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[PREM FARE GONE] AA A/F Fare: CMN-MIA - $741/$1159

[PREM FARE GONE] AA A/F Fare: CMN-MIA - $741/$1159

Old Feb 17, 2022, 8:47 pm
  #601  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,974
On the testing topic... anyone travel without it and only the 'recovered less than 90 days ago' paperwork?

If so, what did you use for paperwork? (I am in the USA.)
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Old Feb 17, 2022, 9:33 pm
  #602  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YVR/LAX/PVG/TPE
Posts: 738
I just flew this. IB only checks you in till LHR. You do need to fill out the Spanish health form even though you technically do not have to. The local agent is pretty, uhhh, how do I say it nicely, rigid and unwilling to verify my personal experience.
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Old Feb 17, 2022, 10:09 pm
  #603  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,974
Originally Posted by beyounged
I just flew this. IB only checks you in till LHR. You do need to fill out the Spanish health form even though you technically do not have to. The local agent is pretty, uhhh, how do I say it nicely, rigid and unwilling to verify my personal experience.
Sorry... what does that mean?
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Old Feb 17, 2022, 10:33 pm
  #604  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YVR/LAX/PVG/TPE
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Originally Posted by Global321
Sorry... what does that mean?
told them transit pax do not need to fill that form. that form is checked right in front of immigration hall. If you transit in MAD T4S you do not go near immigration hall at all. Did not believe me, had to do that form in front of her.
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Old Feb 17, 2022, 10:57 pm
  #605  
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Originally Posted by anabolism
I think each airline verifies the test and other requirements at check-in, that is, when issuing boarding passes. So IB will probably want to verify that you are OK to fly to LHR (assuming MAD is just an airside connection), since they will probably not be able to check you in for your AA flight. and AA will want to see a test no earlier than the day before your flight. You might have luck convincing an AA agent in LHR that an earlier test is OK since it's transit, but I wouldn't want to risk it. I think the UK has removed any requirement for a test for fully-vaccinated travelers, but I think you'll need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form and use the transit exemption to avoid needing to book a Day Two test. That still leaves AA at LHR. If you'd been able to get some eMed/Binax tests ahead of time, that would have been great, but I'm sure you'll be able to get tested in MAD or LHR, especially since an antigen test is sufficient.

A quick search turned up two options in MAD (T2 and T4): https://flycovidtestcenter.com/en/madrid-t4/ It says "Departures Area," which sounds like it's airside, but it would be worth verifying with them.

LHR has a page with testing options: https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airport/fly-safe/covid-19-test
I agree 90 minutes at MAD is not sufficient to go landside for a test.

I had seen that Heathrow page but thought none were suitable for my US-bound circumstances. The PCR test is only returned by 10pm the next day which is far too late. However, on reading the CDC guidelines again, "lateral" tests are acceptable. Do you think the GBP25 "Lateral Flow/Rapid Antigen" test falls into that category? All the testing terminology confuses the hell out of me.

I will be in the US for one night, then returning to Spain before heading to the US again three days later. I may see if I can get one of these eMed/Binax tests you mentioned on my 24 hours in the US that I can then use for that second entry to the US.

Originally Posted by beyounged
I just flew this. IB only checks you in till LHR. You do need to fill out the Spanish health form even though you technically do not have to. The local agent is pretty, uhhh, how do I say it nicely, rigid and unwilling to verify my personal experience.
So IB didn't require you to present a US-compliant test, given the overnight at LHR? Is the Spanish form provided at check-in? May I ask how you managed your US test?
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Old Feb 18, 2022, 7:29 am
  #606  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YVR/LAX/PVG/TPE
Posts: 738
Originally Posted by danger
I agree 90 minutes at MAD is not sufficient to go landside for a test.

I had seen that Heathrow page but thought none were suitable for my US-bound circumstances. The PCR test is only returned by 10pm the next day which is far too late. However, on reading the CDC guidelines again, "lateral" tests are acceptable. Do you think the GBP25 "Lateral Flow/Rapid Antigen" test falls into that category? All the testing terminology confuses the hell out of me.

I will be in the US for one night, then returning to Spain before heading to the US again three days later. I may see if I can get one of these eMed/Binax tests you mentioned on my 24 hours in the US that I can then use for that second entry to the US.



So IB didn't require you to present a US-compliant test, given the overnight at LHR? Is the Spanish form provided at check-in? May I ask how you managed your US test?
yes, just asked for my UK plf and Spain form, did not provide that at check in, I had to go online on my phone with garbage airport wifi and fill it out online.
I brought a emed test with me, and did it after landing at LHR, easy peasy.
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Old Feb 18, 2022, 6:11 pm
  #607  
 
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Originally Posted by danger
I agree 90 minutes at MAD is not sufficient to go landside for a test.
It says it's "Departures Area," which to me sounds like airside. I'd suggest calling them to check. If so, they have a rapid antigen test with results in 15-20 minutes for 30 euro. Presumably they will email you the results, so no need to wait for them.

Originally Posted by danger
I had seen that Heathrow page but thought none were suitable for my US-bound circumstances. The PCR test is only returned by 10pm the next day which is far too late. However, on reading the CDC guidelines again, "lateral" tests are acceptable. Do you think the GBP25 "Lateral Flow/Rapid Antigen" test falls into that category? All the testing terminology confuses the hell out of me.
For the U.S., even an antigen test is sufficient, so any of the offered tests would be fine. You could do the test on your way to your hotel, presumably receive the email results that evening, giving you plenty of time to have the hotel print them for you (I usually email the front desk to have a page printed) and also load them into VeriFLY if you use that (which AA supports).

