Originally Posted by Cathay1101

We just managed to board today’s BA2203 to Cancun, albeit with hassle and scrutiny than I encountered at Pyongyang’s FNJ! A wall of Sussex police stood between us and the check-in desk making sure those travelling were doing so for essential reasons.

As we’re not UK residents (I started a thread about this a while back, which got rather heated!) We were fine to travel and explained that we were using the UK as a transit stop which they said was by no means illegal under the current leg. So long as we self isolated properly.

Out of curiosity, I asked if they’d been turning people away and apparently quite a few were sent home and not allowed to proceed to check-in - you wouldn’t know it as Club is 90% full and economy doesn’t look much roomier (glad we bagged a double upgrade for two @ £299 a pop!)

After check-in we ended up seeing the same officers again as they’d moved over to the security entrance as there was another flight departing so hence they wanted to check everyone not just BA departures - friendly guys and I ended up asking what would have happened if I had persisted and he said as a UK resident we’d turn you around but as a visitor we can only slap you with a fine and let you on your way. Nice blokes and there was some good banter about the English cricket team to keep it light - they were jealous we could leave and one in particular made their own feelings known about the ban on travel!

Ended up seeing him again at the gate when a man who had, let’s say, taken to the duty free beverages rather vociferously was pinned to the ground and escorted out for not wearing his mask. Great blokes all around, although I doubt the London MET police at Heathrow would ever have quite the resources to be as thorough.

TLDR - you’re not sneaking out of Gatwick for some sun if you’re a Pom who doesn’t live abroad!

it’s been quite the morning!