Jumping through the Hoops to the Caribbean with BA
Jan 25, 2022, 3:21 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Jumping through the Hoops to the Caribbean with BA
Oh, yes … we can get away to the sun without sacrificing a goat and 3 chickens! More to the point, without taking ANY tests on the way as we’re fully vaccinated and boosted. Sorry, Mr. Djokovic!
In November 2021 we invested, speculatively, a £350 deposit on a BA Holidays trip to the Dominican Republic with the understanding that a further £6300 would be payable in December if everything hadn’t been cancelled by then. We’ve lost 7 holidays since Covid made it’s unwelcome appearance, and although we managed to get to Antigua in August last year we still have a degree of nervousness about “will it actually happen?”
So it’s Club Europe/Club World flights [of course], JER-LHR/LGW-PUJ and a week’s really nice and civilised All-Inclusive at Zoetry Agua again. https://www.amrcollection.com/en/res...ua-punta-cana/ Yes, that’s right … we were there 2 years ago for our 40th Wedding Anniversary (Where’s the Dominican Republic? Oh, there it is!) We wanted to return and of course then had our Feb 2021 booking for our 41st cancelled!! Annoyingly, that trip was noticeably cheaper than this one, but at least we’re getting away. And this BA Holiday qualifies for double tier points, so BAEC Gold renewal is assured [who needs Status extensions?!]. And then we have to ensure how we actually do that, with the ever-changing Covid regulations everywhere - but the plan seemed pretty straightforward. We just need to jump though a few hoops!
Jersey. A painless Exit and Entry process for fully-vaxxed residents. Our Social Security numbers cover everything: all we need is to submit an on-line Travel Form on the way home.
UK. Ahh, a bit more complicated to research on gov.uk, as BA takes us to LHR but then the long-haul goes from LGW. However, entry from the “Common Travel Area” (Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Ireland) was uncomplicated, and no testing was required as we were doing a ‘landslide transit and departing within 24 hours’ … once you have found the relevant sub-paragraph in the rules. Returning from the DR was slightly more complicated, requiring the submission of a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) before travel … but still no Test requirement for us.
Dominican Republic. ¡Ole! The DR have implemented an extremely sensible and practical on-line “E-ticket” arrangement, which generates a QR Code that covers the passenger for Immigration, Customs and Health declarations! For both passengers … and up to 7, IIRC! And, to our amazement, no testing requirement if fully vaccinated … just a declaration of “No Symptoms” … how brave! https://viajerodigital.mitur.gob.do/english/
So, all we needed to do was prepare a list of when the various bits needed to be submitted to whoever (mainly T-48) and ensure we had copies of any certificates etc available. At this point I have to admit to being an old dinosaur … no, I do not have a smart-phone! I have a cheap PAYG stupid-phone, and an iPad when travelling. So, in addition to carrying various certificates, I also scanned everything and saved all those images in a folder in the iPad’s Photo Library. That should do … we hoped!
Christmas came and went, the balance was paid to BA, and we started to feel this was really going to happen. And finally, with suitcase packed and OLCI achieved for all the outbound sectors (and paper BPs printed, of course) we were good to go!
That’s enough preamble … let’s go on a journey to somewhere WARM!
In November 2021 we invested, speculatively, a £350 deposit on a BA Holidays trip to the Dominican Republic with the understanding that a further £6300 would be payable in December if everything hadn’t been cancelled by then. We’ve lost 7 holidays since Covid made it’s unwelcome appearance, and although we managed to get to Antigua in August last year we still have a degree of nervousness about “will it actually happen?”
So it’s Club Europe/Club World flights [of course], JER-LHR/LGW-PUJ and a week’s really nice and civilised All-Inclusive at Zoetry Agua again. https://www.amrcollection.com/en/res...ua-punta-cana/ Yes, that’s right … we were there 2 years ago for our 40th Wedding Anniversary (Where’s the Dominican Republic? Oh, there it is!) We wanted to return and of course then had our Feb 2021 booking for our 41st cancelled!! Annoyingly, that trip was noticeably cheaper than this one, but at least we’re getting away. And this BA Holiday qualifies for double tier points, so BAEC Gold renewal is assured [who needs Status extensions?!]. And then we have to ensure how we actually do that, with the ever-changing Covid regulations everywhere - but the plan seemed pretty straightforward. We just need to jump though a few hoops!
Jersey. A painless Exit and Entry process for fully-vaxxed residents. Our Social Security numbers cover everything: all we need is to submit an on-line Travel Form on the way home.
UK. Ahh, a bit more complicated to research on gov.uk, as BA takes us to LHR but then the long-haul goes from LGW. However, entry from the “Common Travel Area” (Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Ireland) was uncomplicated, and no testing was required as we were doing a ‘landslide transit and departing within 24 hours’ … once you have found the relevant sub-paragraph in the rules. Returning from the DR was slightly more complicated, requiring the submission of a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) before travel … but still no Test requirement for us.
Dominican Republic. ¡Ole! The DR have implemented an extremely sensible and practical on-line “E-ticket” arrangement, which generates a QR Code that covers the passenger for Immigration, Customs and Health declarations! For both passengers … and up to 7, IIRC! And, to our amazement, no testing requirement if fully vaccinated … just a declaration of “No Symptoms” … how brave! https://viajerodigital.mitur.gob.do/english/
So, all we needed to do was prepare a list of when the various bits needed to be submitted to whoever (mainly T-48) and ensure we had copies of any certificates etc available. At this point I have to admit to being an old dinosaur … no, I do not have a smart-phone! I have a cheap PAYG stupid-phone, and an iPad when travelling. So, in addition to carrying various certificates, I also scanned everything and saved all those images in a folder in the iPad’s Photo Library. That should do … we hoped!
