Testing while overseas

eskbanker

michael1234 said:
The check-in lady told me they usually pull a few off.

Well I suppose it makes a change from free drinks and nibbles as a perk for frequent flyers....

CKhalvashi

sheramber said:

michael1234 said:

.

To those who continually ask why are there so many people coming in and out? The answer is there are not that many. When I left Gatwick last Tuesday, my flight at around 11am was the only flight in the entire airport for several hours - it was completely dead. There were also police manning entry to the security departutre gates and plain clothes more experienced police interviewing everyone getting on the plane. The check-in lady told me they usually pull a few off.

The situation was completely different at the start of the pandemic. It was then we should have shut the stable door but we didn't and at that time I was also very angry that the borders were essentially open.

Gatwick is hardly representative ,

At Heathrow on Monday, the first flight to arrive was BA flight 74 from the Nigerian city of Lagos, at 4.44am – a Boeing 777 with typically 250-300 seats. Others followed from Hong Kong, Singapore, Ghana and Kenya, before a second morning wave, largely from North America and the Gulf – but only 30 services in total by 9am, when traffic had peaked. By the afternoon only a handful of international flights arrived every hour at what was once Europe’s busiest airport.

Heathrow’s numbers nonetheless far outstrip others: at London Gatwick, which is more oriented towards leisure travel, there were only six in-bound flights scheduled on Monday 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/25/why-are-people-still-flying-into-the-uk-despite-covid-rules  from 26January

Heathrow Airport's passenger numbers were down 92 per cent year-on-year in February 2021, with 461,000 people travelling through the airport.

https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/heathrow-airport-passenger-numbers-fall-20064622

And once again, Heathrow is a substantial connecting airport, so it's likely that a number of passengers on any flights inbound had a number of connecting passengers on them, who left without entering the UK.

A Boeing 777 in BA colours can have as few as 219 seats as many of these are very premium heavy. In addition, BA are utilising their 777, 787 and A350 fleet largely on cargo only sectors at the moment.

In addition, even for a passenger flight a plane having a set number of seats does not mean that many of these seats are occupied. I flew on an E195 (already downgraded from a 737) with around 40 passengers last year, or less than 35% of the seats on the aircraft. This has not been an uncommon situation, but a lot of cargo was both loaded and unloaded on stand, so it's likely that this flight was completely profitable for the airline.

[Deleted User]

eskbanker said:

michael1234 said:
The check-in lady told me they usually pull a few off.

Well I suppose it makes a change from free drinks and nibbles as a perk for frequent flyers....

😂😂😂.   Made me laugh! Just glad there is still SOME humour in the world.  

JJC1956

marcbriscoe said:

As holidaying is not yet permitted, this is probably a little premature in asking, but will get a conversation going anyway..

As I read it, going to a (hopefully) 'green' country (in my case Gran Canaria, Spain)

We will need PCR test in advance of leaving the UK?
We will need some form of test prior to leaving GC for UK?
We will need PCR test on or before day 2 following return to the UK?

Regarding the test in GC prior to UK return. What kind of test is expected? and how is this going to be facilitated whilst overseas?

You obviously need to wait until Boris makes his announcement, Caz3121 listed a few pages that will help you with your holiday plans and costs, I paid €95pp in Madeira and £175pp for 2nd and 8th days tests in the UK plus taxi costs to and from clinic in Madeira.

If Spain is put on “Amber” you will also have to self isolate for 10 days on your return, maybe you should be flexible where you want to go on holiday.

As for phone calls during self isolation, myself and my missus received 2 each per day, i never went out except to post my PCR tests.
I booked A Sainsbury's delivery whilst overseas to arrive the same evening on my return, it worked perfectly.

A friend of mine told me if you want to go out “don’t take your phone and don’t use any cards whilst you are out” it didn’t apply to me but I can see what he was getting at.

PS If the UK Government asks for a “Rapid Lateral Flow Test” which is far cheaper, you will need to cross check with the Country, Airport and Airline rules as one or more of them might insist on a PCR Test.

linda95

eskbanker said:

michael1234 said:
The check-in lady told me they usually pull a few off.

Well I suppose it makes a change from free drinks and nibbles as a perk for frequent flyers....

We are booking apprehensively a flight to spain in June ...shocked at different prices for a PCR test and worried how do we get a test coming back? 

Butts

linda95 said:

eskbanker said:

michael1234 said:
The check-in lady told me they usually pull a few off.

Well I suppose it makes a change from free drinks and nibbles as a perk for frequent flyers....

We are booking apprehensively a flight to spain in June ...shocked at different prices for a PCR test and worried how do we get a test coming back? 

I'd stick to booking within the CTA till things become clearer.

Tests could be more expensive than the flights to Spain.

onashoestring

linda95 said:

eskbanker said:

We are booking apprehensively a flight to spain in June ...shocked at different prices for a PCR test and worried how do we get a test coming back? 

If you are concerned about the cost of tests - it would be best to wait to see if Spain moves from the Amber list to the Green list .
At present Spain is Amber which means you need a pre- departure test before the return flight and to book another 2 PCR Test the UK (on Day 2 and another one on Day 8 to end your 10 day quarantine )

If a country goes on the Green:list  arrivals from will “only” need to take a pre-departure test & a PCR test on or before day 2 of their arrival back into England - but will don’t need to quarantine on return . 

The Government is due to announce which countries are on the Green list “soon”.