Jun 4, 2020, 5:57 am
Last edit by: NewbieRunner
Mod note on thread engagement:
A reminder that this thread is about the self-isolation requirements for UK arrivals.
It is a help/Information resource for those travelling or returning to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from outside the UK. Let's concentrate on news, questions and answers that are relevant and on-topic and stay away from speculations about the spread of the virus, the performance of politicians and other topics which are more suitable for OMNI.
Please stay within these requirements to avoid issues.
A reminder that this thread is about the self-isolation requirements for UK arrivals.
It is a help/Information resource for those travelling or returning to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from outside the UK. Let's concentrate on news, questions and answers that are relevant and on-topic and stay away from speculations about the spread of the virus, the performance of politicians and other topics which are more suitable for OMNI.
Please stay within these requirements to avoid issues.
LATEST UPDATES
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-t...virus-covid-19
18 March travel to the UK changes
If you will arrive in the UK from abroad after 4am, Friday 18 March, you do not need to:
- take any COVID-19 tests – before you travel or after you arrive
- fill in a UK passenger locator form before you travel
This will apply whether you are vaccinated or not.
You also will not need to quarantine when you arrive, in line with current rules.
Other countries still have COVID-19 entry rules in place. You should check travel advice before you travel.
If you will arrive in England before 4am, 18 March, you must follow the current rules as set out in this guidance.
*****
The following historical information is retained for the time being.
The Passenger Locator Form for passengers arriving into the UK can be found here:
https://visas-immigration.service.go...r-locator-form
This can only be completed once you are within 48 hours of arrival in the UK.
Exemption list from quarantine requirements - specific details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
England
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to England: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/582/contents (this html version is updated, but may not have the very latest updates for Statutory Instruments released in the last few days)
Test to release for England only from 15 December, see post 4776 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32841066-post4776.html
Statutory instrument for transport providers http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2.../contents/made
Scotland
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to Scotland: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/169/contents (this html version is updated)
Wales
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to Wales: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2020/574/contents (this html version is updated) &
Welsh language version: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2...0200574_we.pdf
Northern Ireland
Statutory instrument https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2021/99/contents (this html version is updated)
PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR QUICK RELEASE FROM SELF-ISOLATION (based on November 28th updates)
[This section has been moved lower down in the wiki post following the change in self-isolation rule on 7th January 2022[
Any PCR test noted as a UK Government Day 2 test will be accepted for release from self isolation as soon as you get the negative result. If it is any other PCR test (eg "Fit to Fly") and not advertised specifically as a Day 2 test then it won't be valid.
This means that you can:[list]
- Book a suitable Day 2 PCR test before you travel and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF (Passenger Locator Form).
- On your day of arrival go to your scheduled test.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
Alternatively:- Book any Day 2 PCR test before you travel even if you do not intend to use this test, and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF to ensure entry to the UK.
- Note that you are not strictly required to have a PCR booking before arrival, but your carrier might not know that so you run the risk of being denied boarding
- On your day of arrival (or before end of Day 2) go to a walk-in test centre and take a different test to the one you booked.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
If you are leaving the UK before the end of day 2 then you do not need to take a test, but are required to self-isolate for the duration of your trip (since you do not have a negative result). Also, if you are self-isolating while waiting for a result (and hence have not been informed of a positive result and need to isolate) you may travel to leave the country.
If you take a test and it is positive for any variant of COVID you will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the test.
Whether you take a test or not you may be contacted by the UK Test and Trace system at any time if it becomes apparent that you have been in contact with another case. This is very unlikely to happen before day 3 if it is in relation to your flight to UK. Depending on the suspected / identified variant for that case and if you are fully-vaccinated by an accepted programme (see below for links to what this means and valid exemptions) :- Omnicron or not fully-vaccinated: You will be required to isolated for 10 days, including a bar on travel to leave the country. A negative Day 2 test does not release you from this requirement.
- Other and fully vaccinated : You will not be required to isolate.
- Book any Day 2 PCR test before you travel even if you do not intend to use this test, and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF to ensure entry to the UK.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
- On your day of arrival go to your scheduled test.
Test Providers for Day 2/8 tests & Day 5 Test to release
This section is for FTers to post their experience with specific providers (good or bad). Keep it brief and to the point. Please mention how the service is provided and your FT name.
