The HfP chat thread – Saturday 11th December

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a270 says:

11 Dec11 December 14:54

Is it me or is No 1 Lounge at Heathrow T3 really bad these days. Aspire one was closed so the only available via Platinum PP was this one. Dirty floor, saw like 1-2 dustbin flies and the food choice was so limited! Just white boiled rice, a bean curry, pasta and a chicken dish (I can only have Halal so this last one was not a choice for me). Other than that a jar of cookies and some brownies. Ladies toilets had no paper towels and didn’t seem frequently cleaned.
- Andrew says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 15:31
  
  These days? Wasn’t it always bad? Filtered tap water and a machine that dispenses instant coffee – I have better facilities at home!
  - Nick says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:43
    
    Filtered tap water is a huge bonus for me. I hate lounges that have such unnecessary bottled water. Makes a mockery of BA’s whole ‘BA Better World’ thing when you see how many they get through in their lounges.
    
    Other than that, agree with everything in the post!
    - Andrew says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 17:53
      
      We’ll have to agree to disagree on that point then – I prefer my water imported from Italy and at a push France; BA’s comes from the U.K. if carbon footprint is of a concern.
- His Holyness says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:57
  
  Are you sure the chicken isn’t Halal? I’m surprised they don’t have some food on request for those with religious preferences. BA used to have Kosher in Galleries First.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 20:32
    
    It is on flights to the Middle East and other Muslim countries on BA for example.
    
    However, you can always eat all veg and fish so there is normally lots of choice. I guess more cost savings being hidden with “covid”
Mr. AC says:

11 Dec11 December 14:57

Anyone has any tips on how to get through to Amex Travel? I booked a reservation with them during the “50 back” promo, but now need to cancel. The e-mails bounce. The phone just drops after 15 min of music (tried for 3 days in a row, at different times of the day). There should be chat, but when you click the button a window pops up saying “Chat is available every day from 8.00 – 20.00 GMT.”, but no chat opens (different browsers attempted). Regular Amex chat can’t connect you to the Travel chat and just gives out the phone number.
I’m at my wits end at this point. I wonder what would happen if I raised a chargeback with Amex against Amex Travel?…
- davefl says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 15:13
  
  There’s an option for them to call you back. It works. May take a few hours but you get dropped into number one in the queue when it rings you.
  - meta says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 15:33
    
    Send them an email to the usual address disregard the auto-reply as they will respond within a few days. Unless it’s urgent, then call the usual Amex CS and they’ll put you through. Bear in mind that Amex Travel team don’t work weekends.
- Darko says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:19
  
  I had to talk to them to cancel the same thing recently. I called the main Amex phone number on the back of the card and they have put me through to the travel agent. I remember they did mention that travel agents work only normal office hours, so make sure you try then.
Geoff 1977 says:

11 Dec11 December 15:08

Just realised that it’s exactly two weeks until Xmas!

What a time to be alive! Festive good wishes to everyone.
- Andrew says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 15:32
  
  Shame about Omicron putting a spanner in the works.
  - Geoff 1977 says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 15:55
    
    Oh look it’s professor buzzkill!
    
    Christmas will be great!
    
    Chin up son! Could be worse, you could be living in Yemen or some other warn torn country!
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 16:30
      
      Because people of Yemen give a rats about Xmas?
      
      Andrew isn’t the buzzkill it’s Bojo and his clowns.
      - Doommonger says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 16:35
        
        I’m the harbinger of doom and despondency on here, Hooray for Boris and building back better! Lets have a party…………….
      - Geoff 1977 says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 16:49
        
        Chin up son!
        
        Christmas is coming! Enjoy yourself! I know I am!
        
        Are you going out tonight? Pubs are open!
      - Geoff 1977 says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 16:50
        
        “ Because people of Yemen give a rats about Xmas?”
        
        Because you could be getting your house blown up in the middle of the night if you live in Yemen. That won’t happen here !
        
        First world problems TG Lotalty! Don’t worry be happy as a great man once said! Ooooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
      - Geoff 1977 says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 17:05
        
        Enjoy your party Doomoonger! More people should be partying! Go to the pub! They’ve been open for five months!
    - Tariq says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 19:18
      
      Plenty of political instability in this country numbnuts!
  - Sukes says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:20
    
    Kiera Knightly is in the press today promoting her new movie ‘Silent Night’ that was released last wk. Here’s the plot line: “In her first Christmas film since the 2003 classic Love Actually, Keira stars as Nell, a mother preparing for the Christmas season when because of a lethal environmental catastrophe, the government rolls out suicide pills to the public for a quick and easy death.” I thought I’d read a joke press release at first but no this movie is actually out on general release
    - Geoff 1977 says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 17:40
      
      Sounds good Sukes. Will you be watching! Merry Christmas!
      - Sukes says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 17:48
        
        Haha no the reviews are poor even if it was my cup of tea. I think I’m goin to get NOW Entertainment & start watching Succession which sounds excellent. Merry Christmas everyone.
    - Anna says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 17:55
      
