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Corona / Covid-19 virus - airport and flying restrictions, and licensing / medical issues

Yes. It is the “pre departure test” (also can be called “pre return test”) which I bought from the crooks called qured.com and which is a lateral flow test, £39, done over video (which doesn’t work in practice so if you fly by airline you are stuffed; with GA nobody apparently cares about it so I did it and took photos, against a laptop showing the BBC website).

However, I reckon, for a short trip to France, just one PCR test ought to do the whole lot! It will meet

  • the French requirement (PCR within preceeding 72hrs – see above)
  • the UK pre-return test (supervised lateral flow in 3 days before returning, IIRC)
  • the UK day 2 test (can be done on or before day 2)

So you can do LFAT for a day or two, with just the one test, for a hundred quid It’s pretty stupid, really.

Opinions?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Opinions?

It’s all too messy. I just can’t be bothered. GARs and flight plans are enough hassle for a day-trip to LFAT, and I just can’t bring myself to navigate testing and quarantine requirements – plus I begrudge the expense.

EGLM & EGTN

I think we should do a fly-in to LFAT just to prove the principle

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Just to show how unreliable travel is at the moment:

A friend of mine plus a large number of other pax were denied check in and their TUI flight to Malta yesterday despite being in the possession of an NHS pass with 2 vaccines PLUS a negative PCR test, because allegedly, one of the vaccines was of an “Indian” batch which “carries the Delta variant”.

Turns out it is all bullshit but what can they do. They have lost their booking, their hotel, their flight, everything to this incertitude which is everywhere. Things like this won’t encourage travel.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

I’m not travelling anywhere where I need a test before returning. I’m just going to wait it out. If you test positive abroad, now you have the problem in finding a place that will take a COVID-positive person.

The Isle of Man did the right thing: the test was done after you returned to the island: you self isolated until you got the result. At least if you were positive then had to self isolate for 2 weeks, you were doing it in your own home, not scrabbling around trying to find accomodation for COVID-positive people in a foreign country.

Andreas IOM

were denied check in and their TUI flight to Malta

Firstly, TUI is the cheapest nastiest travel agent around. The Gatwick cattle market has to be seen at the TUI check-in… The best one I’ve seen was a TUI coach, in the hold of a Greek ferry, with the engine running to keep the aircon going, and the driver sitting inside. The air in the hold was barely breathable, due to him and a collection of other stupid car drivers doing the same thing.

Secondly, with GA travel, the pre-return test is not checked.

And I have seen no evidence anybody cares about it upon arrival in the UK, either… probably because the £2000 fine on the airline for carrying somebody without it ensures that 99.9% of people will travel with it checked by the airline

I’m not travelling anywhere where I need a test before returning

Very sensible, and a lot of people have been trapped by this, but with GA it is not an issue. I have checked and not heard of a single example where a foreign airport was checking the pre-return test on behalf of the UK, for GA flights.

It is a bollox test anyway, for GA, where you can’t infect 150 others – given that you are doing a day 2 test when you get back.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter and all…

It was not TUIs fault after all. Turns out they were right!

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malta/entry-requirements#entry-rules-in-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19

Entry will not be allowed if the vaccine batch on your certificate is from one of the following: 4120Z001, 4120Z002, 4120Z003. We are clarifying with the Maltese authorities why these have been deemed not valid for entry.

This came out AFTER dozens of pax were denied boarding at LGW and possibly elsewhere totally to their surprise and without any means of prior checking.

Apparently France also denies entry to people with those lots. Better check your certificates….

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

How does it work for just flying in for the day and returning to the uk same day.

Maybe same as 2day/5day test in UK? you need it even for a half-day visit (you get email updates of delivery at you place in UK with daily phone calls while 1000km away )

Last Edited by Ibra at 09 Jul 20:46
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

How does it work for just flying in for the day and returning to the uk same day.

@rob please note that this thread is for flying related covid matters.

For the likely answer, see above post.

The general discussion thread is for general discussion of covid stuff.

It was not TUIs fault after all. Turns out they were right!

OK; so it looks like both France (discussed earlier) and now Malta are demanding those batches are disregarded – not because the vaccine was duff but because Brussels had not approved that particular Indian manufacturer…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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