DNA Workplace - Postal - Test kits arrived with me on time. Royal Mail slow for return. 5+ days for Day 2 result. #DaveS
DNA Workplace - Postal - Test kits both arrived on time, video of tests required, results by late evening Day 3 and Day 9. #TSE
ExpressTest Gatwick - Drive through - Tested early at 1000 a few times for TTR. Results came through in evening. #DaveS
NowTest - Postal - Day 2 kit arrived on time, day 8 did not. Will update with result arrival times when applicable. #wilsnunn
Collinson - Postal - Day 5 Test to Release kit arrived in time. Results and release by end of day 6. #tjcxx
CTM - Postal - Days 2/8 kits arrived together in time. Both sent results 2 days after posting. #tjcxx
Qured (Oncologica) - Postal -Day 2/8 kits arrived late. Results 3+ days from posting. #Gagravarr
Qured (Oncologica) - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived on time. Day 2 result on Day 5 and Day 8 result on Day 10 - happy customer! #EddLegll
Qured (Ocnologica) - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived on time. Day 2 result on Day 5 (after bedtime; ironically after my TTR result). #KSVVZ2015
Anglia DNA - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived early. (Both were labelled Day2). Results on Day 4 and Day 9. Cheapest on the list at the time, and good service/result. #tjcxx
Qured - Pre-flight test booked and bought through BA. Very efficient service. Highly recommended. #lhrsfo
Randox - Days 2 and 8. Booked two days before return, using BA discount. Kits already arrived on return. Slightly confusing instructions but manageable. Used Randox dropbox and results next day. Good. #lhrsfo
Randox - Day 2 (also used as pre departure test for a London to Milan flight). Used a drop box and results arrived at midnight the next day. #11101
Randox - Day 2 test centre - 2h30 queues outside the test centre in Waterloo. Results of antigen arrived 45 minutes later. #11101
Collinson - Test to Release at LHR T2. Good trip out! Very efficient service and well organised. Used BA discount. Results by end of day. Excellent. #lhrsfo
DAM - Test to Release in Fulham (they have many locations) - the cheapest fast turnaround TTR we have found. They promise 24 hours but in reality me, my wife, and my son (on different days) have received results inside of 12 hours. Very efficient staff as well. Princes outside of Central London as low as 99 GBP. Fulham is 129 GBP. #KSVVZ2015
Boots/Source Bioscience - days 2&8. Both packs sent in the same mail, waiting at the isolation address. Dropped off at postbox at 4pm, result back next day between 4 and 5 pm, very effective. Bought from Boots, £160, but same package sold directly bu Source Bioscience is just £120. Aaargh! Instructions said nasal and throat swabs, did only nasal and marked accordingly, no issues. #WilcoRoger
Collinsons/Stansted walkin TTR - test taken 1:30 pm, email with results 10:10 pm same day If the BA20OFF doesn't work (didn't work for us) there's another discount on the airport's site #WilcoRoger
Ordered Day-2 kit from Chronomics a week before our return for £18.99. Duly dispatched day we were returning to UK, so arrived on day following return. Reasonably simple process to do test and upload -ve result picture. Not sure where +ve result would have led to... #EsherFlyer
Hale Clinic testing centre (near Oxford Circus) - While not the least expensive, appoint schedules are accurate and results returned in promised timeframe. I've used the clinic for Day 2 tests (twice) and antigen test for US (once). I would def utilize again. #ecaarch
Halo at T5 (Sofitel) - Day 2 PCR spit test. Took the test 7pm, results arrived 7am the next day. No queues but a slightly awkward process to follow.
