MitzEclipse

Hi FTers

I have an immediate family member still in the hospital and should the situation deteriorate I may need to head back to the US as quick as possible.

- Do any airlines offer family emergency discounts for last min booked flights? Particularly looking at BA or AA given the 1-stop option from ZRH-PHX.

- What route would FTers recommend? Layover in PHL or in LHR and why? (I do not have airline status or TSApre,etc, traveling on US passport)

- I am currently in Covid isolation in Zurich and due to finish 30th Sunday due to being positive. However, speaking to Zurich contact tracing, I will only get a Recovery Certificate valid from 7th Feb onwards. Can I simply show a negative test to get in, instead of having to wait for the Recovery Certificate?

Thank you in advance during this difficult time.

DaveS

The negative test result should be OK, if you can test negative by then. I don't think you will have much luck with discounted flights I am afraid.

LWkitty

As long as your positive test result was more than 14 days ago, you should be fine to enter the US with just a negative antigen test result within one day of your flight. A recovery certificate is only needed if you don't have that negative test (it's an "or", not an "and").

Also, I'd recommend using PHL as your connection point. That way, your second leg is entirely US domestic, and won't require any testing or vaccination verification. Adding a third "transit" country always complicates things a bit more (especially given the current situation); why do that if you have a viable alternative not to?

MitzEclipse

Thanks for the tips. OK will transit within the US, good point.

I will look to get a negative test before hand but what I'm concerned about are these stories about people testing positive months after they've had the sickness...really need to hope this doesn't affect me otherwise I might be stuck until the 7th Feb when I get the recovery certificate. I don't see any other solution here.

DaveS

With a rapid test you are unlikely to test positive. The rapid/antigen tests tend to pick up symptomatic disease. PCRs are more sensitive so you would be positive for a few more days on that. It is no longer common for people to test positive for months after infection.

MitzEclipse

Thank you - let's hope I don't have to travel at all. If I do, will hope the antigens will prove me negative.

kirker

I'm sorry to hear this news, and I can definitely relate: a few years back I had to figure out a way to get from rural England to SLC on one day's notice under similar circumstances. To answer your third question first: yes, you can get in solely with a negative test result, and you should definitely get a rapid test (since as noted PCR tests can detect Covid remnants well after you're no longer infectious, and in such cases are a de facto false positive). It can be an antigen test, but needs to be taken no later than one calendar day before departure from Europe. Btw I don't know how long you've been isolating, but if it's been at least 10 days you should test negative by then, especially if it's the Omicron variant (which is extremely likely) – and while that's actually at the longer end of the positive-testing window for Omicron, it's at least possible to still test positive after that point.

As for ticketing: I know a number of methods of getting a last-minute ticket for relatively cheap – either in business, PE or coach, and with only one connection (and also without having to go through any rigamarole in terms of providing an airline for "proof" of a family member's illness, which is obviously best avoided) – but I might need more info from you before making suggestions:

1. What's your preferred budget range and cabin – and, by extension, preferred budget per cabin? (I mention that because even on first glance I'm seeing last-minute ZRH-PHX r/t coach tickets for under $1K, which isn't great but also not bad. Even months ahead of time, that route's tickets are going for $720 r/t at this writing.)
2. If you'd strongly prefer to fly in PE or business, are you okay with possibly taking a positioning trip (either via plane or train) either to another airport in Europe and/or from one in the US to PHX? I'm asking mainly because MXP often has some of the lowest-priced business-class tickets to the US, and it's only about three hours from Zurich via train.

For reasons I've never fully understood, TAP often has unusually inexpensive business tickets – even purchased last-minute – into ORD (and usually only ORD or JFK, but ORD's almost always the least expensive), connecting via LIS (and btw their J product is surprisingly good, with the reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 configuration many flyers – myself included – prefer). Ex-ZRH I'm seeing r/t tickets for $2,200, which I'm guessing is a bit high, but ex-BCN or MAD they're ~$1,500, and with far shorter connection times in LIS. Btw ORD-PHX tickets are unusually cheap because it's a competitive route with multiple discount carriers; tickets are as low as $30 one-way on Spirit or Frontier, or $109 on AA with three days' advance purchase. As you probably know, you can fly inexpensively on a discount European carrier (probably Vueling, in your case) to get to a major airport like MAD or BCN.

SK AAR

For a last minute o/w long haul ticket, the best value will often be to use miles/points. A o/w revenue ticket Europe to USA is prohibitively expensive.

erik123

R/t/ ZRH-US tickets are cheap at the moment - even last minute - as long as you get a Saturday in there. If you need a one-way consider a return to a different return city to reduce the fare. E.g. CDG.

84fiero

If you end up wanting or needing to get the recovery document sooner, you could use QuickMD telemedicine:

https://quick.md/documentation-of-recovery/

MitzEclipse

Thank you all for the respones

Kirker - yes, will for sure get an antigen to avoid PCR false positive. But also quicker results. Looking at flying economy with a family of 4 (2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant) probably will get an infant seat as well so basically 4 seats. Will not take a positioning flight - keeping travel times as quick as possible.Thanks for the suggestion though - if I was traveling alone without this time pressure, I would easily go to MXP or similar.

@SK AAR - unfortunately, no more miles left... will be a revenue ticket

@erik123 - yes will have a Saturday - probably will be a 2-3 week ticket duration

@84fiero - wow, had no idea about this. This is GREAT will keep this in mind as helps give another option for accelerating the recovery certificate thank you ! - my only worry is to ensure we really are not contagious anymore as wouldn't want to infect anyone else on the way there or when we get there eg my family!