Christmas came and went, the balance was paid to BA, and we started to feel this was really going to happen. And finally, with suitcase packed and OLCI achieved for all the outbound sectors (and paper BPs printed, of course) we were good to go!
That’s enough preamble … let’s go on a journey to somewhere WARM!
Last edited by T8191; Feb 22, 2022 at 12:22 pm
Jan 25, 2022, 3:21 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Tuesday, 11 Jan 2022
BA2769, A319, JER-LHR, 0710-0810
CE Seats 1A/C
Ah, the old familiar taxi at 0530. This is cruel but familiar punishment, especially with a long day ahead. Fifteen minutes to JER airport along almost empty roads, arriving as usual at 0545 just as they unlock the doors and let us in out of the cold. It’s a lovely morning here at JER, and we’re just glad the BA A319 stays here overnight instead of trying to land first thing in the morning!
Bag-drop was seamless, and we made our way to the recently enlarged Security area … where only one belt/scanner/arch was in use at this early hour. Predictably I was again selected for a full secondary swab & frisk exercise, presumably a random to fulfil their quota. At this hour all the Duty Free shops were still closed and shuttered, but we were planning to stock up in cigarettes in the Arrivals DF shop at PUJ. The Lounge offer was noticeably diminished: I would hope they improve matters as traffic picks up later in the year.
Boarding was efficiently organised by Row numbers from Gate 10. A pleasant set of CC provided CE pax with a modest breakfast of the Ham and Cheese Croissant … which needed to be eaten quickly as today the flight will be just 35 minutes!
We arrived and predictably docked at a Domestic Gate at the south end of T5, from where we embarked on the long walk to Reclaim. There our case duly emerged after a modest wait, and we set off to find our taxi driver ‘outside Costa Coffee’ for the transfer to LGW. We used a new company this time … www.prestigeairportcars.co.uk who charged £65 each way. The day before they sent an confirmatory email with the driver’s name, photograph, phone number and vehicle registration: a very convincing procedure, although the driver had missed the “Meet & Greet” element of the booking and initially expected us to find him in a Car Park! Eventually united, his nice Mercedes swept us along the well-known route to LGW. On the way we passed a massive traffic snarl on the other carriageway, with at least 15 ‘blue light’ vehicles attending an incident. I hope nobody heading TO Heathrow had a tight connection!
And here we are at LGW(North), dropped off at the kerb for the princely sum of £5 as Gatwick’s owners try to recoup some of their Covid losses! And now to negotiate the route to Departures, where the wretched design takes you one level below where you want to be. What a mess Gatwick has become over the years. Following the move back to the North terminal, BA have reclaimed the entire wall at the left end of the Departures Concourse … with most of the wall being self-service VeriFLY bag-drop. The human desks are at the far end, with a couple of separate desks for Club World - no First desks! We were quickly processed in a friendly manner, and after a last ciggie outside, headed for Premium Gatwick Security. Oh, surprise … secondary screening for me again! And, having escaped that, we follow the endless winding path through World Duty Free [is there is NO way of escaping it?] and head off to the left for our substitute Lounge facility … today we are sent to The Clubroom, on the windowless lower level.
We both passed on the “classic bowl of corn flakes” and the “all-day breakfast” but did sample the very dull “Scrumptious Baked Treats”. At least we had comfy seats in a quiet setting for an hour. Eventually, dragging ourselves away from the temptation of those classic corn flakes, we made our way Gate 566 which was over there somewhere at the far end of the building [of course].
Tuesday, 11 Jan 2022
BA2205, B777, LGW-PUJ, 1205-1720
CW Seats 4A/B
Whee - a Gatwick 777! Which variety? I have no idea, but I’m guessing it was a 777-200ER, aka 77J of the G-YMM* persuasion (48 J). Or is it a 77S (32 J)? Am I bothered? We’re in Row 4 of the forward mini-cabin with 32 seats. What happens behind us is of no interest whatsoever. Boarding by Rows after the Assistance pax, and we seemed to be the only ones claiming Group One status … surely not? Anyway, briskly down the airbridge, a sharp left turn at the aircraft door … but wait! “Hello, Mr and Mrs T8191, welcome on board.” Whoops, is this really BA? We are so rarely ‘acknowledged’ as BAEC Golds it came as a bit of a shock, and there were more shocks to come.
“Pre-Departure Beverage, Mr T8191?” OMG, addressed by name again, and it’s COLD champagne! This is getting ridiculous! Thank you, Emma, our charming CC! And so it goes on … shiny new IFE? Clean cabin? No screaming kids? I feel I’m in an alternative BA Universe.
And away we go, taxi straight on to the runway and … ZOOM into the wide blue [cloudy] yonder, heading for the sunny warmth of the DR. Menus, Amenity Kits, Water Bottles are distributed … which of course have nowhere to go, except in the barely-accessible drawer at floor level. And Drinks and nuts are distributed, and Meal orders are taken. We both took a chance on the Roasted Pork Belly …
Hmm … it turned out to be tasty enough, but almost bereft of meat. Indeed, Lady T’s portion was almost all fat. Oh, well, at least the wine (a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) was nicely chilled!
