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@Super-Secret-Stuff It happens, I know it shouldn’t but it does. Almost always human error, it’s why I always use the deadlock and do not disturb sign. As you say, speak to the manager tomorrow, most important thing is that the hotel understands why it happened and stops it happening again. It’s awful for both customers involved and could have been much worse.

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Barclays Travel Pack is £14.50, £10k cancellation, UK and Europe breakdown and Defaqto 5 star for both. Although I think it’s about to increase to £17.50. I wonder if Defaqto will rate the Chase offering?

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I see Chase has brought out an insurance product, Chase Protect. £12.50 a month for travel, breakdown and phone. Travel is £5k cancellation each and breakdown excludes at home, it’s a no from me.

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The Visa Waiver Section of the US Dept of State clearly excludes:

Nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to or been present in Cuba on or after January 12, 2021 (with limited exceptions for travel for diplomatic or military purposes in the service of a VWP country).

ESTA costs $40, B2 visa costs $185, the former is valid for 2 years the latter for 10. (Assuming passport is one of the VWP countries)

So, you either lie on an ESTA application, get denied entry and will almost certainly never get a visa. There are also other countries that ask if you have ever been denied entry anywhere, so additional complications there. Or, you go through the difficult process of obtaining a B2 knowing that it is highly unlikely there will be any future problems.

London is showing a one month visa interview wait time.

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@Dragonlady It’s been a while but the state owned banks are usually fee free, SBI is the biggest. Lots of ATMs in India.

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@runnerbean I’m very happy that we applied for 5 year visas before the significant price increase. Fortunately, the process for Sri Lanka is much more straightforward.

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Had enough now, this weather can do one! Checked my solar generations stats, Jan this year was 54kWh, 30% less than any of the previous 5 years. Feb is well on track to be the worst on record too, down 15% already with more rain to come. I cheered myself up a tiny bit by saving €50 on a hotel for June. 36 days until we are on our way to Sri Lanka, happy travelling everyone, enjoy the sunshine and try to bring some home please.

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@polly The post exposure rabies injections are very effective, best wishes to your OH.

A few years ago when we last visited Bali there was an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis, cost us £400 each in vaccinations.

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@charlie I haven’t looked for a while, I do a little bit of python scripting but it was beyond my capabilities. Give me a week or so I’ll send something over, I think it was the chap who did the Amex dining maps had a go.

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@bigmaggot Thanks, I did. Unfortunately, after they finished for the weekend at 1630!

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As an aside Charlie, is there anyway of adding IHG/Hilton award availability? I’ve seen projects on Github? I appreciate this is somewhat off topic!

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If you are feeling really canny, you can boost the 10k Avios for £460. That will give you 60k for £460 (minus any portfolio profit). Potentially 130 Avios/£ or .77p per Avios.

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Mine too, just tried to withdraw, I transferred the money in from Chase. Guess what, they don’t list Chase as an electronically verifiable bank! Update, Chase is an option on the website but still required manual verification.

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Carved panther and a plaque with our names and the dates from Diani beach for us, much later though, 2011. I think it was during the brief period that First Choice was revived as a brand by TUi?

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@Mankhool Have you tried calling or messaging them? IIRC tracker isn’t offered in the app.

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@Supergers49 Sounds fab, we will be there for 3 nights in June.

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Ah, Grand Cayman, memories from our honeymoon 20 years ago. The memories are burning my feet whilst walking on seven mile beach and treating Mrs S to some Lalique jewellery. We left the store because she didn’t think I was being serious, we were soon back in when she did!

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@MC That’s fantastic, enjoy.

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As opposed to my safari booking plan, I booked a First Choice holiday to Mombasssa. Then I found a company called Glorious Safaris on TA. The owner, Shadrack wasn’t allowed into the hotel so I had to walk to the hotel entrance and meet him there with a fistful of dollars, this was the day before the trip. I wondered if at that point my cash was gone, but no the next day we were picked up and driven to the local ‘airport’. We had two fabulous nights in the Masai Mara, saw the big 5, had a sunrise balloon trip and numerous game drives. It was about half the price First Choice wanted and we didn’t have to checkout.

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Well shiver me timbers, managed to get into a lounge in Europe with Priority Pass.

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1800-1800? Better be quick?

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CP Manchester Airport has a decent lounge, 1800-2000.

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😂

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Seems to be working for what it was intended for, just put a £2k hotel bill through in € and saved the 3% transaction fee on my credit card.

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That’s truly awful, I really feel for you.