USA_flyer

We did the fit to fly cert through express test at their Gatwick site. 60 quid per head and results were with us in just over 24 hours. Happy customers. Will be using them at Christmas for my trip.

charlesrhona

I should have phrased my question better to state after border control as it is not our intention to exit T5 to landside given that we are returning to Scotland.

corporate-wage-slave

The short answer is that you have to go landside to get tested, which is relatively easy to do. Logically an airside facility isn't going to help very many passengers since they generally need to be tested before checking in, alternatively getting tested at LHR on their way home / to a hotel. Scotland transit is a somewhat niche case and I wouldn't see there being enough trade for the relatively low number of passengers involved for it to be airside.

charlesrhona

Thanks C-W-S.

Schwann

Used them a few weeks back - PCR results back in 28 hours or so. The LHR terminal walk-in centres seem very well organised.

I wouldn't want to try dealing with them again if anything went wrong though. The whole process beyond you giving them money (surprisingly) is outsourced to the "back office" who may or may not get back to you. I get the impression they don't trust any of their front of house or support line staff to do anything and nor or are they empowered to do anything.

layz

Has the pub gone for good or have they just moved the furniture around to make room for a testing centre? I've had no use for it since covid so I usually just head straight to the F wing and not notice anything else.
In normal times the pub can be useful if you're waiting for somebody after arriving on an earlier flight

sigma421

I used ExpressTest for a Scotland transit (MAD-LHR-EDI) on Thursday. Honestly I don’t think an airside facility would’ve saved me much time at all. I got from Gate C56 to Galleries South via the test in 35 minutes.

Erwin10

Any people here who have experience with the rapid antigen tests in T5 at Express test? Need to book one before my flight, and thinking of how much time to book between my test and flight. They advertise 30 mins, but do results get through in 30 minutes or is it sometimes longer?

bmiStar

Well I made the mistake of using them for a day 2 arrival at T5 Saturday . Got there 30 mins early to work out what would happen.
About 50+ people bunched into a Q, was told appointment made no difference and Q was a free for all. Waited an hour to get it. Meanwhile I was entertained by 3 different customers arguing with staff about the calamity.
Nothing premium about Express Mess.
Result should be in by 10pm today, let's see.

marks88

Any recent experiences with ExpressTest at LHR? Looking to book Day 2 test upon arrival, T2. Would also invite any experiences on their flexibility (or lack thereof) with appointment times, as immigration queues will be of course uncertain.

northeastflyer

Hi. I've not used Collinson at all previously and have been looking at the possibility of rapid result PCR testing at LHR. I don't live in the south so would be taking this test during an outbound overnight connection. My confusion at the moment is that having looked at their website for the first time, they don't mention having facilities at T5. They list a new location seemingly on Bath Road. So does anyone know if the T5 arrivals facility has closed? Thanks.

corporate-wage-slave

ExpressTest have taken over the T5 Arrival facility (and departures too for that matter) when HAL reached some sort of deal with them. Collinson was then forced to decamp to Bath Road. Rapid PCR - typically a 4 hour turn around - requires access to a lab and/or expensive equipment. The sample goes into a catridge and then inserted into an integrated device which transcribes your RNA into cDNA and then processes it to show COVID markers. The machinery processing time is around 90 minutes so with courier access nearby a lab can readily get to a 4 hour result. I can see this would be easier to arrange in a building on a main thoroughfare such as Bath Road rather than inside a non sterile airport building surrounded by road restrictions.

There are actually quite a few providers either at hotels (Randox at the Edwardian for example), in their car park (several at Moxy) or in buildings alongside. So for those transit passengers staying in hotels overnight there is indeed a case for selecting something suitable there rather than using the overnight postal services, particularly if the country requires a 48 hour PCR as opposed to 72 hour and/or Lateral Flow is accepted. However it would be a mistake to book this well in advance - the rules may well change HMG has committed to retaining the new UK process until at least the New Year.

Guy Traveller

Just completed our pre-flight rapid PCR tests for Canada at Collinson (Compass House, LHR). Excellent service. 2 tests taken at 08.29. First result back at 09.51, second at 10.41.

tinkicker

I used the T2 one in the last week. It was about the same as bmiStar 's report from August: It's unclear to the visitor where it is and Heathrow uses some code on the signposts to test centres without saying who the operator is. It's the one on "Level 0" i.e. the level below arrivals roughly where the ground is and where the airport busses are.

I arrived 30 mins early to find a large queue in the outside atrium area (it's under the canopy so out of the rain but in the cold), no attempt to sort by appointment booking time, no provision for people with baggage.
The actual test process once you get inside is similar to elsewhere and is quick. I guess I was 30 mins outside and under 5 inside. Staff were pleasant. About 9 am as I was just at the front of the queue someone who looked a bit more managerial arrived and it seemed to be flowing smoother as I left.

westmidlandsguy

I’ve used them twice now and thought they were excellent. I used the Birmingham airport drive through which was easy to find and the staff were so friendly! The results of the first test came back the following day at 13:00 and the second results came back at 19:00. It was very stressful having to wait! I would use them again as they appear to be the cheapest (for me anyway and I live by the airport so not a problem to get to)