With that done and dusted, I settled down to watch another Harry Potter movie. Which one was it this time? Number 4, I think - Goblet of Fire. I should really get counselling about this new habit of watching Harry Potter films! But, apart from a bit of sleep, how else do you pass the time for a 4,290 mile drone across the Atlantic? Oh, of course, you also enjoy the pre-arrival “Light Meal”. This turned out to be a full-on, in your face, dish of Roast Chicken! Even our CSD expressed surprise at this hefty offering.
Oh, we have arrived! Good-oh. Now to find out how well this E-ticket arrangement works. We disembark by rows, of course, and being in 4A/B just in front of Door 2L means we’re first off the aircraft (having thanked our jolly good CC, of course). I have my Passport safely in my pocket this time (see my earlier TR, PUJ20 in my signature) together with a print-out of the DR E-ticket QR code. Along the airbridge, down the ramps to the Border, navigate the Tensa-barrier maze and approach the Immigration Booth. Code scanned, Passport stamped [in the middle of a new page] and … done! This is good!
A quick visit to the Duty Free shop opposite for some cigarettes, of course. Prices £25-£30/200, and paid using my Starling Forex-free MasterCard debit card. And then through to Reclaim, where bags are just starting to appear. “Ah, there’s ours”, I said, as the belt suddenly came to a halt. I grabbed the case and headed for the exit, leaving the rest of the pax in Carousel Limbo. Across to the Customs desk, another wave of my QR code, and we’re FREE! I have to say this system makes an International Arrival as easy as anything - well done, DR, a great system.
Outside the Terminal is the long row of Ground Transportation desks. I should have taken a photo, of course, but it’s been a long day. Our voucher tells us we are with Amstar [as before] and their staff are easily identified by their distinctive blue flowered shirts. Our Transfer was added to our BA Holidays booking, and we splashed out £111 for a private 2-way transfer to avoid the risk of visiting numerous hotels along the way to our destination - Zoetry is about 25 miles up the coast, past innumerable resorts and hotels in Bavaro on the way.
A comfortable mini-bus with a safe and sensible driver conveyed us to Zoetry, the journey taking about 45 minutes. And here we are again.
BA2769, A319, JER-LHR, 0710-0810
CE Seats 1A/C
Ah, the old familiar taxi at 0530. This is cruel but familiar punishment, especially with a long day ahead. Fifteen minutes to JER airport along almost empty roads, arriving as usual at 0545 just as they unlock the doors and let us in out of the cold. It’s a lovely morning here at JER, and we’re just glad the BA A319 stays here overnight instead of trying to land first thing in the morning!
Bag-drop was seamless, and we made our way to the recently enlarged Security area … where only one belt/scanner/arch was in use at this early hour. Predictably I was again selected for a full secondary swab & frisk exercise, presumably a random to fulfil their quota. At this hour all the Duty Free shops were still closed and shuttered, but we were planning to stock up in cigarettes in the Arrivals DF shop at PUJ. The Lounge offer was noticeably diminished: I would hope they improve matters as traffic picks up later in the year.
Boarding was efficiently organised by Row numbers from Gate 10. A pleasant set of CC provided CE pax with a modest breakfast of the Ham and Cheese Croissant … which needed to be eaten quickly as today the flight will be just 35 minutes!
We arrived and predictably docked at a Domestic Gate at the south end of T5, from where we embarked on the long walk to Reclaim. There our case duly emerged after a modest wait, and we set off to find our taxi driver ‘outside Costa Coffee’ for the transfer to LGW. We used a new company this time … www.prestigeairportcars.co.uk who charged £65 each way. The day before they sent an confirmatory email with the driver’s name, photograph, phone number and vehicle registration: a very convincing procedure, although the driver had missed the “Meet & Greet” element of the booking and initially expected us to find him in a Car Park! Eventually united, his nice Mercedes swept us along the well-known route to LGW. On the way we passed a massive traffic snarl on the other carriageway, with at least 15 ‘blue light’ vehicles attending an incident. I hope nobody heading TO Heathrow had a tight connection!
And here we are at LGW(North), dropped off at the kerb for the princely sum of £5 as Gatwick’s owners try to recoup some of their Covid losses! And now to negotiate the route to Departures, where the wretched design takes you one level below where you want to be. What a mess Gatwick has become over the years. Following the move back to the North terminal, BA have reclaimed the entire wall at the left end of the Departures Concourse … with most of the wall being self-service VeriFLY bag-drop. The human desks are at the far end, with a couple of separate desks for Club World - no First desks! We were quickly processed in a friendly manner, and after a last ciggie outside, headed for Premium Gatwick Security. Oh, surprise … secondary screening for me again! And, having escaped that, we follow the endless winding path through World Duty Free [is there is NO way of escaping it?] and head off to the left for our substitute Lounge facility … today we are sent to The Clubroom, on the windowless lower level.
We both passed on the “classic bowl of corn flakes” and the “all-day breakfast” but did sample the very dull “Scrumptious Baked Treats”. At least we had comfy seats in a quiet setting for an hour. Eventually, dragging ourselves away from the temptation of those classic corn flakes, we made our way Gate 566 which was over there somewhere at the far end of the building [of course].
Tuesday, 11 Jan 2022
BA2205, B777, LGW-PUJ, 1205-1720
CW Seats 4A/B
Whee - a Gatwick 777! Which variety? I have no idea, but I’m guessing it was a 777-200ER, aka 77J of the G-YMM* persuasion (48 J). Or is it a 77S (32 J)? Am I bothered? We’re in Row 4 of the forward mini-cabin with 32 seats. What happens behind us is of no interest whatsoever. Boarding by Rows after the Assistance pax, and we seemed to be the only ones claiming Group One status … surely not? Anyway, briskly down the airbridge, a sharp left turn at the aircraft door … but wait! “Hello, Mr and Mrs T8191, welcome on board.” Whoops, is this really BA? We are so rarely ‘acknowledged’ as BAEC Golds it came as a bit of a shock, and there were more shocks to come.
