DaveS

The answer is yes to your first question. The problem with your second is that you need a code for your Passenger Locator Form which only a day 2 test booking will give. What I would do is book the fit to fly wherever is convenient for you and then book the cheapest day 2 postal test you can find. That is currently less than £12. If your plans do not change and you take the PCR test on the 17th, then don't take the cheap day 2 test and keep it for next time. That is not strictly speaking correct as you are supposed to take the day 2, but a PCR is far better than the rapid test.

corporate-wage-slave

In your shoes I would simply book a PCR Day2 test, rather than Lateral Flow, and take it late on the Wednesday. The day2 PCR print-out is perfectly usable as a fit to fly certificate, there is nothing magical about that certification, it has the same information on it, and I have used Eurofins to do this. My only hesitation about using a Day2 PCR from Eurofins is that while I had no problem (the result was slightly late), in the early days Eurofins got a lot of negative reports for being slow to give results. I've not seen that mentioned more recently, but overall the reviews for Randox PCR (£43 with airline discount) was that it was more reliable than Eurofins. Randox's test results for me came back faster than Eurofins. Nationwide Pathology has also had good reviews on the whole too.

capedreamer

Thank you very much! I took at look at Randox and Nationwide Pathology but they don't seem to offer PCR that is suitable as a Day 2 test anymore. I'm I looking in the wrong place?

Unless you direct me to a better place, I think I'll just chance it with the Eurofins Day 2 PCR test, especially given your success using it in the past.

Thank you! But I think the above strategy (using the Day 2 PCR test as the Fit-to-Fly test rather than vice versa) might work.

capedreamer

Please Delete

DaveS

Yes it will so long as you do not change your departure date. Randox still offer day 2 PCR for £43. Eurofins may well be better though.

capedreamer

Ah ok. Yeah, I don't plan on changing my departure date.

So is this the Randox Day 2 PCR test you and corporate-wage-slave are referring to? Once I click "Book Day 2" for one of those locations (say Kensington High Street), it leads me here, with "Arriving into the UK" and "Day 2 Test" pre-selected for £55. Is this the PCR test?

And I understand there is a BA discount code I can use to get it down to £43, but am I eligible to use it if I'm not flying BA?

DaveS

The £43 deal was for the at home test kits. I do not know if the discount works for the in clinic version. Anyone can use the code and there are others from other airlines. UKTK is another code to try.

capedreamer

Got it. Thank you!

Had another question DaveS and corporate-wage-slave: While filling out the booking form for Randox, it's asking me for "Last date departed from or transited through a non-exempt country or territory". What does "non-exempt" in this case refer to? Is Canada a "non-exempt" country?

corporate-wage-slave

I can't remember that question being asked so I'm wondering if you are in the right place. Now admittedly I have collected my most recent boxes (they are available for collection at a lot of places, including shopping malls and shops like the Co-op) which in turn gives me a clue: the question must therefore relate to when to deliver the kit, so that in turn means when did you travel from a country subject to the vaccination + day2 test, as opposed to those places (Ireland and various rocks which fly the Union flag) which are not subject to all the controls. If collecting then this is irrelevant, if posted then then Randox need to ensure the box arrives in time. In other words for you it's the date you left Canada. Consider the box collection idea, it may be easier, depending on where you are staying in the UK, and it saves a bit of money.

There is another possibility, which is now redundant: in the early days some countries were put on a green list and they were also called exempt countries - exempt from needing to self isolate at that point, so everywhere else was non-exempt. Now that nowhere is Red this question is irrelevant, so I would try to leave this blank, but if it demands a date put the Canada departure date.

DaveS

The PLF does have a history of not being quite right. Just do your best with it and if you don't answer a question correctly it will not be a problem. Only blatant lies are a problem.

capedreamer

Thanks to both of you again!

It sounds like most people prefer the mailed option, but I was actually thinking of doing the on-site testing (with either Eurofins or Randox because I assumed it might lead to a faster result. Is that not the case?

DaveS

Yes, it can give a faster result where that is necessary and it is most likely the best thing to do in your case. Depending on where you are you could also look at ExpressTest. For just a day 2 test where the timing is not important then the postal tests are certainly preferred because of cost and convenience.

flyslow

They are here It's not walkable, but should be easy with buses from T5 or Central Bus station.

capedreamer

Yeah there is a Eurofins testing site pretty close to the hotel I'm staying at in Maida Vale, so I think I might just go for that. Thanks again!

A380 9K

ُThank you so much! I was under the impression that I had to quarantine until my results come out but I guess that's not the case. I am a bit meticulous when I travel so I guess I am gonna take a covid test before travel just to make sure all is good.