No more Covid testing to travel to USA- reversed for travelers from China Jan 5, 2023
Jun 10, 2022, 11:33 am
#62
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Colorado (anywhere between DEN DMM BAH)
Programs: United MileagePlus, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, NEXUS
Posts: 3,030
I’d understand removing the test mandate if masks/vaccines had still been required (like Canada) but this is going to be incredibly risky especially since US citizens and permanent residents among others aren’t required to be vaccinated. And of course with vaccination infections can and do happen. Covid cases are up probably because people now are a lot less inclined to take masking and being around crowds seriously and many are still getting severely ill and hospitalized though thankfully not as badly as pre-vaccines.
Jun 10, 2022, 11:34 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,181
I haven't had any luck with the kiosks or with FlyReady so I've been stuck in line. It was especially brutal at MEX. All of the late morning flights left within an hour and they didn't have enough people working so we barely made it. People were getting real angry in line. Funny enough the AM desks across from Delta were completely empty. Should've just flown them home.
Jun 10, 2022, 11:37 am
#64
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: American AAdvantage
Posts: 1,045
I can always use the test in the future, non-proctored.
Jun 10, 2022, 11:38 am
#65
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
The great thing about US and Europe dropping this is that this will completely finish any demand or appetitie for getting pcr tests within various African countries that are still quite draconion about it. So hopefully this will have a rolling impact on other countries that are on the fence about dropping requirements
Jun 10, 2022, 11:38 am
#66
Join Date: Jun 2021
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K, AAdvantage Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 298
So much for "follow the science" then - I wonder what metrics were used to make the decision as cases are trending upwards? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy common sense prevailed.
Jun 10, 2022, 11:43 am
#67
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
I’d understand removing the test mandate if masks/vaccines had still been required (like Canada) but this is going to be incredibly risky especially since US citizens and permanent residents among others aren’t required to be vaccinated. And of course with vaccination infections can and do happen. Covid cases are up probably because people now are a lot less inclined to take masking and being around crowds seriously and many are still getting severely ill and hospitalized though thankfully not as badly as pre-vaccines.
Another part of the rationale may have been to prevent new strains or masses of infected people from entering the US, but given the prevalence in the US that doesn't make sense anymore, if it ever did.
Jun 10, 2022, 11:55 am
#68
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Posts: 102,095
A reference to TIMATIC or the like could be working for them too just fine by Sunday/Monday, at least as long as they enter the right details and read properly. Best to check it for updates on one’s own from now until on Monday, but this is big enough news in the airline world that it shouldn’t be a problem to get around even an ill-informed obstinate agent by finding someone else who knows better.
Jun 10, 2022, 12:02 pm
#69
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CDC has not yet put out a media alert about this, but it’s to come. The CDC were also like this when it came to going ahead with the testing requirement.
Jun 10, 2022, 12:05 pm
#70
Moderator: SAS
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,153
As luck will have it I will be leaving from Europe towards the US (NYC) this very Sunday. I was already stressed with getting a test, a nearly impossible and rather expensive task in Switzerland, as most testing facilities are now closed, and the few remaining are rather expensive. Good news 
Jun 10, 2022, 12:08 pm
#71
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,638
I hope this doesn’t cause more infections on planes especially since masks aren’t required on most flights to and from the US and most US airports. If my dad hadn’t tested the day of their travel as required he was potentially going to infect a lot of people on their flight.
I’d understand removing the test mandate if masks/vaccines had still been required (like Canada) but this is going to be incredibly risky especially since US citizens and permanent residents among others aren’t required to be vaccinated. And of course with vaccination infections can and do happen. Covid cases are up probably because people now are a lot less inclined to take masking and being around crowds seriously and many are still getting severely ill and hospitalized though thankfully not as badly as pre-vaccines.
I believe part of the rationale is that there are no such requirements for domestic flights or just about any other activities in the US. Yes, international flights would be somewhat safer, but why should they be different from everything else? You may say we should be doing more to reduce transmission, but hard to see why these flights should be the priority.
Another part of the rationale may have been to prevent new strains or masses of infected people from entering the US, but given the prevalence in the US that doesn't make sense anymore, if it ever did.
Another part of the rationale may have been to prevent new strains or masses of infected people from entering the US, but given the prevalence in the US that doesn't make sense anymore, if it ever did.
Jun 10, 2022, 12:11 pm
#72
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: UA1K, *G & Wife of UA1K MM
Posts: 3,432
So we depart from Tahiti at 9:00pm (3:00am ET). Technically that is 3 hours after the requirement expires. United Airlines.
Should we just not test at this point? Or is it foolish to expect the airlines to be up to speed on the new rules?
Should we just not test at this point? Or is it foolish to expect the airlines to be up to speed on the new rules?
Jun 10, 2022, 12:12 pm
#73
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 254
cases might have had an uptick but the deaths managed to be rather flat throughout BA.2
Jun 10, 2022, 12:13 pm
#74
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,433
"That official said the Biden administration plans to work with airlines to ensure a smooth transition with the change" US will end Covid-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country - CNNPolitics
It's certainly enough time to update TIMATIC and get the word out to agents and contract employees.
It's certainly enough time to update TIMATIC and get the word out to agents and contract employees.
Jun 10, 2022, 12:15 pm
#75
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 2,837
Since thankfully don’t need the dozen embed tests for travel home , we can use for our flights out of country
12 of us going on a family sailing vacation to BVI. I’ll mail the tests to them to use at home for flights to BVI
12 of us going on a family sailing vacation to BVI. I’ll mail the tests to them to use at home for flights to BVI