Travel Nightmare

[KhaoYai]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this - hopefully it will be moved if its in the wrong section.

 

I've just gone through the process of enabling my wife to visit me in the UK - something I'm no newcomer to but this time things were very different.  I'd just like to warn anyone wanting to travel from Thailand to the UK (some parts apply to all destinations) to allow more time than usual for each step and to allow extra time for the additional requirements relating to Covid restrictions/regulations.

 

Perhaps one of the most annoying things at the moment is that it can be almost impossible to get to talk to anyone at your airline etc.  They are all trying to avoid phone calls and have put other contact methods in place.  The problem is that they can still take days to reply - that's not much help to you if you need to contact your airline urgently for example.

 

By way of example I will list some of the problems I have encountered on booking my wife's trip and making sure she complies with all the regulations/documentation etc.  The list is not exhaustive and you may or may not have these problems - alternatively you could have more - I'm just warning people, travel at the moment can be a minefield.

 

1.  Flight booked with KLM - there is not much choice on which airline you can use at the moment as some of the main carriers either come from a country on the UK's Red List or their flight involves transiting through one.  For example, I would normally book with Etihad but their flights transit through Abu Dhabi - Red List.  (If you're a British or Irish citizen or have legal residence in either country you can fly from/through a Red List country but you will be subject to paid hotel quarantine on arrival in the UK)

 

Out of the few carriers that can be used, I chose KLM because of their current flexible booking policy.  They claim to understand that travel can be difficult at the moment and that changes may have to be made due to constantly changing regulations.

 

I needed to bring my wife's flight forward and despite KLM's claims, I immediately ran into problems. I firstly tried to change the flight online - supposedly easy.  I tried 4 or 5 times - each time the same result 'There is a Technical Issue at our end, please call us'. Well its impossible to call them - they don't answer the phone - no matter what time of day you call them you get the same message stating that the wait time is more than 30 minutes, they then disconnect you!  They offer other ways of contacting them - Whatsapp or Messenger for example.  It took them 12 hours to answer my first Whatsapp message and over 24 hours for the next.  The total time to change the flight was around 2.5 days.  I'm pretty sure they are outsourcing these contact lines as the person I was in touch with clearly didn't understand English.  When I asked why I couldn't make the changes online, I was told 'not all types of change can be done online'??????? Baffled!

 

The next problem was booking my wife's covid tests.  Travellers to the UK are subject to various testing regimes depending on who they are, where they come from/travel through and to a lesser extent, their choice.

 

My wife needs to have a negative Covid test within 72 hours of departure and a further 2 tests on arrival in the UK.  The pre-departure test was easy to book with the Bangkok Hospital in Korat but at 4000 baht, expensive in my opinion.  When she arrives in the UK she will be subject to 10 days home quarantine during which the other 2 tests are done.  The tests are on Day 2 and day 8 after arrival and can either be done at a testing site or testing kits are sent to the quarantine address by post.  I chose the home test method.  These tests must be carried out by a private provider and the UK Government provides a list of approved companies.  Prices vary massively - £60 to over £300.

 

However, this is where the real headache began - following booking my wife's tests online, I found some of the documentation was wrong so I tried to contact the company to correct it.  You guessed it, they don't answer the phone, nor do they answer e-mails. 

 

I've yapped on for long enough so I'll close by saying:  It seems that the UK Government has created a 'Feeding Trough' by placing traveller's testing requirements in private hands. Booking your testing in the UK is a minefield full of scammers, rogues and people who simply don't know what they are doing.  All they want is your money - anything else, including actually sending you the test kits with some of them, is out of the window.  Unlike me, do your homework - check out some reviews before you purchase any tests. Be aware that some of the better testing providers actually get booked up so book well in advance.

 

I made a big mistake with the first company I booked with and as a result, I found literally thousands of stories and complaints about them and many other testing providers.

 

There's a few articles about the company I originally booked with below - I really must learn to check out review sites before I buy!!

 

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.expert-medicals.co.uk

 

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/06/the-cheap-testing-firms-that-cant-provide-tests-at-the-top-of-the-governments-day-2-and-day-8-provider-list/

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/times-investigation-ex-israeli-soldier-and-easyjet-exec-behind-testing-firms-that-let-customers-down-38kdlhfrh

 

The 'Which' article above states that Expert-Medicals were removed from the government's list - they were certainly back on it on 19 July.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by KhaoYai

[theoldgit]

I suppose the travel forum might have been more appropriate, but as people travelling to the UK often read this forum let's leave it here.

 

We were considering travelling to the UK about now, but didn't go ahead with the trip as we read about similar issues from numerous other travellers.

