Nicc HK

I have to plan an upcoming trip which would have meant transitting LHR.

Looks like the UK will be in the High Risk/Red category from 01/10/2020 with mandatory test in advance and compulsory 14 day hotel stay from Thursday.

More can be found at:

www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_H...trictions.html
http://www.businesstraveller.com/bus...ntries-report/

brunos

It seems that 13 FAs from that flight are quarantined but the pilots were allowed to fly back as they had no contact with that FA.
BA32 was cancelled 25 and 26 september as the crew that arrived on 22 was supposed to operate those. Ba31 departing LHR on 24 was also cancelled.

Watching the video made by that FA, she seems like a spoilt brat. Of course, the notion of strict quarantine in the UK is somewhat different as seen on BA board.

Nicc HK

Sadly yes. The UK has become 'Snowflake Central'. The whole ethos of personal responsibility left the building quite some time ago.

tentseller

IMHO what they showed was a giant improvement over the last time UK citizens were in a detention centre in HK.

boybi

Is the 14 days in quarantine counted towards the allowed length of stay in HK by foreigners? My passport has 14 day visa free stay in HK.

Reply1984

Unfortunately Hong Kong Government has banned entry of non-residents since March......

percysmith

Unless they have been in “China” (ie Mainland China, Macau or Taiwan) in last 14 days. Getting into those places not easy, either.

percysmith

I think given third wave, restricting crew movement is not too much to ask.

Unions thru their airlines can choose not to fly here if they find either the proposed confinement or the quarantine conditions unacceptable.

I assume she's been classified as a close contact of her positive test colleague - does she think she's safe to fly as a close contact? I think BA needs to ramp up their Coronavirus training.

Pilots may genuinely be not close contact given they spend most of their time behind the cockpit door or in their own rest bunks.

I think the section the positive test FA serves will themselves be close contact (from March precedent).


I think the BA crew got Penny's Bay BTW https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/qua..._centre_en.pdf . It's an ad-hoc facility and the crew will be confined to rooms but it sure looks better than the Sydney Travelodge https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-...-work/12607448

brunos

You probably have already seen that in addition to BA31 arriving on 22 Sep, 2 more cabin crew tested positive on BA31 arriving 24 Sep.
https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/flights_trains_en.pdf

But all BA31 flights are currently full by pax trying to beat the 1 October deadline.

Just an anecdote that I did not post on BA forum, as I would have been flamed down. My CX friends will be kinder.
I flew BA32 HKG-LHR in July in F with wifey. Only 4 pax in F, horrible box food and undrinkable plastic split wines. But FAs kept coming to see if I needed anything. An hour after meal service I was quite disturbed by chatting/laugh noise from the J galley at the back of the F cabin. I went to the F lav and the curtain was half open. There were no less than 7 (maybe 8) unmasked FAs standing next to each other and exchanging pleasantries. When I complained to the purser that they could be filling the air with virus, she scolded me that this was their meal time, even though there was no tray or food to be seen. Not surprising that FAs get easily contaminated with this protocol. Unfortunately this is consistent with the laxity I found in UK and France despite the exploding covid numbers.
I recently flew QR and FAs seemed to observe strict protocol of social distancing. I understand that CX FAs do the same.

Nicc HK

Singapore-HK Bubble

Hopefully the start of more good news. Please see thread at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...el-bubble.html

Also government announcemnet at http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/2...0101500440.htm

jz123

Current quarantine is up until 31dec2020

Does anyone have a qualified guess if/when that would be extended?

I have a trip planned to Europa for X-mas and the returnflight is on 3rd January via IST

patrickw

Given the current trends especially in Europe where the numbers are getting worse in most countries week by week, I'd be really surprised if they relax the rules before next spring.

My most optimistic guess for Christmas period will be Singapore plus one or two other travel bubble already in place.
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tentseller

You should plan to get a arrival compliant test and quarantine at a hotel in HK when you return.

jz123

Thanks for input,

I'm not a native english speaker,

What's a "arrival compliant test"?
And your guess would be that home-quarantine is not an option arriving from Europe in January?

brunos

No one has a qualified guess.
My own unqualified guess at 99.9% is that the restrictions on Europe will be at least as stringent as now.

The covid situation in Europe is exploding. It could improve a bit by December but not sufficiently within two months to justify relaxation.
Only UK and France (and Russia) are currently classified as high-risk countries (pre departure test and hotel quarantine). But that is because these are countries with the "heaviest" traffic to HK. Many countries have worse statistics (Belgium, Netherlands, Czech republic, Spain.). Hence, further European countries could be added by December as there will be increased year-end travel with expats families returning to their original countries. HK will try to reduce that risk.
Travel bubbles, if they ever materialize, will be on specific point-to-pint flights with restrictions and will not apply to your case.

What tentseller is suggesting is that you should be planning for the scenario that the European country you will visit be classified as high risk. Then the following requirements apply:
https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/h...sk-places.html