BA Travel Experiences in EU - post January 1st
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 7,814
BA Travel Experiences in EU - post January 1st
Thought a thread on this might be useful given our change in EU status and how UK citizens will be treated differently regarding Immigration, EU rules app;lying on UK folks travelling during Covid etc. My daughter is travelling to AMS on Saturday 2nd (back to uni) so will report on her LHR and AMS experiences.
Some of her friends have taken a BA flight back to AMS in the last few days and mentioned many pax being turned away and denied travel on BA (and KLM for that matter) because they arrived with the NHS PCH test results and not a privately paid for one. Is being rigidly enforced apparently. Bizarre that pax are doing this, there has been enough publicity about the NHS ones not being valid!
Some of her friends have taken a BA flight back to AMS in the last few days and mentioned many pax being turned away and denied travel on BA (and KLM for that matter) because they arrived with the NHS PCH test results and not a privately paid for one. Is being rigidly enforced apparently. Bizarre that pax are doing this, there has been enough publicity about the NHS ones not being valid!

#2
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 91
Thought a thread on this might be useful given our change in EU status and how UK citizens will be treated differently regarding Immigration, EU rules app;lying on UK folks travelling during Covid etc. My daughter is travelling to AMS on Saturday 2nd (back to uni) so will report on her LHR and AMS experiences.
Some of her friends have taken a BA flight back to AMS in the last few days and mentioned many pax being turned away and denied travel on BA (and KLM for that matter) because they arrived with the NHS PCH test results and not a privately paid for one. Is being rigidly enforced apparently. Bizarre that pax are doing this, there has been enough publicity about the NHS ones not being valid!
Some of her friends have taken a BA flight back to AMS in the last few days and mentioned many pax being turned away and denied travel on BA (and KLM for that matter) because they arrived with the NHS PCH test results and not a privately paid for one. Is being rigidly enforced apparently. Bizarre that pax are doing this, there has been enough publicity about the NHS ones not being valid!

#4
If the NHS test is PCR as required for destination, and you get proper pdf/document to confirm (not just sms) there doesn't seem to be immigration reason to say it's invalid (and indeed I would pursue IDB compensation). unless the test result say invalid for travel or words to that extent.
#5
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 170
Thought a thread on this might be useful given our change in EU status and how UK citizens will be treated differently regarding Immigration, EU rules app;lying on UK folks travelling during Covid etc. My daughter is travelling to AMS on Saturday 2nd (back to uni) so will report on her LHR and AMS experiences.
Some of her friends have taken a BA flight back to AMS in the last few days and mentioned many pax being turned away and denied travel on BA (and KLM for that matter) because they arrived with the NHS PCH test results and not a privately paid for one. Is being rigidly enforced apparently. Bizarre that pax are doing this, there has been enough publicity about the NHS ones not being valid!
Some of her friends have taken a BA flight back to AMS in the last few days and mentioned many pax being turned away and denied travel on BA (and KLM for that matter) because they arrived with the NHS PCH test results and not a privately paid for one. Is being rigidly enforced apparently. Bizarre that pax are doing this, there has been enough publicity about the NHS ones not being valid!

Could it be that they were denied boarding because the tests were too old?
#9
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Amsterdam
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond, BA Silver
Posts: 237
I am a uni student who's going back to Amsterdam too.
I'm also in a Facebook group of a lot of people travelling back and a few have been denied boarding for NHS tests, so it definitely doesn't work. I'm going to use Citydoc through BA's website for a PCR test that's £93. That's the best I've found so far.
I'm also in a Facebook group of a lot of people travelling back and a few have been denied boarding for NHS tests, so it definitely doesn't work. I'm going to use Citydoc through BA's website for a PCR test that's £93. That's the best I've found so far.
#10
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: BA LTG, UA Gold, EK Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,002
Has anyone dared to look into the actual cost of doing a PCR test and if there are immoral profits being made ?
I was talking with a consultant in Cyprus and he showed me the long list of medical tests available, blood tests, swabs etc all of which are considerably cheaper than the costs of a PCR test. Is there some reason that PCR tests cost anywhere between 50-150 GBP
I was talking with a consultant in Cyprus and he showed me the long list of medical tests available, blood tests, swabs etc all of which are considerably cheaper than the costs of a PCR test. Is there some reason that PCR tests cost anywhere between 50-150 GBP
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,020
As this is all third-hand at best and the individuals who were denied boarding are not on this thread, it will be hard to get to the bottom of it, but I have to wonder whether the issue is not whether the test was conducted by the NHS but whether the certification of the test result was, in the instance of that group, insufficient.
The requirements are made by the Dutch authorities and the burden of checking placed on BA/KL. But, BA/KL are not making social judgments.
The requirements are made by the Dutch authorities and the burden of checking placed on BA/KL. But, BA/KL are not making social judgments.
#12
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors, Virgin
Posts: 689
Has anyone dared to look into the actual cost of doing a PCR test and if there are immoral profits being made ?
I was talking with a consultant in Cyprus and he showed me the long list of medical tests available, blood tests, swabs etc all of which are considerably cheaper than the costs of a PCR test. Is there some reason that PCR tests cost anywhere between 50-150 GBP
I was talking with a consultant in Cyprus and he showed me the long list of medical tests available, blood tests, swabs etc all of which are considerably cheaper than the costs of a PCR test. Is there some reason that PCR tests cost anywhere between 50-150 GBP
#13
Join Date: May 2012
Location: LAX, LHR
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 287
If you need a PCR test accepted by airlines, please use the Heathrow-endorsed service at https://www.expresstest.co.uk/
#14
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 2,013
So to try and bring things back on topic and away from which tests to use, presumably from 1st January we can no longer use the EU Citizens passport lines when travelling abroad, or can we? What about EU visitors to the UK? Can they continue to use the E-Gates or not? Obviously use of the E-Gates is available to other nationalities now too, so my wife (US citizen) can use them when we arrive from the USA. Having seen the queues at immigration at BRU for those passengers without EU passports I'd hate to be in that boat now.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - South Coast
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Classé, plus BAEC.
Posts: 1,560
So to try and bring things back on topic and away from which tests to use, presumably from 1st January we can no longer use the EU Citizens passport lines when travelling abroad, or can we? What about EU visitors to the UK? Can they continue to use the E-Gates or not? Obviously use of the E-Gates is available to other nationalities now too, so my wife (US citizen) can use them when we arrive from the USA. Having seen the queues at immigration at BRU for those passengers without EU passports I'd hate to be in that boat now.
EDIT: I’ve said above that UK citizens can’t automatically use EU lines, I haven’t read the exit agreement so may be wrong 🤷🏻♂️
Last edited by krispy84; Dec 30, 20 at 11:11 am