 

You could be forgiven for wondering if some of these contractors had a direct line to those carrying out the procurement of these services, I'm of course not alleging anything. 

[Denim]

My sincere sympathies to you.

 

Somewhere along the line we were all duped into swallowing the notion that the more ' technology '  a simple process uses , the more efficient it was supposed to be compared with the ancient method of person to person conversation.

 

I can't say I have enjoyed any experience to support this notion.

 

The worst of it is that things are likely to get worse.

 

Pretty soon we will all be using inflatable dinghies to travel around when crossing the channel as it seems the asylum seekers have got the right idea after all.

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

You could be forgiven for wondering if some of these contractors had a direct line to those carrying out the procurement of these services, I'm of course not alleging anything. 

Funny how such things should cross your mind - mine too, I wonder why?

[KhaoYai]

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

We were considering travelling to the UK about now, but didn't go ahead with the trip as we read about similar issues from numerous other travellers.

One of the important points is that if anything changes, everything changes.  If for example, my wife's flight tonight (please god 555) is cancelled and she can't fly within the 72 hours allowed on her departure Covid test, that test is lost and I can't see KLM forking out for a new one.

 

I've seen some people state that the day 2 and day 8 tests can be cancelled and are refundable - however, the company I booked with states quite clearly ' before proceeding, check all information is correct as it cannot be changed later.  I cannot be sure but it seems there's a good chance that will also be lost.

 

Then there's the reports of check in staff - asking to not only see the booking confirmation for day 2 and day 8 testing, they want to see the payment receipt too.  That is NOT stated in the UK's entry requirements - to the best of my knowledge the check in staff have made that up.  Given that in many cases the traveller's booking will have been made by a friend or relative (me) in the UK, it is very likely that only the booking confirmation will have been sent to the traveller.

 

I took the above up with KLM - by way of advising them that their check in staff MAY be making these requests.  Their eventual first reply was to state that its the traveller's responsibility to find out what the travel requirements are.  I replied that as its neither a requirement of the UK or Thailand, how could a traveller possibly know that they needed to produce a receipt?  No answer!

 

What they don't seem to know is that you have to pay for the tests before you are given a reference number that has to be entered on the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) - a requirement for all travellers entering the UK from a Red or Amber list country. That reference number is issued to the testing companies by the UK authorities. The PLF has to be completed online and if you enter an incorrect number, you cannot complete the form.  So in reality, neither the booking confirmation nor the receipt should be necessary - the PLF, via the reference number proves you have booked the correct tests.

 

I also heard yesterday that a traveller was pulled up at Suvarnabhumi and told they had entered the wrong flight number on the PLF - they had entered the number for the flight they would arrive in the UK on.  The check in staff told them it had to be the number for the you flight you are leaving Thailand on - its not.  The PLF quite clearly states that you MUST enter the correct flight number for the flight on which you ARRIVE in the UK.

 

Its a minefield with potential pitfalls all over the place - if you don't need to visit the UK, I think you're right not to do so.

Edited July 23, 2021 by KhaoYai

[sammieuk1]

Trying to get the other way is no picnic either day 23 and still waiting for the bloody COE????

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Trying to get the other way is no picnic either day 23 and still waiting for the bloody COE????

Hmmmm that's strange, I thought they were only taking a few days now.

[sapson]

5 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

made a big mistake with the first company I booked with and as a result, I found literally thousands of stories and complaints about them and many other testing providers.

Great article,re the tests on day 2 and day 8,as you say the real purpose is to get that all important booking ref number to put on the passenger locator form which is a must have to fly.

 

If you didnt manage to do these tests or get to the test location I believe the same testing kits are available for free or for very  little at pharmacies in the Uk.

 

Hope your wife makes it would be good to know how check in was handled by Klm.

[KhaoYai]

14 minutes ago, sapson said:

Hope your wife makes it would be good to know how check in was handled by Klm.

She's just gone through check in now and she says it was fine - it should be, I put a lot of work in to make it so.  How the UK government expect someone who's first language is not English is expected to understand that Passenger Locator Form is beyond me.

 

I'll interrogate her further about check-in when she arrives ????.

Edited July 23, 2021 by KhaoYai

[North]

I hope, the original poster don't mind me adding a question about booking the two tests for day 2 and 8....

 

My english friend and his wife is travelling to England tomorrow on a KLM flight, and since he is very worried about all the paperwork involved getting to England I helped him booking the tests.

I wish, I had read this tread first though...

 

We managed to books the tests, pay for them and got online confirmation and also confirmation by e-mail.

 

But the problem is, my friend is so worried, that he won't be allowed to board the plane tomorrow, because he thinks, he need to book two more tests !

