New flying procedures

I am incredibly impressed with Randox. I had to order a PCR whilst in the US - this was delivered to my daughter, who took it to my house.

I arrived home yesterday morning and my daughter collected the test about 11am and dropped it at the Dropbox at Wetherby Services. I received the result before 6am this morning - a full 18 hours before I expected it.

This might be useful for anyone hoping to go to work or school the day after they get home.

[mitchja]

Nice to see the UK Gov Passenger Locator Form service is still as utterly useless as it always was.

It’s taken me 3 or 4 attempts to complete this form again.

The SMS authentication STILL keeps failing. They STILL have not fixed the issue with not receiving the PDF attachment when using the Mail app on iOS devices (though at least they do acknowledge this issue now in the email and tell you to download it manually if using the standard mail app on any iOS device).

If you are using an iCloud email account, you can access the PDF attachment correctly if you log into your iCloud account online using a web browser.

I am incredibly impressed with Randox. I had to order a PCR whilst in the US - this was delivered to my daughter, who took it to my house.

I arrived home yesterday morning and my daughter collected the test about 11am and dropped it at the Dropbox at Wetherby Services. I received the result before 6am this morning - a full 18 hours before I expected it.

This might be useful for anyone hoping to go to work or school the day after they get home.

Has anyone used Randox for Lateral flow fit for fly and any feedback?

Yup - used it at Stansted Drive Thru (closest to home) 48hrs before outbound to SFO from LHR. No problems whatsoever - results in about 45 minutes.

[mitchja]

VS accepted my Bahamas Travel Visa $25 voucher COVID-19 lateral flow test taken yesterday without any issues. They also scanned my PLF QR code.

The test itself was laughable really as the person who administered it barley even waited to get the control line on the cartridge before she threw it away and said it was a pass (I knew it was as I took a box of NHS tests with me and ran one of those earlier in the day). I got the result email instantly as well.

Once again the resort I was staying at kindly printed out the test cert and PLF which again speeded up the pre-checks at NAS.

Flying from Nassau to George Town, Exuma required me showing my Bahamas Health Visa QR code, pre-departure COVID-19 negative test result and my NHS proof of vaccination at the airport.

Coming back from George Town to Nassau required nothing what so ever.

[mitchja]

Day 2 arrival PCR test just done with Express Test T3 forecourt. There are actually 2 test centres D1 and D2. It’s not immediately clear which to use. The signs say to check your booking but it’s not mentioned at all.

D1 is outside between zones D &E, D2 is outside zone G (the old AA Premium check-in area).

I asked at D1 and the agent just asked to to join the queue there. Took about 20 mins including queuing and they don’t seem bothered about your actual appointment time.

I am incredibly impressed with Randox. I had to order a PCR whilst in the US - this was delivered to my daughter, who took it to my house.

I arrived home yesterday morning and my daughter collected the test about 11am and dropped it at the Dropbox at Wetherby Services. I received the result before 6am this morning - a full 18 hours before I expected it.

This might be useful for anyone hoping to go to work or school the day after they get home.

Hi, when you do the PCR tests at home are they supervised (by video) or do you just post the completed test?

Thanks

[mitchja]

All PCR tests need to be sent back to a lab to complete the test. You do the swabbing yourself and send back the test swab. It takes several hours to then run the test once it's received by the lab.

It is only lateral flow tests that you can run the test start to finish at home yourself.

All PCR tests need to be sent back to a lab to complete the test. You do the swabbing yourself and send back the test swab. It takes several hours to then run the test once it's received by the lab.

It is only lateral flow tests that you can run the test start to finish at home yourself.

Thanks James, it just feels like it’s potentially open to abuse if it’s not “witnessed”. I recently had the walk-thru test at Heathrow which was fine however in a few weeks I’ll be taking my family with me and there’s quite a saving if you do the tests yourself….

[mitchja]

Just got my Express test return day 2 negative result back. Between taking the test and receiving the results was ~22 hours.

Hello.
Questions please re flight in 2 days to USA.

1) Have completed CDC attestation form today on the VIrgin website. It now shows as status submitted on VS site.
Do I need to print off this screen shot or do I still need to complete the 7 page CDC pdf attestation file and print the 24 pages?
2) Travelling with children under 16. Will I still be able to check in online 24 hours before hand?
3) Finally if the night before flight I go to LHR VS check in desk nd ask nicely will they check my paperwork etc for my piece of mind. I appreciate I still need to checkin properly on the morning of the flight and drop bags.

[mitchja]

Hello.
Questions please re flight in 2 days to USA.