“Pre-Departure Beverage, Mr T8191?” OMG, addressed by name again, and it’s COLD champagne! This is getting ridiculous! Thank you, Emma, our charming CC! And so it goes on … shiny new IFE? Clean cabin? No screaming kids? I feel I’m in an alternative BA Universe.
And away we go, taxi straight on to the runway and … ZOOM into the wide blue [cloudy] yonder, heading for the sunny warmth of the DR. Menus, Amenity Kits, Water Bottles are distributed … which of course have nowhere to go, except in the barely-accessible drawer at floor level. And Drinks and nuts are distributed, and Meal orders are taken. We both took a chance on the Roasted Pork Belly …
Hmm … it turned out to be tasty enough, but almost bereft of meat. Indeed, Lady T’s portion was almost all fat. Oh, well, at least the wine (a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) was nicely chilled!
With that done and dusted, I settled down to watch another Harry Potter movie. Which one was it this time? Number 4, I think - Goblet of Fire. I should really get counselling about this new habit of watching Harry Potter films! But, apart from a bit of sleep, how else do you pass the time for a 4,290 mile drone across the Atlantic? Oh, of course, you also enjoy the pre-arrival “Light Meal”. This turned out to be a full-on, in your face, dish of Roast Chicken! Even our CSD expressed surprise at this hefty offering.
Oh, we have arrived! Good-oh. Now to find out how well this E-ticket arrangement works. We disembark by rows, of course, and being in 4A/B just in front of Door 2L means we’re first off the aircraft (having thanked our jolly good CC, of course). I have my Passport safely in my pocket this time (see my earlier TR, PUJ20 in my signature) together with a print-out of the DR E-ticket QR code. Along the airbridge, down the ramps to the Border, navigate the Tensa-barrier maze and approach the Immigration Booth. Code scanned, Passport stamped [in the middle of a new page] and … done! This is good!
A quick visit to the Duty Free shop opposite for some cigarettes, of course. Prices £25-£30/200, and paid using my Starling Forex-free MasterCard debit card. And then through to Reclaim, where bags are just starting to appear. “Ah, there’s ours”, I said, as the belt suddenly came to a halt. I grabbed the case and headed for the exit, leaving the rest of the pax in Carousel Limbo. Across to the Customs desk, another wave of my QR code, and we’re FREE! I have to say this system makes an International Arrival as easy as anything - well done, DR, a great system.
Outside the Terminal is the long row of Ground Transportation desks. I should have taken a photo, of course, but it’s been a long day. Our voucher tells us we are with Amstar [as before] and their staff are easily identified by their distinctive blue flowered shirts. Our Transfer was added to our BA Holidays booking, and we splashed out £111 for a private 2-way transfer to avoid the risk of visiting numerous hotels along the way to our destination - Zoetry is about 25 miles up the coast, past innumerable resorts and hotels in Bavaro on the way.
A comfortable mini-bus with a safe and sensible driver conveyed us to Zoetry, the journey taking about 45 minutes. And here we are again.
Last edited by T8191; Feb 5, 2022 at 5:00 am
Jan 25, 2022, 3:22 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Zoetry Agua, Punta Cana
Our booking was for a “Romantic Garden View King” on the basis of price and availability. “From $251.50 per person per night” … or about £370/day for the two of us. We had asked for a 2nd floor room if available, but at check-in we were told it was a 3rd floor room. I quickly played the Age Card, expressing faux concern about the number of stairs involved! A brief conversation with a Duty Manager, and we were upgraded to a “Romantic Junior Suite Pool View” on the 2nd floor - £407-worth. That’ll do! We later discovered they are only at 50% occupancy, with complete blocks of accommodation is suspended animation. Suite 263 was conveniently located for the pool, the various restaurants and, of course, offered an expansive view of the immaculate grounds and the distant ocean.
Suite 263 was spacious, very comfortable, well-maintained and quiet. Generous provision of ‘goodies’, such as free Beach Bag, 0.5L bottle of good rum, daily bottle of Cava on request, well stocked mini-bar, Bvlgari toiletries etc etc. The large balcony was a great bonus, especially when those typical tropical downpours happened [not too often, fortunately].
Food good at all 4 restaurants [no Buffets!] although sadly exactly the same menus as in 2020 … and no daily specials either. Menus accessible via QR code at the greeter’s desk, printed version for us - but barely legible in the dim lighting in the evening. Quality/presentation could be a bit variable, but a solid 4* overall. House wines [Chilean] perfectly acceptable, Manager’s List available if you have $$$ to burn!
The grounds and beach are all immaculately maintained, with staff cleaning all areas constantly throughout the day.
Overall, we were very content, and will certainly return again.
Our booking was for a “Romantic Garden View King” on the basis of price and availability. “From $251.50 per person per night” … or about £370/day for the two of us. We had asked for a 2nd floor room if available, but at check-in we were told it was a 3rd floor room. I quickly played the Age Card, expressing faux concern about the number of stairs involved! A brief conversation with a Duty Manager, and we were upgraded to a “Romantic Junior Suite Pool View” on the 2nd floor - £407-worth. That’ll do! We later discovered they are only at 50% occupancy, with complete blocks of accommodation is suspended animation. Suite 263 was conveniently located for the pool, the various restaurants and, of course, offered an expansive view of the immaculate grounds and the distant ocean.
