Question on Day 2 arrival testing; Heathrow to Scotland
 

Hi all,

Appreciate this is quite niche but wondered if someone could help me, as I've been unable to find the answer anywhere I've looked.

Myself and my wife fly with BA to Santorini next month, going Glasgow - Heathrow - Santorini then back again a week later (with a one night stopover in London on return). We are both double vaccinated.

Putting aside the amber/amber+ potential questions, assuming Greece and the Greek Islands remain amber can anyone advise whether we are able to book the day 2 tests to be taken on our return to Heathrow, and whether these are acceptable in Scotland?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks

Welcome to FT. This question has come up a few times in the UK and corona virus forums here. The tests are more expensive in Scotland as you have to book through the government web site. You should book tests in England for day 2. You will be entering on an English PLF and will need the English booking reference for the PLF. You can take the test as soon as you arrive at the airport or use a mail in test if you can get it sent where you are staying.

Hi Dave, thanks a lot for the response - much appreciated. To be honest I saw that as Scotland are forced to stick to some Australian company for tests, so that's great to know.

Also, I didn't realise this was my first post - quite embarrassed about lurking for so long!

Well in that case, andrewlfair welcome to FlyerTalk and especially to the British Airways branch - you are very welcome here and now you've broken your duck hopefully we'll see more of you :tu:

Hi Andrew - you beat me to it! I have the same situation EDI-LHR-HER and return with a stopover landside on the way back at LHR travelling to EDI the next day

Could anyone confirm my thinking that if the HER-LHR-EDI, involved a domestic airside transit on the same day then then the day 2 tests should be booked in Scotland, or have i got the wrong end of the stick?

Thanks

My view (which carries no warranty!), you would be entering the UK at LHR and passing immigration there. You would therefore need an England PLF and an English test booking reference to complete the PLF. I don't know if the Scottish booking system would generate a valid booking reference for the English PLF.

I have the same curiosity. My first flights since Feb '20 are (hopefully) coming up - GLA/LHR/PMI/LHR/GLA in September/October (no nightstop in LHR on the return).

When I used to fly LCA-LHR-ABZ I booked the English tests (Randox). As we enter the border at England the English tests are fine. So no need to pay more and order the Scottish tests.

Thanks!

Thanks for the reply. My query is more out of curiosity than a need at the moment, I wouldn't want to pay more than I have to!

I did this on a return SIN-LHR (SQ) LHR-GLA (BA), a couple of months back- booked the day 2 and day 5 test on the CTM (corporate travel management) site, cost £210 and of course had this to show UK immigration at LHR along with the PLF and my negative test from a Raffles clinic in SIN. No drama. The tests were mailed to me in Glasgow, and actually turned up at my home before I did, a whole day ahead of me as I recall. No one in GLA asked to see anything- this is domestic arrival of course.

Time for the reverse trip this weekend, for the second time during the COVID situation, with quite a bit more testing needed this time around- before leaving, on arrival and while in the 14 day quarrantie. Anyway 1A on the long poke will make it a bit better :)

The day 5 TTR is not permitted under the Scottish rules. In Scotland you would still have needed to quarantine until day 10 to comply with the law. Escaping south would be he only legal way to be free from day 5 onwards.

Yes, of course it wasn't a test to release, it was just a second at home test, maybe it was after day 5 I don't recall what day it was now, maybe day 8? In any event, no need for any at home isolation nowadays when returning from SIN.

I returned from a red list country a couple of weeks ago with an exemption from hotel quarantine. I was transiting in LHR to GLA. I booked my day 2 & 8 tests on the CTM website without issue although passing immigration in LHR. The tests arrived before I did. As noted above. Test to release on day 5 is not an option for Scotland.

Two weeks ago I booked a 2 day test at Express test at GLA unaware that The Scottish government has given a monopoly of this test to a company called CTM . When entering my data to the PLF , the form refused to,accept the booking reference I had from,Express. I overcame the problem by booking another test at LHR , but even here the test sites would only take a booking from a n English post code : things may have improved in last two weeks but without the correct booking reference you can’t fill up the PLF, so they won t let you on the plain .

I have question which would seem to be appropriate to this thread.

I am flying from Spain to LHR on 14 December. Double vaxed and PCR test for entry is no problem. I will be spending one night in Windsor and then on 15 December hightailing it down to Southampton for a cruise that same day. As I understand it the day of boarding the ship will be Day 1 and then Day 2 I will be somewhere in the Atlantic. What happens about the Day 2 test? Is it just forgotten? Slightly worried as I will be transiting LHR from JFK later on in January in order to to return direct to Spain!