1) Have completed CDC attestation form today on the VIrgin website. It now shows as status submitted on VS site.
Do I need to print off this screen shot or do I still need to complete the 7 page CDC pdf attestation file and print the 24 pages?
2) Travelling with children under 16. Will I still be able to check in online 24 hours before hand?
3) Finally if the night before flight I go to LHR VS check in desk nd ask nicely will they check my paperwork etc for my piece of mind. I appreciate I still need to checkin properly on the morning of the flight and drop bags.

1) No, nothing else is required. They will likely just ask you if you have completed the attestation form.
2) I would say so, yes; as the VS OLCI process doesn't seem to be affected or blocked in any way by these extra checks.
3) Unlikely sorry. As long you have your negative COVID-19 PCR or lateral flow test results taken within a day of travel and your NHS vaccination travel pass with you, you will be fine.

As I previously mentioned though IMHO printing everything does seem to speed the extra checks up as remember the the NHS app requires a data connection to display your travel passes/QR codes. Not really an issue at this end of your journey if your a UK resident, but that could become an issue when you fly home especially if you don't have data roaming enabled on any of your devices. You will need to show your vaccination status again when checking in to fly home.

I've travelled back to the Uk 3 times now since September (BGI, FLL via JFK & NAS) and every time I've seen passengers struggle accessing their NHS travel passes on their devices.

If you use an iOS device with at least iOS 15.2 installed, you can now add your NHS Travel Covid pass QR codes to your Apple Wallet which does work offline. I've no idea if Android devices have a similar function sorry?

Coming home VS will need to scan your UK Gov passenger locator form QR code which is generated and displayed at the top of the form once you submit it as well as checking your return negative test result performed within 2 days of your return and your vaccination passes again.

Nothing will be required to show UK immigration on your return once you land back in the UK other than your passport.

Hello.
Questions please re flight in 2 days to USA.

1) Have completed CDC attestation form today on the VIrgin website. It now shows as status submitted on VS site.
Do I need to print off this screen shot or do I still need to complete the 7 page CDC pdf attestation file and print the 24 pages?
2) Travelling with children under 16. Will I still be able to check in online 24 hours before hand?
3) Finally if the night before flight I go to LHR VS check in desk nd ask nicely will they check my paperwork etc for my piece of mind. I appreciate I still need to checkin properly on the morning of the flight and drop bags.

1) No, nothing else is required. They will likely just ask you if you have completed the attestation form.
2) I would say so, yes; as the VS OLCI process doesn't seem to be affected or blocked in any way by these extra checks.
3) Unlikely sorry. As long you have your negative COVID-19 PCR or lateral flow test results taken within a day of travel and your NHS vaccination travel pass with you, you will be fine.

As I previously mentioned though IMHO printing everything does seem to speed the extra checks up as remember the the NHS app requires a data connection to display your travel passes/QR codes. Not really an issue at this end of your journey if your a UK resident, but that could become an issue when you fly home especially if you don't have data roaming enabled on any of your devices. You will need to show your vaccination status again when checking in to fly home.

I've travelled back to the Uk 3 times now since September (BGI, FLL via JFK & NAS) and every time I've seen passengers struggle accessing their NHS travel passes on their devices.

If you use an iOS device with at least iOS 15.2 installed, you can now add your NHS Travel Covid pass QR codes to your Apple Wallet which does work offline. I've no idea if Android devices have a similar function sorry?

Coming home VS will need to scan your UK Gov passenger locator form QR code which is generated and displayed at the top of the form once you submit it as well as checking your return negative test result performed within 2 days of your return and your vaccination passes again.

Nothing will be required to show UK immigration on your return once you land back in the UK other than your passport.

Thank you so much fo rthe info

Not sure if this is the right section for this, but I have been unpleasantly surprised by brother, who I collected from airport, who returned from MCO today, who advised that mask wearing on flight from MCO to MAN was not monitored in Upper Class. He said that cabin crew advised him that mask wearing was NOT compulsory and no-one wore masks for the entire flight of 8:10 .

Anyone had any experience of using anything other than the NHS Covid Pass to go to the US? Long story short but my pass is disabled until the 30th but flying out on 29th.

I have a vaccination record from my GP which seems to match CDC guidance but still a bit hesitant.

Anyone had any experience of using anything other than the NHS Covid Pass to go to the US? Long story short but my pass is disabled until the 30th but flying out on 29th.

I have a vaccination record from my GP which seems to match CDC guidance but still a bit hesitant.

FYI all went smoothly with print out from GP in case anyone else is travelling with a similar situation