Suite 263 was spacious, very comfortable, well-maintained and quiet. Generous provision of ‘goodies’, such as free Beach Bag, 0.5L bottle of good rum, daily bottle of Cava on request, well stocked mini-bar, Bvlgari toiletries etc etc. The large balcony was a great bonus, especially when those typical tropical downpours happened [not too often, fortunately].
Food good at all 4 restaurants [no Buffets!] although sadly exactly the same menus as in 2020 … and no daily specials either. Menus accessible via QR code at the greeter’s desk, printed version for us - but barely legible in the dim lighting in the evening. Quality/presentation could be a bit variable, but a solid 4* overall. House wines [Chilean] perfectly acceptable, Manager’s List available if you have $$$ to burn!
The grounds and beach are all immaculately maintained, with staff cleaning all areas constantly throughout the day.
Overall, we were very content, and will certainly return again.
Last edited by T8191; Jan 25, 2022 at 5:09 am
Jan 25, 2022, 3:23 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Homeward Bound … time to start jumping through the hoops!
Sunday, 16 Jan 22
OK, we now have 3 Borders to navigate! And of course there is a stack of on-line documentation to complete at various moments … how to lose a few hours of a holiday, eh?
The Hoops have different timelines, of course, but mainly T-48-of-something!
Monday, 17 Jan 22
BA. Ah, OLCI wants us to do it all at the Airport. No thanks! Time to explore VeriFLY. That only took an hour or so, involving uploads of our JE vax Certificates, a photo of Lady T in a bathrobe, and some other stuff. I must remember to save some of this stuff for next time. And, eventually, we are allowed to check in on-line. WooT … and so to bed!
Tuesday, 18 Jan 22
A particularly nice aspect of Zoetry is that there is no specified check-out time, so the morning was spent doing normal things - Breakfast and Lunch, for example! We had previously (on 12 Jan) confirmed out Amstar transfer with their daily-visiting Rep, with pick-up ar 1540. So all we had to do after lunch was shower, pack and head for the Lobby - and the driver arrived on the dot of 1540. Good performance by Amstar etc. Off we go to the Aeropuerto … arriving at 1620 at Terminal B.
Tuesday, 18 Jan 2022
BA2204, B777, PUJ-LGW, 1910-0725
CW Seats 1A/B
Just inside the Departures Hall, on the right, is the long row of BA desks … almost invisible behind a mass of humanity, suitcases and baby-buggies. Mercifully the 2 Club World desks [on the right end] have only a couple of families queueing in front of us. When our turn comes, we present Passports, drop the suitcase and in return are given our BPs for both sectors on the way home. We also receive a voucher worth $20 each for use at the F&B Concessions near the Gates … which I stuff in my backpack and subsequently fail to find again until I got home!
Time for Hoop #1 as we head for Security and Immigration. A scan of our BPs allows us to proceed to Security … conventional scanner belts and arch, with almost no delay [once you have found the trays which are just stacked on the floor nearby]. Was it ‘shoes off’? I can’t remember! Then to Immigration, where there is a collection of manned booths and … e-Passport gates! A sign announces which Passports are eligible … I noticed UK, US and about 6 others. We both had a bit of difficulty getting them to scan: they really need firm and even pressure on to the glass. And … we are through Hoop #1.
The Gates are in a long corridor, flanked initially by the usual collection of Retail outlets. We of course stocked up with cigarettes, they being about 1/3 the price they are at home. And at the far end is the outside smoking area, of which we took advantage!
Boarding was advertised for 1830, so we repositioned on seats next to Gate 25 and what appeared to be the potential Priority Boarding lane.
Pre-boarding was finally declared, and we stepped back as a mass charge of baby-buggies and accompanying parents converged on Gate 25. How many? It seemed like dozens of them! Eventually the rush subsided, and a very firm “Group One ONLY” was announced - good control by the Ground Agents! We seemed to end up as Seq 001/002 for this part of the process, but as we approached the Gate it was clear that things were going slowly. The queue stretched all the way down 40 yards of airbridge. And then the cause of delay became visible … the deployment of K9 units to check if anyone is carrying naughty stuff!
At the aircraft door we are surprised and pleased to hear “Good afternoon, Mr and Mrs T8191”: we are recognised again. How nice! And so we settle in to 1A/C, with me getting the window seat to ensure Mrs T doesn’t get climbed over by # ’strangers in the night’. More greetings from the CSD as the PDB is served … yes, it’s chilled Champagne! This is looking good. An on-time departure too, as the Captain says we’ll arrive at LGW about 30 minutes early. And we peruse the Menu …
For My Lady, The Fillet of Beef. A bold choice, some might say, but on this occasion a good one. The steak both tender and medium rare: oh joy, it CAN be done!
For me, the lighter option of Shrimp wrapped in fillet of Sole. It makes a change, and proved to also be a good choice. All items turned out to be perfectly cooked, with the shrimp being moist and tender.
Both meals were also well-presented - no signs of gravy slopped all over the place! We both complimented our CC on the Oven Operator’s skill and delicate touch, and she was brought to our seats to enable us to thank her in person. . It was probably our best CW meal ever. Even the Brie in the cheese bowl was suitably ripe and un-frozen.
And so I turned, now almost from force of habit, to Harry Potter #5 … Order of the Phoenix. And jolly gripping the tale turned out to be, with some great acting by Imelda Staunton. So there! And then for a bit of sleep, as the 2 glasses of port had their anticipated effect.
Sunday, 16 Jan 22
OK, we now have 3 Borders to navigate! And of course there is a stack of on-line documentation to complete at various moments … how to lose a few hours of a holiday, eh?