Useful data sources:
New cases per 100k - 7 days: https://covid19.who.int/table
New tests per 1000 - 7 days: https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-testing
Vaccination doses per 100: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
Sequenced samples uploaded to GISAID: https://www.gisaid.org/index.php?id=208
NHS Track & Trace data (positivity rates for arriving passengers are published every three weeks, so if you can't find the data in the current release it will be in one of the previous two) https://www.gov.uk/government/collec...weekly-reports https://assets.publishing.service.go...ut_week_50.ods
UK daily COVID data https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/?_ga...827.1594116739
Risk assessment methodology to inform international travel traffic light system
Data informing international travel traffic-light risk assessments
Testing Terminology
Notes which may assist with understanding which tests to use and with "reuse" of UK tests for other countries regulations:
- LFT: Lateral Flow Test - A rapid antigen test using nasal / throat swab typically performed by the traveler at home, hotel, etc using simple disposable device. Usually tests the "outer shell" of the nucleus (which causes the symptoms and is reasonably stable across variants) and not the "spikes" (which allow new variants to invade more easily), so gives a positive result for many variants. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-...d_antigen_test)
- PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction - A laboratory based test which looks at the nucleus of the virus to determine which specific variant it is. After a positive LFT test ("I have some form of COVID") a PCR test ("You have the Gamma variant") allows identification and tracking of new variants to see if they are likely to become a "variant of concern". (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction)
- NAAT: Nucleic Acid Amplification Test - A general class of laboratory based tests which includes PCR, LAMP, etc tests. (See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...b/naats.html)
UK arrivals - pre-departure, quarantine and post-arrival [currently no requirements]
Sep 7, 2021, 3:50 am
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: I am a lowly ant
Posts: 1,751
Curious:
1) if you arrive at Heathrow from red country and declare you are in transit and want to take a ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, are there any guidelines about say getting on a crowded train to London, across London by underground then up to Hull on another train vs. say having to book a taxi to Hull?
2) if you arrive at Heathrow on a direct flight from say Pakistan then presumably it's all locked up because everyone is red, but if you flew via Qatar than you arrive in a general terminal. In that case is it perfectly ok to have your spouse pick you up by car in the arrivals area and drive you to Gatwick
3) In either case where you claim to be transiting landside is this something that is checked in some way ?
4) it seems to be legal to fly say Pakistan - London - Antigua, but not Pakistan - London - Ireland, whereas you can legally fly Pakistan - Ireland and directly onto London, or spend a week there partying before flying to London providing you fill in a PLF and book quarantine. Is the apparent ban on connecting from the UK to Republic of Ireland enforced in practice ?
1) if you arrive at Heathrow from red country and declare you are in transit and want to take a ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, are there any guidelines about say getting on a crowded train to London, across London by underground then up to Hull on another train vs. say having to book a taxi to Hull?
2) if you arrive at Heathrow on a direct flight from say Pakistan then presumably it's all locked up because everyone is red, but if you flew via Qatar than you arrive in a general terminal. In that case is it perfectly ok to have your spouse pick you up by car in the arrivals area and drive you to Gatwick
3) In either case where you claim to be transiting landside is this something that is checked in some way ?
4) it seems to be legal to fly say Pakistan - London - Antigua, but not Pakistan - London - Ireland, whereas you can legally fly Pakistan - Ireland and directly onto London, or spend a week there partying before flying to London providing you fill in a PLF and book quarantine. Is the apparent ban on connecting from the UK to Republic of Ireland enforced in practice ?
Sep 7, 2021, 4:02 am
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,997
4) it seems to be legal to fly say Pakistan - London - Antigua, but not Pakistan - London - Ireland, whereas you can legally fly Pakistan - Ireland and directly onto London, or spend a week there partying before flying to London providing you fill in a PLF and book quarantine. Is the apparent ban on connecting from the UK to Republic of Ireland enforced in practice ?
Sep 7, 2021, 4:09 am
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
Curious:
1) if you arrive at Heathrow from red country and declare you are in transit and want to take a ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, are there any guidelines about say getting on a crowded train to London, across London by underground then up to Hull on another train vs. say having to book a taxi to Hull?
2) if you arrive at Heathrow on a direct flight from say Pakistan then presumably it's all locked up because everyone is red, but if you flew via Qatar than you arrive in a general terminal. In that case is it perfectly ok to have your spouse pick you up by car in the arrivals area and drive you to Gatwick
3) In either case where you claim to be transiting landside is this something that is checked in some way ?
4) it seems to be legal to fly say Pakistan - London - Antigua, but not Pakistan - London - Ireland, whereas you can legally fly Pakistan - Ireland and directly onto London, or spend a week there partying before flying to London providing you fill in a PLF and book quarantine. Is the apparent ban on connecting from the UK to Republic of Ireland enforced in practice ?
1) if you arrive at Heathrow from red country and declare you are in transit and want to take a ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, are there any guidelines about say getting on a crowded train to London, across London by underground then up to Hull on another train vs. say having to book a taxi to Hull?