      That sounds terrible! I was looking forward to a bit of escapism via Matrix Resurrections but now masks are de rigeur once again I might just stay in with Now, Netflix, Prime and the normal channels.
      - Geoff 1977 says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 18:09
        
        Have a good one Anna. Hope it’s full of festive cheer! Chin up!
      - Anna says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 18:15
        
        Thanks Geoff, your posts sound rather familiar! And also to you. My New Year’s resolution is to never spend another full winter in the U.K.!
- Njb says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 20:19
  
  Best post in many a while
David Lawton says:

11 Dec11 December 15:53

Data point for those who’ve been waiting for Avios to Nectar , mine credited today from the 24th November.
- DAJ says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:21
  
  Ditto – credited from a transfer dated 20 November!
Jill (Kinkell) says:

11 Dec11 December 16:52

For those interested in our London Edition stay, it’s certainly a stay not without issues! However, the saving grace are the staff. Excellent, efficient and eager to make up in some way for the drab room, shocking lighting in the room. no tea in the room, had to ask for it. At Berners Tavern. ( torch out to read the menu…. as did about every other table). my very specific request for ‘no pink, no blood’ for my steak, well done is how I like it, arrived red and oozing! Sent back to reappear just a OH finishing his fish , still in a rosy pink state! Maybe the fancy Michelin starred chef refused to cook it! Who knows. Anyway I ate round the edges and left the central bit. Needless to say Staff to the rescue … steak coffee and wine disappeared from the bill and comped breakfast for 2 days to help ‘manage my expectations’ I have to say all the staff we have encountered have been what you would expect from a 5* establishment. At no time did they try to minimise or argue otherwise.
Just as well brekkie was comped… £58 for 2 coffees, orange juices, pancakes with fruit platter and 2 eggs with avocado on sourdough. Original plan was a breakfast stop round the corner! All in all it’s certainly one of the most expensive places we’ve stayed…. and it’s definitely not value for money … or points in my case!
- Alex says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:02
  
  You love to complain, don’t you?
  - Jill (Kinkell) says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:32
    
    No I don’t. But I will if there is good cause to complain
- YC says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:14
  
  Agree hard product is not good and needs a refurb. Nice to hear about the service recovery but I still wouldn’t give it a second shot or recommend to friends even if it was half price. Generally have had good experiences at editions but not this one
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 18:38
    
    A refurb already … mustve really gone downhill over the past 3 years. Cheap materials?
    
    @Jill perhaps not your sort of property. It’s very much about the public areas rather than the rooms. A lively lobby bar, a busy restaurant etc
    
    While my room was of a decent size with a large very well equipped bathroom (huge powerful shower) I suspect the entry room isn’t great.
- Andrew says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:18
  
  Chefs having tantrums about cooking well done steaks…
  
  It’s because it takes effort. A medium or rare steak is easy. To cook a well done steak well, you can’t just stick it between the heated plates for longer, you have to pan fry it, bathe it gently in quality oil, treat it well and it will be cooked beautifully.
  
  The people who can’t cook a well done steak well are the same people who turn out fried eggs with brown crispy bits at breakfast.
- Doommonger says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:19
  
  Well done steak?? at a Berni Inn, not Berners tavern! What did you have for starters Prawn Cocktail 🙂
  - Jill (Kinkell) says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:37
    
    Don’t like prawns No starter. Chef should prepare what customer is asking for. I like a well done steak … so what.
    - JDB says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 17:52
      
      Most good chefs are reluctant to cook steak ‘well done’ as causes the marbling fat to be rendered out together with the juices making the meat tougher + drier than it should be and removing the flavour carriers; to do that to good quality meat is anathema to most cooks.
      - Colin MacKinnon says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 19:57
        
        A pal’s uncle was the maitre d’ in a top city centre hotel in Scotland. A local judge was having lunch and wanted simple mince and tatties.
        
        Chefs all threw their hands up in the air and said: No way!
        
        He replied: This is a customer, and if that is what the customer wants, that is what we will supply. The BEST mince and tatties there ever was!
        
        My father, in the early 1970s in the Hilton in Park Lane, asked for fried eggs and chips. The waiter said: I am sorry sir, that is not on the menu. Head waiter came over. My father said: Your waiter seems to be of the opinion that either there are no eggs or potatoes in the kitchen, or no chefs who know how to cook them!
        