This is the confirmation, we got after payment, would you say we booked correctly for two passengers ?

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, North said:

This is the confirmation, we got after payment, would you say we booked correctly for two passengers ?

It looks fine to me.  The only potential problem is the names on the booking confirmation. I suspect all the paperwork will be in his name - really there should be 2 separate booking confirmations - 1 for each passenger. If all the paperwork is in one name, acceptance will be up to the check-in staff. 

 

When they each enter the booking number in to their Passenger Locator forms (PLF), they are checked for authenticity - its also possible that the number on the form has to match the name given - if there's anything wrong the form won't complete.  If the numbers are entered and the form moves on to the next step, to me that would mean that everything is OK and in a sensible world, that would be enough.

 

My opinion is that if the PLF completes - all is well but I'm not check in staff.

 

I suggest he gets to the airport very early so there's time to discuss any concerns the check in staff may have.  If you were asking me 'will the forms be accepted in the UK' I would say yes.  The whole point is to ensure that the tests are booked.  If both booking confirmations are in the same name - your friend will just have to hope he goes to a check-in desk staffed by sensible people.

[KhaoYai]

On 7/23/2021 at 3:08 PM, sapson said:

Hope your wife makes it would be good to know how check in was handled by Klm.

Wife in the UK and interrogation completed - no problems reported - I should hope not too, I went to great lengths to make sure everything was in order.

 

The only point of concern to me is that my wife said check-in was not handled by people in KLM uniforms. That suggests they are using outsourced staff.  I've had various problems with check-in staff over the years and its always been outsourced staff - they seem poorly trained and they appear to make rules up as they go along.

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, North said:

This is the confirmation, we got after payment, would you say we booked correctly for two passengers ?

Make sure he takes the payment receipt.

[North]

18 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

It looks fine to me.  The only potential problem is the names on the booking confirmation. I suspect all the paperwork will be in his name - really there should be 2 separate booking confirmations - 1 for each passenger. If all the paperwork is in one name, acceptance will be up to the check-in staff. 

 

When they each enter the booking number in to their Passenger Locator forms (PLF), they are checked for authenticity - its also possible that the number on the form has to match the name given - if there's anything wrong the form won't complete.  If the numbers are entered and the form moves on to the next step, to me that would mean that everything is OK and in a sensible world, that would be enough.

 

My opinion is that if the PLF completes - all is well but I'm not check in staff.

 

I suggest he gets to the airport very early so there's time to discuss any concerns the check in staff may have.  If you were asking me 'will the forms be accepted in the UK' I would say yes.  The whole point is to ensure that the tests are booked.  If both booking confirmations are in the same name - your friend will just have to hope he goes to a check-in desk staffed by sensible people.

Thanks for your reply.

When we ordered the tests, we could select how many we wanted.

It was only possible to enter one name though, and I think that is purely for the purpose of shipping the tests to the proper address in the UK.

Since there are two numbers, there is a unique number for each of them to use in the PLF, and since this booking number is checked right after you type it, I would suppose, it is sufficient.

Is there a requirement to attach a booking receipt to the PLF or to show that in the airport ?

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by North
spelling

[phetphet]

OP. Thanks for posting this eye opener.

 

I plan to return to the UK as soon as possible once I have received my second AZ jab.

 

I only need a week there to sort some necessary affairs, but with quarantine and getting necessary paperwork and tests for return, it is looking like a longer, much more expensive stay as I will be staying in a hotel.

 

A daunting prospect.

 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

.....and people wonder why international travel isn't rebounding like domestic travel!

 

This story is just another example of why the fantasy of Thai tourism returning in 2021 is nonsensical.

 

Who in their right mind is going o jump through these hoops for a couple of weeks in the sun?

Edited July 25, 2021 by GinBoy2

[KhaoYai]

On 7/25/2021 at 9:19 AM, GinBoy2 said:

.....and people wonder why international travel isn't rebounding like domestic travel!

 

This story is just another example of why the fantasy of Thai tourism returning in 2021 is nonsensical.

 

Who in their right mind is going o jump through these hoops for a couple of weeks in the sun?

Note - my posts are about my wife (Thai) travelling to the UK.

[KhaoYai]

On 7/24/2021 at 9:27 PM, North said:

Is there a requirement to attach a booking receipt to the PLF or to show that in the airport ?

Apparently yes.  According to posts on Thaivisa, people have been asked for their receipt.  My wife wasn't - but her booking confirmation also contained the invoice.

 

I can't comment further on the names on the booking confirmation - they got my wife's wrong (put it in my name) and I wasn't prepared for her to turn up at the airport just for some jumped up check-in zealot to spot the wrong name and refuse her boarding.  I got it sorted before she went to the airport.