2) if you arrive at Heathrow on a direct flight from say Pakistan then presumably it's all locked up because everyone is red, but if you flew via Qatar than you arrive in a general terminal. In that case is it perfectly ok to have your spouse pick you up by car in the arrivals area and drive you to Gatwick
3) In either case where you claim to be transiting landside is this something that is checked in some way ?
4) it seems to be legal to fly say Pakistan - London - Antigua, but not Pakistan - London - Ireland, whereas you can legally fly Pakistan - Ireland and directly onto London, or spend a week there partying before flying to London providing you fill in a PLF and book quarantine. Is the apparent ban on connecting from the UK to Republic of Ireland enforced in practice ?
Sep 7, 2021, 4:18 am
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 635
@meester69. Are you looking for loopholes or are you asking about a particular journey? There have to be thresholds at some point. Ignoring the discussion of the reasoning / decision thresholds behind whether a country is red list or not your question relates to what journeys can or can't be made either by law or practically.
If you have a through connection (airside) on to a location outside the CTA, then you can make that journey. The law has made an allowance for that.
For separate flights in to the country and then out again, any landside connection, or your example on to a ferry or Eurostar, the first airline will be checking you meet the requirements for entry to the UK, because they only have a contract to get you from A to B (the UK). If you are not a UK resident / citizen or Irish citizen, you will be denied boarding of a separate flight entering the UK if you have been in a red list country in the preceding 10 days. If you are a UK citizen then the law says when you enter the UK you should go into hotel quarantine, which you should have prebooked. There is an exemption in law for transit outside of the CTA, but you would have to argue your case with the airline that you meet that exception. Because the airline is only contracted to get from A to B, with B terminating on entry to the UK, they are within their rights to say you need to meet the entry requirements to the UK, which is a hotel quarantine. It is somewhat circular, but I have not seen anyone on these forums or otherwise who has actually managed (as a UK national/resident or Irish citizen) to transit landside having been in a red list country. I would expect to be (legitimately) denied boarding on the flight in to the UK.
Why would someone choose such a convoluted journey with risk of IDB when other options are available?
4) You can spend 10 full calendar days (11 nights) in any amber or green list country that will accept you from Pakistan before travelling to the UK, yes. That is the compromise made on the 'average' incubation time for the virus. Whether other countries will accept you is their (Government's) choice. There isn't a ban on connecting to Republic of Ireland, but you have to follow the law on entry to the UK first, which means booking and spending 10 days in a quarantine hotel. See above, the airline will be responsible to check you can enter the UK (if you have been in a red list country that means you have to be UK resident/citizen or Irish citizen) have booked your quarantine hotel and will deny boarding if you haven't. Because of the way the Common Travel Area is set up in the UK, yes it unfortunately means you cannot get to RoI via the UK from a red list country, either you aren't allowed in to the UK or you have to book the quarantine hotel. But you have said yourself there are other options to get to RoI.
Yes passengers who have been in red list countries may be in transit airside within the UK or on flights to and from the UK. What is the alternative? There has to be a threshold somewhere.
If you have a through connection (airside) on to a location outside the CTA, then you can make that journey. The law has made an allowance for that.
For separate flights in to the country and then out again, any landside connection, or your example on to a ferry or Eurostar, the first airline will be checking you meet the requirements for entry to the UK, because they only have a contract to get you from A to B (the UK). If you are not a UK resident / citizen or Irish citizen, you will be denied boarding of a separate flight entering the UK if you have been in a red list country in the preceding 10 days. If you are a UK citizen then the law says when you enter the UK you should go into hotel quarantine, which you should have prebooked. There is an exemption in law for transit outside of the CTA, but you would have to argue your case with the airline that you meet that exception. Because the airline is only contracted to get from A to B, with B terminating on entry to the UK, they are within their rights to say you need to meet the entry requirements to the UK, which is a hotel quarantine. It is somewhat circular, but I have not seen anyone on these forums or otherwise who has actually managed (as a UK national/resident or Irish citizen) to transit landside having been in a red list country. I would expect to be (legitimately) denied boarding on the flight in to the UK.
Why would someone choose such a convoluted journey with risk of IDB when other options are available?