The Hoops have different timelines, of course, but mainly T-48-of-something!
DR. Log in, confirm departure element … and that seemed to be it!
UK. Complete Passenger Locator Form. Times 2, of course, unlike the DR who lets you do both at the same time on the same form. Rattle iPad for a while … yes, that eventually seemed to satisfy them. Must remember to register properly for future trips to save a lot of typing.
JE. Yes, simples … our Social Security numbers seem to do the trick.
Having taken screenshots of all the above, I took myself to Reception, emailed them all to a Hotel address they gave me, and had them kindly printed out. Dinosaurs rule, OK?UK. Complete Passenger Locator Form. Times 2, of course, unlike the DR who lets you do both at the same time on the same form. Rattle iPad for a while … yes, that eventually seemed to satisfy them. Must remember to register properly for future trips to save a lot of typing.
JE. Yes, simples … our Social Security numbers seem to do the trick.
Monday, 17 Jan 22
BA. Ah, OLCI wants us to do it all at the Airport. No thanks! Time to explore VeriFLY. That only took an hour or so, involving uploads of our JE vax Certificates, a photo of Lady T in a bathrobe, and some other stuff. I must remember to save some of this stuff for next time. And, eventually, we are allowed to check in on-line. WooT … and so to bed!
Tuesday, 18 Jan 22
A particularly nice aspect of Zoetry is that there is no specified check-out time, so the morning was spent doing normal things - Breakfast and Lunch, for example! We had previously (on 12 Jan) confirmed out Amstar transfer with their daily-visiting Rep, with pick-up ar 1540. So all we had to do after lunch was shower, pack and head for the Lobby - and the driver arrived on the dot of 1540. Good performance by Amstar etc. Off we go to the Aeropuerto … arriving at 1620 at Terminal B.
Tuesday, 18 Jan 2022
BA2204, B777, PUJ-LGW, 1910-0725
CW Seats 1A/B
Just inside the Departures Hall, on the right, is the long row of BA desks … almost invisible behind a mass of humanity, suitcases and baby-buggies. Mercifully the 2 Club World desks [on the right end] have only a couple of families queueing in front of us. When our turn comes, we present Passports, drop the suitcase and in return are given our BPs for both sectors on the way home. We also receive a voucher worth $20 each for use at the F&B Concessions near the Gates … which I stuff in my backpack and subsequently fail to find again until I got home!
Time for Hoop #1 as we head for Security and Immigration. A scan of our BPs allows us to proceed to Security … conventional scanner belts and arch, with almost no delay [once you have found the trays which are just stacked on the floor nearby]. Was it ‘shoes off’? I can’t remember! Then to Immigration, where there is a collection of manned booths and … e-Passport gates! A sign announces which Passports are eligible … I noticed UK, US and about 6 others. We both had a bit of difficulty getting them to scan: they really need firm and even pressure on to the glass. And … we are through Hoop #1.
The Gates are in a long corridor, flanked initially by the usual collection of Retail outlets. We of course stocked up with cigarettes, they being about 1/3 the price they are at home. And at the far end is the outside smoking area, of which we took advantage!
Boarding was advertised for 1830, so we repositioned on seats next to Gate 25 and what appeared to be the potential Priority Boarding lane.
Pre-boarding was finally declared, and we stepped back as a mass charge of baby-buggies and accompanying parents converged on Gate 25. How many? It seemed like dozens of them! Eventually the rush subsided, and a very firm “Group One ONLY” was announced - good control by the Ground Agents! We seemed to end up as Seq 001/002 for this part of the process, but as we approached the Gate it was clear that things were going slowly. The queue stretched all the way down 40 yards of airbridge. And then the cause of delay became visible … the deployment of K9 units to check if anyone is carrying naughty stuff!
At the aircraft door we are surprised and pleased to hear “Good afternoon, Mr and Mrs T8191”: we are recognised again. How nice! And so we settle in to 1A/C, with me getting the window seat to ensure Mrs T doesn’t get climbed over by # ’strangers in the night’. More greetings from the CSD as the PDB is served … yes, it’s chilled Champagne! This is looking good. An on-time departure too, as the Captain says we’ll arrive at LGW about 30 minutes early. And we peruse the Menu …
For My Lady, The Fillet of Beef. A bold choice, some might say, but on this occasion a good one. The steak both tender and medium rare: oh joy, it CAN be done!
For me, the lighter option of Shrimp wrapped in fillet of Sole. It makes a change, and proved to also be a good choice. All items turned out to be perfectly cooked, with the shrimp being moist and tender.
Both meals were also well-presented - no signs of gravy slopped all over the place! We both complimented our CC on the Oven Operator’s skill and delicate touch, and she was brought to our seats to enable us to thank her in person. . It was probably our best CW meal ever. Even the Brie in the cheese bowl was suitably ripe and un-frozen.
And so I turned, now almost from force of habit, to Harry Potter #5 … Order of the Phoenix. And jolly gripping the tale turned out to be, with some great acting by Imelda Staunton. So there! And then for a bit of sleep, as the 2 glasses of port had their anticipated effect.
