Direct Flights to UK (and Amber listed conecting countries)

[sandyf]

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

You may be better off buying a new one way ticket that avoids red countries  ? 

That has always been Plan B if Thailand remains amber but I have to be prepared for the reality of Plan Z.

[Havenstreet1940]

Maybe this thread is more about Covid and the implications on personal decisions andshouldbe moved,  Nonetheless,

I am planning to return to UK after September when I have completed (Hopefully?)my second vaccination.  I appreciaate I need to wait the appropriate time for the immunity from AZ to kick in.

 

To the point.   I would like to travel with my favourite airline QATAR, but I am concerned that the aircraft stops in Doha and passeners from that country or elswhere nearby may embark,   Sinopharm and Sinovac appear to be the vaccines favoured in the Middle East, and given the recent experience of Stephanie of the Phuket 'Sandbox' saga, am most reluctant to do so.

 

Think it will be lufthansa, KLM or Finair where the risk is smaller.

[sampson]

14 hours ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

Maybe this thread is more about Covid and the implications on personal decisions andshouldbe moved,  Nonetheless,

I am planning to return to UK after September when I have completed (Hopefully?)my second vaccination.  I appreciaate I need to wait the appropriate time for the immunity from AZ to kick in.

 

To the point.   I would like to travel with my favourite airline QATAR, but I am concerned that the aircraft stops in Doha and passeners from that country or elswhere nearby may embark,   Sinopharm and Sinovac appear to be the vaccines favoured in the Middle East, and given the recent experience of Stephanie of the Phuket 'Sandbox' saga, am most reluctant to do so.

 

Think it will be lufthansa, KLM or Finair where the risk is smaller.

If you were to fly from Thailand to UK right now with Qatar you would have to do UK quarantine at £1750.  Of course things can change in the next 2 months and Qatar may come off the red list.  Even a transit through a red list country = quarantine.  So the Government probably share some of your concerns about people being around others who have spent time in that part of the world at the moment

 

If the situation in Thailand carries on like this then there has to be a fair chance it will go on the red list fairly soon.  If I had to return home, I would be doing so without delay.  Thailand may never move to the red list, it is speculation, but I think the fears of this happening are not without merit given the decline in Thailand

[sampson]

Thailand has escaped the red list this time around.

 

Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sierra Leone added

[Havenstreet1940]

On 7/13/2021 at 9:35 AM, Havenstreet1940 said:

Will Thailand be the moved to the UK Red List?   Being optimistic I think there is a good chance it won't

Looks as though my hunch was correct for awhile at least as Thailand remains on the Amber watch list if media outlets to be believed.

 

[Archie501]

As this thread is similarly themed I'll ask this here. I'm flying back to the UK at the end of the month with KLM. I'm just sorting all my tests for the return home. After checking on the KLM website and on gov.uk I can see that both specify that a rapid antigen test is acceptable for the test needed 72 hours before the flight. However when googling places to get the test I came across th MedConsult Clinic in Sukhumvit, they offer a rapid antigen test but they specify in the description it can't be used for international travel. I tried calling to confirm but the are not answering. What's everyone else in this thread doing as far as the 72 hour test? Will you be doing a PCR just to be safe or save some money with the Antigen test? I obviously don't want to pay twice as much for a test if it's not necessary.

[Roger That]

43 minutes ago, Archie501 said:

As this thread is similarly themed I'll ask this here. I'm flying back to the UK at the end of the month with KLM. I'm just sorting all my tests for the return home. After checking on the KLM website and on gov.uk I can see that both specify that a rapid antigen test is acceptable for the test needed 72 hours before the flight. However when googling places to get the test I came across th MedConsult Clinic in Sukhumvit, they offer a rapid antigen test but they specify in the description it can't be used for international travel. I tried calling to confirm but the are not answering. What's everyone else in this thread doing as far as the 72 hour test? Will you be doing a PCR just to be safe or save some money with the Antigen test? I obviously don't want to pay twice as much for a test if it's not necessary.

I was also a bit confused by that. Ended up doing the PCR anyway to be safe (at MedConsult aswell).

[Mac Mickmanus]

On 7/15/2021 at 5:38 PM, Archie501 said:

As this thread is similarly themed I'll ask this here. I'm flying back to the UK at the end of the month with KLM. I'm just sorting all my tests for the return home. After checking on the KLM website and on gov.uk I can see that both specify that a rapid antigen test is acceptable for the test needed 72 hours before the flight. However when googling places to get the test I came across th MedConsult Clinic in Sukhumvit, they offer a rapid antigen test but they specify in the description it can't be used for international travel. I tried calling to confirm but the are not answering. What's everyone else in this thread doing as far as the 72 hour test? Will you be doing a PCR just to be safe or save some money with the Antigen test? I obviously don't want to pay twice as much for a test if it's not necessary.

Just been investigating the found this 

 

Type of test

You must make sure that the test provider you choose can meet the standards for pre-departure testing.

The test must meet performance standards of ≥97% specificity, ≥80% sensitivity at viral loads above 100,000 copies/ml.

This could include tests such as:

• a nucleic acid test, including a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or derivative technologies, including loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests
• an antigen test, such as a test from a lateral flow device

It’s your responsibility to ensure the test meets the minimum standards for sensitivity, specificity and viral load details. You must check with your test provider that it meets those standards.

You may not be able to travel if the test does not meet these standards. It’s your responsibility to ensure you get the right test that meets the above requirements.

[Mac Mickmanus]

And the Good news is that Bulgaria has now been moved to the Green list by the U.K .

   The bad news is that the U.K has been moved to the red list by Bulgaria and so Brits cannot go to Bulgaria 

[Pottinger]

20 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

And the Good news is that Bulgaria has now been moved to the Green list by the U.K .

   The bad news is that the U.K has been moved to the red list by Bulgaria and so Brits cannot go to Bulgaria 

It's not entirely clear, but if you can prove via visa stamps in your passport that you've spent two weeks in an amber or green country immediately prior, you may be able to enter Bulgaria, despite holding a UK passport.