Just returned to Oz from a trip to UK. As noted above, auto check in departing Oz was not functional, presumeably due to checks to make sure exemptions to leave the country are in place etc. Anticipating huge hassles at the airport, I arrived early, expecting to jump Olympic sized hurdles - police, border force etc - only to find there was none, and only one person ahead of me in the check-in queue. All the checks were done at the check-in desk - apparently they just phone someone who confirms the exemption is in place and issues a number which the check-in agent types into the computer. The PCR result is sighted and boarding passes issued. The biggest hurdle was what to do with my time, seeing as check-in was completed in less than 10 minutes and arriving at T-2.5hrs meant a lot of time to kill, even more so as the SQ lounge was closed. Ended up exploring the (also closed) shops and spending my meal voucher at the only (decidedly average) coffee shop that was open.

On arrival at LHR, no queues. The border agent was more interested in how I was able to leave Oz than what I was doing in the UK! I had booked a Day 2 Green country PCR test on arrival, and again due to lack of queues and formalities, I was left waiting outside the Collison T2 testing centre for about an hour waiting for it to open.

Coming back, again minimal queue at check in, the agent only confirming that I was an Oz resident and asked to see the PCR result, entering the date and time of the test. That was the only time the PCR result was requested by anyone, including at the Oz border.

All in all, a most pleasant experience travelling with SQ during COVID times!