Last edited by T8191; Feb 22, 2022 at 12:55 pm
Jan 25, 2022, 3:23 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Wednesday, 19 Jan 2022
Breakfast was uninspiring, unmemorable and unphotographed as we descended gently into Gatwick and landed some 30 minutes early as predicted. Again disembarking by rows (1-4 suited us nicely) we made our weary way to an almost empty Border and an array of functioning e-Passport gates through which we passed painlessly. Hello, was that Hoop #2? Nothing to see here … moving on, off to Reclaim. The Reclaim areas were awash with Border Force officers, booted, spurred and Hi-Viz jacketed - well, at least 20 or so. “Not me, Gov’nor, I’m British!”. Ah, and Carousel 10, the furthest and most familiar … that’s where the JER bags used to arrive [after about an hour, in the bad old days]. On this occasion our bag was about #10 on the belt after <5 minutes, and so up and away through Customs to Landside to find our driver.
Our driver was nowhere to be seen. OK, it’s 0740 and pickup was based on a 0725 arrival. Time for a quick ciggie kerb-side and give him a call on my stupid-phone. “Stuck in traffic on M3, estimating now about 0830.” Damn. Further call at 0850, and he directs us to the Departures drop-off zone on the other side of the car park. It would be easier if he didn’t have such a strong accent! But we’re eventually away at around 0900 to LHR T5, with me starting to get nervous about traffic delays on M23/M25 and with boarding at 1120 for the last leg. But all went well, and we were dropped off at the far end of T5, ready for the First Wing. This is of course a standard Hoop, getting from LGW to LHR or vice versa, and is just an irritating fact of life. (c.f. IAD from BWI or DCA)
Wednesday, 19 Jan 2022
BA2772, A319, LHR-JER, 1200-1300
CE Seats 1A/C
Bag drop done, outside for a last ciggie, then back to First Wing. My BP scan and photo declined to work, needing human intervention. Security screening unfriendly, unhelpful and frankly quite rude as I get the full procedure again. Is there some hidden resentment towards we “Premium pax”? What about a bit of respect for the aged? “Shoes off, put them in there”, “Empty your pockets - everything” - he takes handkerchief, BP and Passport and puts them in another tray. After a final swab-down, I am released to find the various trays with my shoes, back-pack and electronics and rejoin Lady T and make our way to the First Lounge. It was NOT a Premium experience, and qualifies as Hoop #3.01.
Have you spotted a flaw here, Dear Reader? An announcement in the Lounge asks me to go to Customer Services … where I am presented with my Passport, BP and my handkerchief in a zip-lock bag! Too many trays, too much hassle, and well over 24 hours since I got out of bed at Zoetry yesterday. An unexpected Hoop #3.02.
And we had forgotten Hoop #3.03 … to order anything the the Lounge you are supposed to scan a QR code on the table with your … ahh! Lady T walked to the Bar and requested a glass of Pink Champagne, where a sign said “No Service”. Do not cross Lady T: she is very quiet and polite, and dangerous when roused … and kills with looks and words. She returned with her glass of Champagne.
At last, Boarding is displayed, and we potter off to Gate 20, at the South end of T5 just below us. Huzzah! Mulling over my earlier experiences in the F Wing, I approached the desk to just confirm I was actually suitably processed. “Oh, yes, that’s fine. Are you together? Let me scan your BPs, and come and sit over here.” We are seated beyond the desks, 'boarded' and away from the milling crowd. Thank you, Miss - nice attitude and Customer Service! So, when Boarding was finally announced, we were away like rabbits down the long 150 yard airbridge to Stand 520 (the one at the right end).
It was a quick and easy run to JER, taking a bare 35 minutes again. Did we eat? Was there time? What about those in CE Row 6? Oh, yes, we had a rather nice Chicken Salad dressed with something Horseradish/ Wasabi … and followed by a delicious Pudding of a sort of Lemon crumble with chocolate and raspberries. Finished [with the wine] just in time as the cabin was prepared for landing!
And we are Home … just our own Border to navigate, aka Hoop #4. Why are there so many Customs Officers in Reclaim? Had a K9 at PUJ sent an email warning of our arrival? Having recovered our case, we are duly channeled into the Covid screening area, where we are directed to a desk. “Name please?” I confess, as I also confess to having had 3 jabs and having a birth date in the distant past during WW2. I am duly approved, and waved on to the outside world and the taxi rank, from whence we head for home. It’s about 1400 now, and it’s COLD. We potter [oops] for a couple of hours, have a warming mug of soup, and after a bath crash into bed at 1800! What was that … 36 hours from waking at Zoetry?
Thursday 20 Jan 2022.
We wake around 0730, after at least 12 hours sleep, to try to resume a normal existence. Lady T embarks on a marathon Laundry Project. By several daily instalments!
Saturday 22 Jan 2022.
And Finally … email from NHS Test and Trace alerts to both of us!
Yay … the unexpected Hoop #5. We had already done domestic LFTs on our return, and will now do some more, using our large stock of free kits provided by our Government. <cough>
Welcome home, glad we enjoyed our Holiday! I hope you enjoyed reading this TR as well.
I wonder what the Hoops will be like on 1 March, when we venture to the USA for a couple of weeks in Phoenix?
Breakfast was uninspiring, unmemorable and unphotographed as we descended gently into Gatwick and landed some 30 minutes early as predicted. Again disembarking by rows (1-4 suited us nicely) we made our weary way to an almost empty Border and an array of functioning e-Passport gates through which we passed painlessly. Hello, was that Hoop #2? Nothing to see here … moving on, off to Reclaim. The Reclaim areas were awash with Border Force officers, booted, spurred and Hi-Viz jacketed - well, at least 20 or so. “Not me, Gov’nor, I’m British!”. Ah, and Carousel 10, the furthest and most familiar … that’s where the JER bags used to arrive [after about an hour, in the bad old days]. On this occasion our bag was about #10 on the belt after <5 minutes, and so up and away through Customs to Landside to find our driver.
