder on my platinum account. Spent over 30 minutes with agent from Brighton chasing 5K MR points I was entitled to. He said he had never heard of offer. When I directed him to Amex website showing offer he said he could not find it (despite being first hit on google search) and I would need to upload screenshot of offer to the online portal. Tried to escalate to a manager but nobody available. For my own sanity I eventually gave up.

  • Lady London says:

    4 Dec4 December 20:59

    Call in standard core UK office hours Monday-Friday and you are more likely to get Brighton than offshore.

    Many offshore teams especially outsourced ones do not provide agents the ability to send emails or use the internet.

    From the trend of reports on here, it seems outsourcing is playing a bigger role for Amex UK in past 1 year or a bit longer ago. Looking like they’ve taken a decision about the level of customer service they’re now willing to provide : whether they know it or not. Time will tell if Amex is able to segment routes to customer support to ensure those paying nearly £600 for their Plat get better service. If they don’t succeed either brand damage follows. Or they had better hope every other charge card and most credit card alternatived disappear from the UK market….Oh, wait….

    • Youllnever says:

      4 Dec4 December 21:07

      Definitely the latter – the lack of competition means people won’t leave them anyway.

      • Sophie says:

        4 Dec4 December 21:45

        I spoke to agent from Brighton rather than offshore. That’s what surprised me more than anything. Making me jump through hoops to try and prove the supplementary referral offer (that is readily available and open to all on their website:
        https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/benefits/supplementary-cards/ ) and still did not budge.

        It’s a shame as Amex customer service used to be head and shoulders above the rest when it came to credit cards.

        • Lady London says:

          5 Dec5 December 12:58

          In that case, HUACA at very core times. ie Tue-Thu 10-11.30 or 2-2.30. If refused 2x more at those kind of times, provide screenshots/links/other evidence and raise a formal conplaint.

      • Can says:

        4 Dec4 December 22:11

        Hear hear

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