Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) to Singapore.
Oct 22, 21, 11:18 am
#136
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 468
Originally Posted by sammyg901
https://sha.org.sg/vaccinated-travel-lane - have you seen this list? My understand is you'd only need to be here one night - once you've got your negative PCR you are free to change hotel if you want
Oct 24, 21, 8:10 pm
#138
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 12
Arrival to SGN was relatively painless.
Travelled economy which meant a 20min queue to check in at Heathrow (premium economy and business both had no queues, but then that's likely due to the number of travellers in each). At Heathrow they do a document check for insurance, vaccination status and PCR (I think it's a five or six point checklist they verify) and this is what takes a bit of time, prior to you getting to the check in agent - essentially a queue to a queue.
Nothing different on the plane... Normal meals and drinks service.
On arrival, it's somewhat a scene from a plague movie with all the PPEd staff - but pretty seamless. My only comment would be to definitely find where the ATM is prior to beginning to walk from the plane - we didn't think to look until after we had our baggage, at which point the only ATMs were cordoned off and we weren't allowed to use one (didn't really matter in the end).
Immigration took a little time, mainly because we got a slow queue and because again, they want to check lots of documents.
You activate the tracetogether app post immigration, enter baggage and then after baggage have the PCR test. They use little stickers to show that you are in a VTL lane from immigration.
Dedicated taxi rank after the PCR test, the vaccinated status took 2-3 hours to update on the app after immigration, and our PCR test took 5.5 hours.
All in all, fairly painfree - though the A4 binder of documents has made a comeback. If possible I would say print and staple your documents by traveller, and if possible add little bookmarks too 😂. I think the main fear is a positive PCR on arrival, but maybe avoid public transport to the airport and people generally in the fee days leading up, and the PCR on departure should cover before that.
Still rule of two here for everything; but that is OK for us.
Travelled economy which meant a 20min queue to check in at Heathrow (premium economy and business both had no queues, but then that's likely due to the number of travellers in each). At Heathrow they do a document check for insurance, vaccination status and PCR (I think it's a five or six point checklist they verify) and this is what takes a bit of time, prior to you getting to the check in agent - essentially a queue to a queue.
Nothing different on the plane... Normal meals and drinks service.
On arrival, it's somewhat a scene from a plague movie with all the PPEd staff - but pretty seamless. My only comment would be to definitely find where the ATM is prior to beginning to walk from the plane - we didn't think to look until after we had our baggage, at which point the only ATMs were cordoned off and we weren't allowed to use one (didn't really matter in the end).
Immigration took a little time, mainly because we got a slow queue and because again, they want to check lots of documents.
You activate the tracetogether app post immigration, enter baggage and then after baggage have the PCR test. They use little stickers to show that you are in a VTL lane from immigration.
Dedicated taxi rank after the PCR test, the vaccinated status took 2-3 hours to update on the app after immigration, and our PCR test took 5.5 hours.
All in all, fairly painfree - though the A4 binder of documents has made a comeback. If possible I would say print and staple your documents by traveller, and if possible add little bookmarks too 😂. I think the main fear is a positive PCR on arrival, but maybe avoid public transport to the airport and people generally in the fee days leading up, and the PCR on departure should cover before that.
Still rule of two here for everything; but that is OK for us.
Oct 24, 21, 9:47 pm
#139
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Singapore
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 296
Mrs M and I are flying MAN - LHR - SIN on VTL BA11 flight in early January. For reasons too tedious to go onto, one of us has a single connecting ticket on BA and the other two separate tickets on BA. Anyone with experience advise:
1. Can we both do all the VTL paperwork at MAN;
2. Can only one of us do the VTL paperwork at MAN;
3. Can neither of us do the VTL paperwork at MAN;
4. Assuming the one with no through ticket only has hand luggage, and cannot do VTL paperwork at MAN., can this be done airside LHR?