        (Dad was ex Bomber Command)
      - Jill (Kinkell) says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 20:03
        
        Yes… I know. But it’s how I like it.
  - JDB says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:54
    
    The prawn cocktail was a little adventurous. Grapefruit with a glacé cherry seemed the safer option.
- JDB says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:41
  
  It isn’t a 5* hotel, so expectations should be calibrated accordingly. I very much doubt Jason Atherton was present, but if he had been, I doubt he would have been deliberately refusing to cook your steak, although it does seem quite pointless to order an expensive ingredient and then request the chef to destroy its flavour and texture.
  - Nick says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:53
    
    There are lots of restaurants in France where the chefs simply refuse to obliterate steak. Good for them too, à point is the absolute maximum it should be cooked or just have something else.
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 18:46
    
    @JDB it IS a 5 star luxury hotel it just doesn’t sell itself to everyone. It’s modern luxury rather than traditional.
    - JDB says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 18:59
      
      If it’s a 5* luxury hotel, where does that put Claridge’s, Savoy, Dorchester etc.? It’s simply not remotely in that league, and 5 stars is the max! Three red stars to four black would be about right.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 19:27
        
        They are your traditional luxury hotel.
        
        Personally I like Claridges and the Connaught they aren’t competing with Edition. I suspect the Savoy is and the dorcestor absolutely isn’t with its extremely traditional decor.
        
        They’re different customer looking for a different type of luxury experience.
      - TGLoyalty says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 19:27
        
        Savoy ISNT.
    - Harry T says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 19:12
      
      I agree with TG, it’s very much a five star hotel. FWIW, I’m Marriott Ambassador and have stayed at a good number of the Luxury Collection, W, EDITION and Ritz-Carlton properties – I think I’m well placed to judge the hotel.
      - Alex says:
        
        11 Dec11 December 21:34
        
        Or biased as a fanboy?
- Anna says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:08
  
  Oh no Jill, that’s disappointing but your comped breakfast sounds nice. Ours was very good indeed, fried eggs just the right amount of runniness and no brown bits in sight! I commented to my OH that it’s a pity hotels don’t serve bubbly with brekkie in this country but had to concede that it would probably lead to drunkenness, anti-social behaviour and financial difficulties for the hotels.
  Nick – pink but not bloody! Can’t bear it cold and slimy in the middle.
  - The cyclist says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 19:08
    
    What’s wrong with drunkenness? I myself was accused of anti social behaviour only last night. I will admit I had a few but I was accused by a chap of leering at his well endowed wife, I guess its up to the individuals interpretation of what is acceptable and what is not.
    
    I like my steak medium by the way.
- Harry T says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:14
  
  I’ve had three great stays here and I think the hard product is good quality and the service is excellent.
  - Jill (Kinkell) says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 20:07
    
    Oh god. Set the cat amongst the London pigeons! Currently in a Bella Italia. I know my place!
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 21:24
      
      Missed out on the free dough balls @ pizza express
    - memesweeper says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 21:27
      
      @Jill
      
      You are entitled to order what you want… if they can’t make it, then they should promptly decline your order, not cook you something else!
      
      5* or greasy spoon, same principles apply… IMO
Sina says:

11 Dec11 December 17:31

Just upgraded my wife’s gold card to Plat and got 20k points for £4k spend offer! And added the £200 dining credit!
- Anna says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 17:58
  
  What happens to the Platinum fee if you upgrade now, do they charge it straight away?
  - Sina says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 17:59
    
    I think they charge on first statement.
  - can says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 18:49
    
    There is a monthly payment option too
Rob says:

11 Dec11 December 18:05

I’ve added a picture from the balcony of HarryT’s suite at W Yas Island to the Grand Prix thread – https://hfp2022.headforpoints.blog/2021/12/11/virgin-salt-and-pepper-set/ It’s impressive!
- Anna says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:17
  
  Meh, I’ll be watching Strictly in my standard King room. There’s a McLaren in the car park so no measurable difference from Harry T’s experience 😂
- BP says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:30
  
  Incredible view! Enjoy Harry T!
  - Harry T says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 19:13
    
    Thank you 🙂
    - BLT says:
      
      11 Dec11 December 20:43
      
      Looks ok! – Just to the left of the picture is where the Marriott Yacht was 2 years ago where we got to watch qualifying and the race, with complimentary food and drinks.
Phil says:

11 Dec11 December 18:42

Evening all. My youngest age 9 tested positive yesterday. He’s on a fast acting medication of oreo cookies, haribo and Fortnite so doing ok. We’re flying to Antigua on Feb 18th so had a quick look at guidance and it said that Antigua doesn’t accept proof of recovery letters. The test and trace chap said he shouldn’t do any pcr tests for 90 days as they will likely be positive. Given that he has to have a negative pcr test to get into Antigua, am I right in thinking that we are a bit stuffed now?
- Tracey says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:46
  
  He would be very unlucky to still test positive on a PCR in 2 months time. It is possible but unlikely.
  - Phil says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 21:01
    
    Thank you Tracey
- Anna says:
  
  11 Dec11 December 18:46
  
  Not if he has a negative PCR test, which is quite likely by February. The NHS advice isn’t aimed at travel, your perfectly free to get a Fit to Fly one. If he’s testing negative on lateral flow tests in the weeks leading up to the trip chances are you’ll be ok.
  - Phil says:
    
    11 Dec11 December 21:02
    
    Thank you Anna