Diverting to another country during covid
Jan 15, 2022, 8:38 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 376
Diverting to another country during covid
Hello, I wondered what happens if your flight is diverted to another country? What happens if you don't satisfy the test/paperwork/etc rules for entry for that unexpected destination, or if your tests would become invalid for time reasons for your actual eventual destination if it becomes an overnight delay? And are you allowed to just complete your journey by train under such circumstances even if normally you would not meet the prerequisites for such a non air-transit? I noticed a bunch of arrivals into Lux got diverted, I think to Belgium, today, I think maybe because of wx (freezing fog, no vis), https://www.lux-airport.lu/passenger...ls-departures/. There have been similar diversions all this week. I'm flying there a couple times in the next few days and a bit worried about how these things work in covid times. Thank you.
Jan 16, 2022, 7:18 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: WN, DL, UA, AA, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 1,303
I would imagine it's handled similarly to other cases where diversions result in people being inadmissible to the country (lack of visa, etc.). There might be exceptions made or passengers are either kept on board or in a cordoned part of the airport.
I highly doubt you'd be officially allowed to switch to another mode of travel without satisfying the requirements for that mode of travel just because there probably isn't a mechanism for doing so. You might be able to get away with it because, for instance, checks on trains are less stringent.
As for the COVID test results, it likely depends on 2 things:
1. What the entry country's regulations say. Some spell out how long an airline delay they will accept before requiring a new test.
2. Whether passengers continue on the diverted flight to their final destination or if the flight is cancelled and you get put on a new flight. As most regulations require a negative test within a certain amount of time before departure, you would have satisfied the requirement if it's the same flight. Technically the same is true if you get rebooked on a new flight as it's then basically a connection, but I could see running into issues based on how the rebooking was done.
Overall, COVID requirements make travel more complicated so I anticipate that a diversion could create issues, but it may not always be handled the same way if there are no official rules or policies concerning it.
I highly doubt you'd be officially allowed to switch to another mode of travel without satisfying the requirements for that mode of travel just because there probably isn't a mechanism for doing so. You might be able to get away with it because, for instance, checks on trains are less stringent.
As for the COVID test results, it likely depends on 2 things:
1. What the entry country's regulations say. Some spell out how long an airline delay they will accept before requiring a new test.
2. Whether passengers continue on the diverted flight to their final destination or if the flight is cancelled and you get put on a new flight. As most regulations require a negative test within a certain amount of time before departure, you would have satisfied the requirement if it's the same flight. Technically the same is true if you get rebooked on a new flight as it's then basically a connection, but I could see running into issues based on how the rebooking was done.
Overall, COVID requirements make travel more complicated so I anticipate that a diversion could create issues, but it may not always be handled the same way if there are no official rules or policies concerning it.
Jan 17, 2022, 6:01 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 376
I would imagine it's handled similarly to other cases where diversions result in people being inadmissible to the country (lack of visa, etc.). There might be exceptions made or passengers are either kept on board or in a cordoned part of the airport.
I highly doubt you'd be officially allowed to switch to another mode of travel without satisfying the requirements for that mode of travel just because there probably isn't a mechanism for doing so. You might be able to get away with it because, for instance, checks on trains are less stringent.
As for the COVID test results, it likely depends on 2 things:
1. What the entry country's regulations say. Some spell out how long an airline delay they will accept before requiring a new test.
2. Whether passengers continue on the diverted flight to their final destination or if the flight is cancelled and you get put on a new flight. As most regulations require a negative test within a certain amount of time before departure, you would have satisfied the requirement if it's the same flight. Technically the same is true if you get rebooked on a new flight as it's then basically a connection, but I could see running into issues based on how the rebooking was done.
Overall, COVID requirements make travel more complicated so I anticipate that a diversion could create issues, but it may not always be handled the same way if there are no official rules or policies concerning it.
I highly doubt you'd be officially allowed to switch to another mode of travel without satisfying the requirements for that mode of travel just because there probably isn't a mechanism for doing so. You might be able to get away with it because, for instance, checks on trains are less stringent.
As for the COVID test results, it likely depends on 2 things:
1. What the entry country's regulations say. Some spell out how long an airline delay they will accept before requiring a new test.
2. Whether passengers continue on the diverted flight to their final destination or if the flight is cancelled and you get put on a new flight. As most regulations require a negative test within a certain amount of time before departure, you would have satisfied the requirement if it's the same flight. Technically the same is true if you get rebooked on a new flight as it's then basically a connection, but I could see running into issues based on how the rebooking was done.
Overall, COVID requirements make travel more complicated so I anticipate that a diversion could create issues, but it may not always be handled the same way if there are no official rules or policies concerning it.
I guess if every surrounding country had stricter rules, they would just have some kind of negotiation about what to do in such an extraordinary circumstance as you suggest. Or if the airplane had to return to origin I don't know whether the passengers would technically have to comply with the entry requirements of the origin country. I was asking about the train scenario because I know someone connecting on Lufthansa at FRA whose LUX flight was cancelled, and they suggested to him he should just take the train as it would be faster.