Originally Posted by danger
I will be in the US for one night, then returning to Spain before heading to the US again three days later. I may see if I can get one of these eMed/Binax tests you mentioned on my 24 hours in the US that I can then use for that second entry to the US.
Order them ahead of time and have them sent to your U.S. address. If you order from eMed or an airline, it's $150 for six tests. If you order from Optum you can get two or three instead of six, but at a higher cost per test. It's always good to travel with at least two, just in case one is inconclusive or spoiled somehow.
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Old Feb 18, 2022, 10:35 pm
  #608  
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Originally Posted by anabolism
It says it's "Departures Area," which to me sounds like airside. I'd suggest calling them to check. If so, they have a rapid antigen test with results in 15-20 minutes for 30 euro. Presumably they will email you the results, so no need to wait for them.
The location page says "Terminal 4, floor 2, public zone" unfortunately.

[QUOTE=anabolism;34004714]For the U.S., even an antigen test is sufficient, so any of the offered tests would be fine. You could do the test on your way to your hotel, presumably receive the email results that evening, giving you plenty of time to have the hotel print them for you (I usually email the front desk to have a page printed) and also load them into VeriFLY if you use that (which AA supports).

That's very helpful. Instead of rushing at MAD, I think I'll do the GBP25 pound lateral/RAT at LHR on arrival, the night before flying to the US.
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Old Feb 18, 2022, 10:36 pm
  #609  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London
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Posts: 834
Originally Posted by our_kid
For the folks with return legs to CMN - remember the fare rules will allow changes if the first leg has been flown.
does this mean you could fly the cmn to mad to lhr legs, then postpone the rest of your trip by a couple of weeks??
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Old Feb 18, 2022, 10:42 pm
  #610  
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Originally Posted by CaroFos
does this mean you could fly the cmn to mad to lhr legs, then postpone the rest of your trip by a couple of weeks??
I believe so, yes. These are the rules for the fare with basis F1NFFMN5.

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Old Feb 19, 2022, 4:18 am
  #611  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 108
Originally Posted by anabolism
It says it's "Departures Area," which to me sounds like airside. I'd suggest calling them to check. If so, they have a rapid antigen test with results in 15-20 minutes for 30 euro. Presumably they will email you the results, so no need to wait for them.

For the U.S., even an antigen test is sufficient, so any of the offered tests would be fine. You could do the test on your way to your hotel, presumably receive the email results that evening, giving you plenty of time to have the hotel print them for you (I usually email the front desk to have a page printed) and also load them into VeriFLY if you use that (which AA supports).

Order them ahead of time and have them sent to your U.S. address. If you order from eMed or an airline, it's $150 for six tests. If you order from Optum you can get two or three instead of six, but at a higher cost per test. It's always good to travel with at least two, just in case one is inconclusive or spoiled somehow.
You no longer need to buy the eMed/Optum tests. This site offers an supervised test add-on for $20 to your existing at-home antigen test kits: https://www.azova.com/travelvideo
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Old Feb 19, 2022, 1:14 pm
  #612  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Originally Posted by FormallyKnownAs
You no longer need to buy the eMed/Optum tests. This site offers an supervised test add-on for $20 to your existing at-home antigen test kits: https://www.azova.com/travelvideo
Thank you; I'd mentioned in post 598 that I'd seen this but couldn't find the specific site. (Interestingly, a search turned up the same company, Azova, but only for the Ellume test, as I noted in the post.)
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Old Feb 19, 2022, 1:38 pm
  #613  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
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i was able to cancel and get full refund for one of my tickets (that i do not want to fly) where CMN-MAD was cancelled 'without reprotection' despite the flight was actually available for sale 10 minutes earlier or later than the originally ticketed flight. Booked via Priceline. Probably what helped is that CMN-MAD was AA codeshare.
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Old Feb 21, 2022, 3:47 pm
  #614  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,974
Arrival / Departure from CMN in Feb...

Question about the middle flights. (Correct me if anything else is wrong.)

1. Arrival into CMN (USA to MAD to CMN)... need a PCR test within 48 hours of departure to CMN. I will be positioning from the USA, so I think I will be fine if I do the PCR test the day before departure in the USA, fly the redeye USA to Madrid and then continue (separate ticket) to CMN. Fill out health forms for Spain and Morocco.
2. Overnight near CMN.
3. CMN to MAD to LHR. I am a little unsure what testing I need before flying? Antigen morning of?
4. Overnight near LHR.
5. LHR to MIA. If I test the day before in CMN, I think I can use the same test to go to the USA.

So really, the question is... as a US citizen what test do I need before CMN to MAD to LHR flights with an overnight in the UK?

thanks in advance

Last edited by Global321; Feb 22, 2022 at 7:01 am Reason: updated inbound routing
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Old Feb 21, 2022, 8:35 pm
  #615  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YVR/LAX/PVG/TPE
Posts: 738
get the test in LHR, IB only checked me to LHR and did not ask me for test for US. At first wing check in at LHR they asked me for test results of course.
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