4) You can spend 10 full calendar days (11 nights) in any amber or green list country that will accept you from Pakistan before travelling to the UK, yes. That is the compromise made on the 'average' incubation time for the virus. Whether other countries will accept you is their (Government's) choice. There isn't a ban on connecting to Republic of Ireland, but you have to follow the law on entry to the UK first, which means booking and spending 10 days in a quarantine hotel. See above, the airline will be responsible to check you can enter the UK (if you have been in a red list country that means you have to be UK resident/citizen or Irish citizen) have booked your quarantine hotel and will deny boarding if you haven't. Because of the way the Common Travel Area is set up in the UK, yes it unfortunately means you cannot get to RoI via the UK from a red list country, either you aren't allowed in to the UK or you have to book the quarantine hotel. But you have said yourself there are other options to get to RoI.
Yes passengers who have been in red list countries may be in transit airside within the UK or on flights to and from the UK. What is the alternative? There has to be a threshold somewhere.
Sep 7, 2021, 4:20 am
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: I am a lowly ant
Posts: 1,751
No you can't do so legally. Sure you can do it and hope to get away with it, but it would be in contravention of the UK law if you had been in red list country within the preceding 10 day period and fail to submit a PLF and enter hotel quarantine on arrival in to the UK. There is a reason UKBF have been doing spot checks on arrivals from Ireland over the last few months. It would be a much better idea to simply sit out the 10 days in a suitably nice holiday spot in an amber/green country first before entering the UK.
What I was saying is that this is legal:
* Pakistan - Dublin - Heathrow, and then quarantine in a hotel
As is this:
* Pakistan - Heathrow - Greece (quarantine not required)
Whereas this is illegal:
* Pakistan - Heathrow - Ireland, because transiting to Ireland does not qualify as transit in law.
(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), “transit passenger” means a person who on arrival in the United Kingdom— (a)passes through to another country or territory outside the common travel area without entering the United Kingdom; or(b)enters the United Kingdom for the sole purpose of continuing a journey to a country or territory outside the common travel area and—(i)remains within their port of entry until their departure from England, or(ii)travels directly from their port of entry to another port of departure in England.
The problem is this makes no sense because Ireland's red list is nothing like the UK's, so there isn't really any sense of common travel area in this context.
Sep 7, 2021, 4:25 am
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,997
No, you have misunderstood what I am saying.
What I was saying is that this is legal:
* Pakistan - Dublin - Heathrow, and then quarantine in a hotel
As is this:
* Pakistan - Heathrow - Greece (quarantine not required)
Whereas this is illegal:
* Pakistan - Heathrow - Ireland, because transiting to Ireland does not qualify as transit in law.
(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), “transit passenger” means a person who on arrival in the United Kingdom— (a)passes through to another country or territory outside the common travel area without entering the United Kingdom; or(b)enters the United Kingdom for the sole purpose of continuing a journey to a country or territory outside the common travel area and—(i)remains within their port of entry until their departure from England, or(ii)travels directly from their port of entry to another port of departure in England.
The problem is this makes no sense because Ireland's red list is nothing like the UK's, so there isn't really any sense of common travel area in this context.
What I was saying is that this is legal:
* Pakistan - Dublin - Heathrow, and then quarantine in a hotel
As is this:
* Pakistan - Heathrow - Greece (quarantine not required)
Whereas this is illegal:
* Pakistan - Heathrow - Ireland, because transiting to Ireland does not qualify as transit in law.
(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), “transit passenger” means a person who on arrival in the United Kingdom— (a)passes through to another country or territory outside the common travel area without entering the United Kingdom; or(b)enters the United Kingdom for the sole purpose of continuing a journey to a country or territory outside the common travel area and—(i)remains within their port of entry until their departure from England, or(ii)travels directly from their port of entry to another port of departure in England.
The problem is this makes no sense because Ireland's red list is nothing like the UK's, so there isn't really any sense of common travel area in this context.
You have really hit upon the precise reason why Ireland is treated differently - because the UK and Ireland have a common travel area.
Sep 7, 2021, 4:34 am
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: I am a lowly ant
Posts: 1,751
@meester69. Are you looking for loopholes or are you asking about a particular journey? There have to be thresholds at some point. Ignoring the discussion of the reasoning / decision thresholds behind whether a country is red list or not your question relates to what journeys can or can't be made either by law or practically.
.
.
The law is quite clear that a bunch of people are exempt from red list rules, which includes landside.
The government guidance is also quite clear that transit is allowed, and no mention (rightly) is made of red list, which has no relevance in this context
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...through-the-uk
The Heathrow website does suggest they will try and stop you transiting landside from a red country, even though this doesn't appear to be the intention in law at all. So this is the question to what extent this is enforced and how.
