BA (and VS) to start LHR trial for faster immigration for fully vax'd passengers
Jul 6, 2021, 10:17 pm
#1
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BA (and VS) to start LHR trial for faster immigration for fully vax'd passengers
This is a very hopeful development!
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57743038
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57743038
Jul 6, 2021, 10:55 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,190
From my point of view, this is the best bit:
Now if HMG can get on board with accepting vax creds from the US, I'll be a very happy camper!
rb211.
The trial will accept internationally recognised vaccination credentials including the NHS app, CDC card, US state-level digital certification and the EU digital Covid certificate.
rb211.
Jul 7, 2021, 12:01 am
#4
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The thread title is very misleading, the BA/VS trial relates to fast track arrival lanes, quarantine will still be required for Amber arrivals. The idea is to show HMG that airlines can effectively check a passenger’s vaccine status before boarding a flight and thus speed up the arrival process at LHR for those taking part in the trial.
Jul 7, 2021, 12:21 am
#6
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The thread title has been amended to reflect that this trial only allows faster immigration, and has no effect on the need to self-isolate.
/mod
/mod
Jul 7, 2021, 12:41 am
#7
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 750
The thread title is very misleading, the BA/VS trial relates to fast track arrival lanes, quarantine will still be required for Amber arrivals. The idea is to show HMG that airlines can effectively check a passenger’s vaccine status before boarding a flight and thus speed up the arrival process at LHR for those taking part in the trial.
Jul 7, 2021, 12:44 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2017
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Other countries have been managing this for weeks already. It’s really not that complicated. For recent trips to Spain and Cyprus, we had to enter vaccination data to an app and/or upload shots of our vaccination cards; for a flight to BEY, we had to show the cards at check-in. In each case, everything worked very smoothly. It would be easy to add this step to VeriFLY and the UK PLF.
Jul 7, 2021, 12:59 am
#10
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Jul 7, 2021, 1:46 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Then the responsibility of verifying that the certificate is a real one falls on the airline. This is now the case in Germany as airlines have to check PCR/Antigen/Vaccination status at departure point for arrival in Germany. LH was fined in May 300 000 EUROS for letting, in a 3 month period, board on flight to Germany 3 000 people with fake tests/vaccination cards.
If the airlines have no responsibility then this is not a good move.
If the airlines have no responsibility then this is not a good move.
Jul 7, 2021, 1:55 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 99
From the BA press releaseCustomers on the following routes will be able to participate in the proving trial:
British Airways
New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR)
BA112 Daily, arrives 06:30
BA182 Daily, arrives 09:40
Athens (ATH) to London Heathrow (LHR)
BA623 Daily, arrives 09:55
BA629 1 x weekly, arrives 16:20
BA633 1 x weekly, arrives 21:50
BA637 4 x weekly, arrives 19:05 or 18:55 or 18:25
BA639 5 x weekly, arrives 15:25 or 15:30
BA641 5 x weekly, arrives 17:25 or 17:35
British Airways
New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR)
BA112 Daily, arrives 06:30
BA182 Daily, arrives 09:40
Athens (ATH) to London Heathrow (LHR)
BA623 Daily, arrives 09:55
BA629 1 x weekly, arrives 16:20
BA633 1 x weekly, arrives 21:50
BA637 4 x weekly, arrives 19:05 or 18:55 or 18:25
BA639 5 x weekly, arrives 15:25 or 15:30
BA641 5 x weekly, arrives 17:25 or 17:35
Jul 7, 2021, 1:57 am
#13
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From people in the know I have spoken to, apparently the NHS is working on accepting vaccinations that England residents had in other countries, to the NHS app, but it is still work in progress.
However this new trial accepts the CDC card as proof, according to the Telegraph today, so I assume there will be a portal to upload a digital scan of this where it will be physically checked by a person, and an authorisation provided.
Jul 7, 2021, 2:01 am
#14
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
As much as I'd like to see the positivity in this, I'm afraid it's just not enough.
It's not the real prize, i.e. not having to self isolate for 10 days (and spending hundreds of £). It also opens up the risk of UKBF cocking it up: in my experience the e-Gates are never fully open, because there's still a manual intervention behind the scenes and the agents can't, seemingly, handle all the 20-or-so gates that, for instance, you have at T5. Now, imagine there are 10 gates open. If to these gates UKBF adds another 3 for the vaccinated flights, all well and good. If, as I think they will, take the 3 gates from the available pool, thus reducing the available number of gates for everyone else... then we've got a problem.
It's not the real prize, i.e. not having to self isolate for 10 days (and spending hundreds of £). It also opens up the risk of UKBF cocking it up: in my experience the e-Gates are never fully open, because there's still a manual intervention behind the scenes and the agents can't, seemingly, handle all the 20-or-so gates that, for instance, you have at T5. Now, imagine there are 10 gates open. If to these gates UKBF adds another 3 for the vaccinated flights, all well and good. If, as I think they will, take the 3 gates from the available pool, thus reducing the available number of gates for everyone else... then we've got a problem.
Jul 7, 2021, 2:04 am
#15
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The NHS app only accepts vaccinations carried out in England as far as I know. Those of us who were vaccinated outside of England (me - USA - CDC card in hand) cannot use the NHS QR code so it really isn’t all in place at all.
From people in the know I have spoken to, apparently the NHS is working on accepting vaccinations that England residents had in other countries, to the NHS app, but it is still work in progress.
However this new trial accepts the CDC card as proof, according to the Telegraph today, so I assume there will be a portal to upload a digital scan of this where it will be physically checked by a person, and an authorisation provided.
From people in the know I have spoken to, apparently the NHS is working on accepting vaccinations that England residents had in other countries, to the NHS app, but it is still work in progress.
However this new trial accepts the CDC card as proof, according to the Telegraph today, so I assume there will be a portal to upload a digital scan of this where it will be physically checked by a person, and an authorisation provided.