Dubai Amber List Experience
Apologies if I'm repeating some of my own posts, but I found the information on here invaluable, albeit across a number of different threads, so hopefully this helps future travellers (until the next rule change, anyway!). We were 2 adults and a 7 yo travelling out to Dubai from LHR and I have added some dates in to show what worked for us:
LHR-DXB on 105 on 21/08 (22:25); DXB-LHR on 104 on 29/08 (12:15) - travelled in F on the oft moved 50% Avios promotion from last Oct (finally!)
12/08 - following a morning of reading on here, I booked the following 9 days before we travelled:
ExpressTest Fit to Fly PCR test at BHX drive thru, booked for 18/08 12:30, around £55pp with the various discounts suggested - for 2 adults only (U12's not required to be tested by UAE);
Chronomics Antigen test for -3 day test to return to the UK, £22pp for all 3 of us - arrived 16/08 due to weekend;
Expert Medicals Day 2 PCR test - £36pp as ordered before they removed the shocking £8pp p&p - arrived next day though (14/08).
We took the test at BHX on the 19th, if anyone has had any type of drive thru PCR test, this is identical (but £55 more than the NHS!), and the results were emailed through 26 hrs later at 14:30 on 19/08. Certs downloaded to phone and printed off for travel. When we arrived at LHR, check in staff had to check our daughter didn't need one, and checked the hard copies, no issues. At DXB, the hard copy was again checked at the transit station by the airport staff (not Immigration), which involved looking for the word NEGATIVE and waving us through - took about 10 seconds, and not referred to again. So all in all really simple and no issues whatsoever.
As a side note, DXB was completely empty, we were out within about 20mins from landing, at what used to be apparently their busiest time (08:30 local time).
On 24/08 I received an email from BA recommending I download veriFLY - cue more reading on here! Very skeptical at the outset, felt glitchy and not helped by the fact that the NHS app had my wife's first name recorded slightly differently on her vaccine cert - vF rejected this so I re-registered her in the incorrect (i.e. not passport matching) name, sure this would create issues - it didn't!
On 26/08 we took the antigen tests at the hotel - again if anyone has done a free home testing kit these are identical, aside from uploading a photo and registering the barcodes etc. It says you need the ref no's for the PLF but definitely not the case. As soon as the results were submitted, the certs were emailed and downloaded - took about 30mins in total for all 3 of us as although you should wait 15 mins, as soon as the negative line showed I uploaded the pics and they were accepted (NB - they did remain negative, I checked!). I was then able to upload this to vF, even though my wife's name didn't match, instant acceptance.
On 27/08, 47 hours before landing in LHR, I completed the PLF's for me and my daughter, and separately for my wife. All straightforward, the only ref required was the Day 2 tests, though it wasn't required for my daughter which was strange. I was then able to upload these to vF and complete verification (bit fiddly as you need barcodes from an e-cert, so I used two phones). Again despite the name mismatch, everything turned green. No antigen test results were required for my daughter, but we were now all green!
At DXB we arrived early, as did a lot of other flyers, but vF made it all a breeze - check in staff drilled into the pics on the pass, I asked her if she required any hard copies (which I asked the hotel to print for me) but she specifically said no, if vF is green that's all they need (they also put another family in the First check in queue as they had vF completed too, they were really pushing it, calling out 'tell your friends!' etc.).
Nothing else mentioned about tests/vaccines at any point - arrived in LHR to be told of a security incident earlier in the day and to expect significant delays - whilst immigration was busy and we were in the 'family' queue as we can't use the e-gates yet, it took about 15 mins to get through - normal passport check and done. I saw lots of families waving certs about but they weren't needed - I can't say if this was anything to do with the security incident but I wouldn't have thought so (though it did impact bag delivery - 90 minute wait).
So my experience would be that although the current testing regime is a complete nightmare to get right in your head, it all works very well in practice, though it feels much more relaxed than made out - there are definitely a number of points along the process that you can slip up on, but personally it all worked out really well for us.
Would I do it again? I wouldn't let the testing put me off (haven't done Day 2 yet but not fussed about that one!) - getting on a beach again after 26 months was definitely worth it. However we won't return to Dubai until the mandatory mask rule is removed - it is so arbitrary, no other real measures exist but is very uncomfortable in the heat. We are pro mask and wear ours in shops and on transport in the UK, but by the pool/beach? Just daft!
Sorry this is a long one, but if it saves another traveller a couple of hours then hopefully it's worth it!