1. Can we both do all the VTL paperwork at MAN;
2. Can only one of us do the VTL paperwork at MAN;
3. Can neither of us do the VTL paperwork at MAN;
4. Assuming the one with no through ticket only has hand luggage, and cannot do VTL paperwork at MAN., can this be done airside LHR?
Oct 24, 21, 9:52 pm
#140
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Singapore
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 296
Originally Posted by sammyg901
They operated the odd flight but I think they're a little premium heavy for this route on a regular basis & they need 3 frames to operate SIN daily consistently & they've only got 5 available which seem to go to JFK, Barbados, Male & LAX which makes sense to me. I have to wonder if we'll either see a delay to the refurb of the rest, a slightly less J heavy config on some birds or a 4 class A350 with less J seats. A lot depends on the long term future of Sydney as well and also how many A380 they retain
Oct 24, 21, 11:01 pm
#141
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 415
Originally Posted by Alex_1992
All in all, fairly painfree - though the A4 binder of documents has made a comeback. If possible I would say print and staple your documents by traveller, and if possible add little bookmarks too 😂.
Oct 25, 21, 6:43 am
#142
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: BA Gold, Delta Plat
Posts: 159
I was booked BER-LHR-SIN-BNE return with SIN-BNE on QF. The BER-LHR flight was canceled, which is easily moveable to another time. But LHR-SIN has now been canceled on 27/12. What is the chance BA will move me to QF and to SYD? It is 400miles. I am an Aus citizen so entry requirements aren't an issue.
Oct 25, 21, 8:44 am
#143
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,965
Originally Posted by braiden9
I was booked BER-LHR-SIN-BNE return with SIN-BNE on QF. The BER-LHR flight was canceled, which is easily moveable to another time. But LHR-SIN has now been canceled on 27/12. What is the chance BA will move me to QF and to SYD? It is 400miles. I am an Aus citizen so entry requirements aren't an issue.
Oct 25, 21, 9:46 am
#145
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 12
British airways cancelled my 24th Dec and 8th Jan return to SGN - rang them up and got Christmas day and 7th Jan instead.
Heathrow at Christmas is awful but hey, the flights are now twice the price that I paid and it'll be good to get away for new year.
Heathrow at Christmas is awful but hey, the flights are now twice the price that I paid and it'll be good to get away for new year.
Oct 25, 21, 9:52 am
#146
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by Starship73
Would just add that there is no need to print any of the documents on paper if you prefer not to. I had digital versions of everything and that was no problem whatsoever. If like me you don't own a printer nor have easy access to one, don't bother going through the faff of printing them out. Plus of course you can't lose them if you back them up to the cloud...
I would say 75/25 in favour of paper based on the people we saw.
I am tempted to say we are starting to wish that we had picked up a token rather than using the trace together app. Quite complex to use the app everywhere and internet isn't always guaranteed which is annoying.
Oct 25, 21, 9:55 am
#147
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,965
Originally Posted by braiden9
Because LHR-SIN on BA is in Premium Economy. Will call BA and see what options I have. Any re-routing to Sydney will make me happy! Even if in Economy.
Oct 25, 21, 9:56 am
#148
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,965
Originally Posted by Alex_1992
British airways cancelled my 24th Dec and 8th Jan return to SGN - rang them up and got Christmas day and 7th Jan instead.
Heathrow at Christmas is awful but hey, the flights are now twice the price that I paid and it'll be good to get away for new year.
Heathrow at Christmas is awful but hey, the flights are now twice the price that I paid and it'll be good to get away for new year.
Oct 25, 21, 11:47 am
#149
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by Alex_1992
Arrival to SGN was relatively painless.
Glad you made it through without much trouble!
Oct 25, 21, 12:15 pm
#150
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,965
Originally Posted by sammyg901
26th there are a couple of seats in Premium Economy on BA to Singapore so you could rebook your itinerary that day instead. With extra capacity going into Aus all the time now I'd double check your options again - a refund and rebooking on another carrier might work out better for you