Our driver was nowhere to be seen. OK, it’s 0740 and pickup was based on a 0725 arrival. Time for a quick ciggie kerb-side and give him a call on my stupid-phone. “Stuck in traffic on M3, estimating now about 0830.” Damn. Further call at 0850, and he directs us to the Departures drop-off zone on the other side of the car park. It would be easier if he didn’t have such a strong accent! But we’re eventually away at around 0900 to LHR T5, with me starting to get nervous about traffic delays on M23/M25 and with boarding at 1120 for the last leg. But all went well, and we were dropped off at the far end of T5, ready for the First Wing. This is of course a standard Hoop, getting from LGW to LHR or vice versa, and is just an irritating fact of life. (c.f. IAD from BWI or DCA)
Wednesday, 19 Jan 2022
BA2772, A319, LHR-JER, 1200-1300
CE Seats 1A/C
Bag drop done, outside for a last ciggie, then back to First Wing. My BP scan and photo declined to work, needing human intervention. Security screening unfriendly, unhelpful and frankly quite rude as I get the full procedure again. Is there some hidden resentment towards we “Premium pax”? What about a bit of respect for the aged? “Shoes off, put them in there”, “Empty your pockets - everything” - he takes handkerchief, BP and Passport and puts them in another tray. After a final swab-down, I am released to find the various trays with my shoes, back-pack and electronics and rejoin Lady T and make our way to the First Lounge. It was NOT a Premium experience, and qualifies as Hoop #3.01.
Have you spotted a flaw here, Dear Reader? An announcement in the Lounge asks me to go to Customer Services … where I am presented with my Passport, BP and my handkerchief in a zip-lock bag! Too many trays, too much hassle, and well over 24 hours since I got out of bed at Zoetry yesterday. An unexpected Hoop #3.02.
And we had forgotten Hoop #3.03 … to order anything the the Lounge you are supposed to scan a QR code on the table with your … ahh! Lady T walked to the Bar and requested a glass of Pink Champagne, where a sign said “No Service”. Do not cross Lady T: she is very quiet and polite, and dangerous when roused … and kills with looks and words. She returned with her glass of Champagne.
At last, Boarding is displayed, and we potter off to Gate 20, at the South end of T5 just below us. Huzzah! Mulling over my earlier experiences in the F Wing, I approached the desk to just confirm I was actually suitably processed. “Oh, yes, that’s fine. Are you together? Let me scan your BPs, and come and sit over here.” We are seated beyond the desks, 'boarded' and away from the milling crowd. Thank you, Miss - nice attitude and Customer Service! So, when Boarding was finally announced, we were away like rabbits down the long 150 yard airbridge to Stand 520 (the one at the right end).
It was a quick and easy run to JER, taking a bare 35 minutes again. Did we eat? Was there time? What about those in CE Row 6? Oh, yes, we had a rather nice Chicken Salad dressed with something Horseradish/ Wasabi … and followed by a delicious Pudding of a sort of Lemon crumble with chocolate and raspberries. Finished [with the wine] just in time as the cabin was prepared for landing!
And we are Home … just our own Border to navigate, aka Hoop #4. Why are there so many Customs Officers in Reclaim? Had a K9 at PUJ sent an email warning of our arrival? Having recovered our case, we are duly channeled into the Covid screening area, where we are directed to a desk. “Name please?” I confess, as I also confess to having had 3 jabs and having a birth date in the distant past during WW2. I am duly approved, and waved on to the outside world and the taxi rank, from whence we head for home. It’s about 1400 now, and it’s COLD. We potter [oops] for a couple of hours, have a warming mug of soup, and after a bath crash into bed at 1800! What was that … 36 hours from waking at Zoetry?
Thursday 20 Jan 2022.
We wake around 0730, after at least 12 hours sleep, to try to resume a normal existence. Lady T embarks on a marathon Laundry Project. By several daily instalments!
Saturday 22 Jan 2022.
And Finally … email from NHS Test and Trace alerts to both of us!
Originally Posted by NHS
You’re a contact of someone with COVID-19. You do not have to self-isolate.
You should take rapid lateral flow tests for 7 days or until 29th of January if that’s earlier.
You should take rapid lateral flow tests for 7 days or until 29th of January if that’s earlier.
Yay … the unexpected Hoop #5. We had already done domestic LFTs on our return, and will now do some more, using our large stock of free kits provided by our Government. <cough>
Welcome home, glad we enjoyed our Holiday! I hope you enjoyed reading this TR as well.
I wonder what the Hoops will be like on 1 March, when we venture to the USA for a couple of weeks in Phoenix?
Last edited by T8191; Jan 25, 2022 at 7:38 am
Jan 25, 2022, 7:27 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Jan 25, 2022, 10:40 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Jan 25, 2022, 11:35 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,741
Glad to see another Uncle T trip report. Thanks for the details on Zoetry Agua. I was looking at that for a trip next month, but decided on something else due to the issues getting back to my home from there. Still considering it for a future trip.
Jan 25, 2022, 12:28 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
In our Elder perspective it’s a very good destination. But, of course, extant travel restrictions have different impacts depending on where you live. For us, apart from some on-line form-filling, it was amazingly easy.
Jan 25, 2022, 12:39 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,741
For us, it's the issue of flight timings plus who is traveling with me. To get home to where I live in flyover country US from the Dominican Republic, it currently requires an overnight connection on return to the US. I'd be okay with it on my own, but as the February vacation is with my mother, I I decided to choose something with a little bit less hassle to get home.