Vgravity

Apparently introduced this morning, not sure if anyone’s already posted this elsewhere.

If you’re flying to Italy you can’t download a mobile boarding pass.

You need to use the staffed check in desks (15 min queue this morning an hour ahead of the BA548 to FCO). This is because you have a temperature check, and they will give you a paper form to fill in, required by Italian gov.

There are no pens available, so bring your own. You’ll have to hand it in on boarding. There is much confusion here - check-in said you hand it in on arrival and can fill it in on board, but you hand in on boarding.

15 minute security queues, busier than previous days.

I arrived an 65 minutes ahead of departure and only just made official boarding time.

corporate-wage-slave

There are a whole series of these at the moment, which vary by country. The UK isn't alone in terms of having a Locator Form, but the usual practice is to fill in the form on board, and the SCCM hands the forms to the gate team (or sometimes airport health team) on arrival. Italy has the temperature check at the moment, which is repeated on arrival. BA could - in line with other airlines - do the forms during the flight, but instead is collecting them on departure. Some places (Ireland) don't mind if you filling in the form queuing up for passport check on landing. I think some people are confused as to what these forms are for - it isn't to grant arrival into the country (unless you are already unwell, in which case you shouldn't be travelling or even want to do so), it's more to allow the authorities to rapidly contact anyone on a flight if 5 days down the line there was a case traced to the flight in question. So BA could do with checking how other airlines are handling this more smoothly.

81romeo

Thanks for your feedback - has been like that to MXP last week too!
I'll be on the 548 in a few days - hopefully by then they will have opened the F Wing.

Arsey00

Do temperature checks result in denial of boarding or refusal of entry? As a perimenopausal woman, I have a non-covid interest in this.

corporate-wage-slave

If you have really bad hot flushes then I think that is well known and is easily explained. You would not be alone.......

I had one check recently on an early flight from EDI where my temperature came back as 33c. I said to the agent "doesn't that mean I'm dead?" and she replied "not necessarily, but you may need a coat next time, it's a chilly morning". I wouldn't take this too seriously.

Schind

Which shows they're doing this for show rather than on a scientific basis as the equipment is unreliable.
The thermal imaging trials at Heathrow have been going for a month now and they were going to report the results to the government in that time frame. I hope they get put into the public domain. Judging from a few recent stories, like the two people who flew from LHR to New Zealand and reintroduced the virus there after weeks without any cases, it suggests they either don't work (most likely according to various studies over the years) or they won't deny you boarding if you do show a high temperature.

Greece stopped accepting flights from Qatar Airways for a while because they missed twelve cases on one flight on June 1st. QR said “Upon arrival in Doha and before boarding the flight to Athens, all passengers were screened and tested according to the procedures and established health protocols and were found suitable to continue their journey,” so they're insinuating all these people caught it onboard. And then there's the chicken factory in Wales where they had temparature screening but missed a few cases so they upped testing to twice a day and then missed dozens of cases.
I can see airports / airlines getting sued over this - either they deny boarding to someone who then gets properly tested and proves to be negative or they miss cases which then helps seed new outbreaks. It's a no win situation and the only answer I can see is a proper virus test with quick results before boarding, which may take a while to implement worldwide.

Sorry for the rant and going OT but this is the current hill I'm prepared to die on!

baflyer999

Is a PCR test required prior to departure or on arrival in Italy?

Vgravity

Let’s hope so. This morning was a stark reminder of the value of BAEC status!

corporate-wage-slave

No, not in a LHR-Italy-LHR context.

Vgravity

I wouldn’t have thought so if there are mitigating factors. But clearly if you are likely to be denied entry to Italy due to a fever, BA want to identify the problem before you board at LHR.

JessicaB

"A friend of mine" took her temperature during such hot flushes and found that it was completely normal. So I wouldn't worry, you may feel hot on the outside but inside is completely OK. At least in "my friend's" case that was what happened.

81romeo

So at the moment no priority check-in or security lanes at all?

Dan72

I agree with the first sentiment entirely, which is why I hope you can find another hill to die on. I think you'll go crazy otherwise. While we all appear to have some doubts about the merits of these efforts, countries introducing these measures are only doing what they think they need to do, either to reduce risk or improve confidence to allow travel to resume. I think the alternative is no travel at all.

Frustratingly, particularly for airlines, a lot of these new regulations are being introduced with little or no notice, leaving airlines in a difficult situation. I was only accepted by QR at 50 minutes prior to departure, despite arriving two hours beforehand, because they were unsighted on a recently introduced waiver and wanted to (understandably) verify it for themselves.

Vgravity

Nope. No status perks at all.

The website is slightly misleading. It says there is dedicated check in for BAEC status holders. In reality anyone can use it, and everyone flying to Italy has to. There are no separate desks for status or J/F.

One security queue - and it was busy this morning.

No priority boarding. Strictly by row number starting at the back.

JessicaB

I think that the clear message is that even if you are normally one of those people who pitches up just before the check-in deadline and never misses a flight, in these times expect the unexpected and leave yourself plenty of time.