If you are flying to Heathrow from Pakistan in order to meet your wife to fly off on holiday from say Luton then that doesn't seem to be contrary to the intention of the regulations at all.
Presumably your PLF says you are transiting landside and that should be the end of it in terms of being able to board the flight from Pakistan
Sep 7, 2021, 4:45 am
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: I am a lowly ant
Posts: 1,751
The Irish don't agree that this is relevant and require a PLF from the UK. They also consider a flight such as Brazil - Ireland - UK to be exempt from the Irish red list rules because for them Ireland - UK is considered (entirely logically given that the four countries of the UK have their own laws, let alone Ireland) to be a transit flight, whereas the UK insists the reverse is not.
Sep 7, 2021, 6:52 am
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 40
Sep 7, 2021, 7:17 am
formerly JackDann
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 1,660
I phoned Randox regarding the incorrect tests being ordered - I must say i'm not really sure how i've managed to do that. Considering i'm pretty tech-savvy and am very well aware what test kit I require, i'm not sure how i managed to order a pre-departure.
I got the expected line of "Well.. it's tough there is nothing we can do" , but decided to try and dig a bit deeper by claiming that i'm pretty sure I ordered the correct test kit. It's been escalated and i'll see what they come back with.
It's unfortunate that these tests are non-returnable and non-refundable. Never really been in a position as a customer where i've bought something incorrectly and been left high and dry like this.
I got the expected line of "Well.. it's tough there is nothing we can do" , but decided to try and dig a bit deeper by claiming that i'm pretty sure I ordered the correct test kit. It's been escalated and i'll see what they come back with.
It's unfortunate that these tests are non-returnable and non-refundable. Never really been in a position as a customer where i've bought something incorrectly and been left high and dry like this.
Sep 7, 2021, 7:36 am
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
I phoned Randox regarding the incorrect tests being ordered - I must say i'm not really sure how i've managed to do that. Considering i'm pretty tech-savvy and am very well aware what test kit I require, i'm not sure how i managed to order a pre-departure.
I got the expected line of "Well.. it's tough there is nothing we can do" , but decided to try and dig a bit deeper by claiming that i'm pretty sure I ordered the correct test kit. It's been escalated and i'll see what they come back with.
It's unfortunate that these tests are non-returnable and non-refundable. Never really been in a position as a customer where i've bought something incorrectly and been left high and dry like this.
I got the expected line of "Well.. it's tough there is nothing we can do" , but decided to try and dig a bit deeper by claiming that i'm pretty sure I ordered the correct test kit. It's been escalated and i'll see what they come back with.
It's unfortunate that these tests are non-returnable and non-refundable. Never really been in a position as a customer where i've bought something incorrectly and been left high and dry like this.
Sep 7, 2021, 8:58 am
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Helsinki
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 406
I am about to book ExpressTest (Day 2) at Heathrow Terminal 3. Is 1 hour between landing and test sufficient with current situation? I've read about long lines and delays with luggage, but that's been about terminal 5.
Sep 7, 2021, 9:00 am
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EP, MUCCI, Proudly BA Blue,.
Posts: 888
I came through T3 a few days ago with family following the next day. All of us on separate days were through to the train in less than 20 minutes. We were all ushered right to E-gates. Nobody checked PLF's or Day2 test appointments.
Sep 7, 2021, 9:22 am
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, ITA Club Executive, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,599
I’m due to fly back to the UK next week on Monday with my partner from an amber destination. We’re both fully vaxxed, so we just need a Day 2 test on arrival.
I might need to extend my stay, but I might not know until the last minute. It could be only on Sunday that I’ll know.
What would be the best Day 2 test strategy for me?
Arriving at T2. I’d be up for a test at LHR on arrival but I fear that there might not be anything available last minute.
I might need to extend my stay, but I might not know until the last minute. It could be only on Sunday that I’ll know.
What would be the best Day 2 test strategy for me?
Arriving at T2. I’d be up for a test at LHR on arrival but I fear that there might not be anything available last minute.
Sep 7, 2021, 9:47 am
Join Date: May 2021
Location: YOW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 83
I found this especially useful as the actual PLF is locked down until the 48 hour window opens.
https://onemileatatime.com/uk-passenger-locator-form/
https://onemileatatime.com/uk-passenger-locator-form/