 

As I said in a previous post (I think) - if a correct booking reference has been entered on the PLF, there shouldn't be a problem with either the name or the invoice - you can't get a reference without paying and you can't complete the PLF without a valid reference number. However, I've had enough problems with check-in staff in the past to know you ain't going to win with them.  Better to have everything correct.

[KhaoYai]

On 7/25/2021 at 2:43 AM, phetphet said:

I plan to return to the UK as soon as possible once I have received my second AZ jab.

Be aware that even with the recent changes to the rules - even if you have had both jabs, you will still   have to do 10 days home (or hotel but at least you choose which and how much) quarantine. The recent relaxation on that only applies to people vaccinated in the UK.

[GinBoy2]

10 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Note - my posts are about my wife (Thai) travelling to the UK.

Exactly right, and my point is that precisely the hoops your wife has to go through to travel to the UK is why no one in their right mind will travel to Thailand and have to subject themselves to this on each end of their 'vacation'

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, KhaoYai said:

The recent relaxation on that only applies to people vaccinated in the UK.

 

And I believe are also normally resident in the UK.

[OJAS]

IMHO those who, on various other threads, have attempted to counter criticisms of the UK government's reluctance to provide vaccines for expats, through providing "advice" along the lines of "Just go back to the UK and get your jabs there if you're not happy about the situation here", would do little better than to read this particular thread from start to finish!  

Edited July 27, 2021 by OJAS

[KhaoYai]

Not another nightmare but a pain in the proverbial.........

 

My wife visited the UK last year and despite the threats that she would be called to make sure she was at her isolation address - not one call.

 

This year its completely different - they've called every day so far.  The problem part is............remembering that although we speak English together most of the time and her English is quite reasonable - what she's never going to understand is someone with a strong Indian accent, on a bad line (Call center in India???), talking about data protection and the government's privacy policy being available at www. gov.uk ..............bla bla bla. The phone was immediately handed to me and it took me all of 2 seconds to identify the problem - I couldn't understand her either! 

 

I tried to explain to this irate lady that she needed to keep it simple and that my wife and I were having problems with her accent.  The woman clearly took offence and rattled on angrily.  She clearly had a script to read from and wasn't going to use any discretion.  My wife was asked several questions to establish her identity and in my opinoin, that should have been all that was necessary - she was who she claimed to be and was where she should be.  To cut a long story short, we ended up with a translator - no doubt at the expense of the UK tax payer.  That's one thing we do well in the UK, make everything more complicated than it needs to be.

Edited July 27, 2021 by KhaoYai

[KhaoYai]

11 hours ago, theoldgit said:

 

And I believe are also normally resident in the UK.

Not sure on that but it could be.  All I heard is that for the moment, the relaxed rules only apply to vaccinations given in the UK.

[Damrongsak]

On 7/25/2021 at 4:19 AM, GinBoy2 said:

.....and people wonder why international travel isn't rebounding like domestic travel!

 

This story is just another example of why the fantasy of Thai tourism returning in 2021 is nonsensical.

 

Who in their right mind is going o jump through these hoops for a couple of weeks in the sun?

You'd need a vacation after the vacation trip to calm down from all the aggravation.

[clivebaxter]

30 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Not sure on that but it could be.  All I heard is that for the moment, the relaxed rules only apply to vaccinations given in the UK.

There was an article in the Mail today claiming from Aug ist they will recognize jabs from abroad as well

[KhaoYai]

On 7/27/2021 at 1:55 PM, clivebaxter said:

There was an article in the Mail today claiming from Aug ist they will recognize jabs from abroad as well

Well they did - but only from the US and EU.

[KhaoYai]

On 7/27/2021 at 1:19 PM, KhaoYai said:

My wife visited the UK last year and despite the threats that she would be called to make sure she was at her isolation address - not one call.

 

This year its completely different - they've called every day so far. 

Update to this - we haven't had a phone call since last Thursday, funds must be short.  The crazy thing is that when they do call, if you don't answer they call back later ????.  We missed a call - not because we were out but because they only let it ring 3 or 4 times before they hang up.  No questions as to why we hadn't answered the first call.

 

I'm convinced they're just ticking boxes - its not a serious check at all.

[Rampant Rabbit]

On 7/23/2021 at 3:55 PM, KhaoYai said:

I've just gone through the process of enabling my wife to visit me in the UK

My  comment, why even bother at this  time?

Edited August 2, 2021 by Rampant Rabbit

[KhaoYai]

1 minute ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

My  comment, why even bother at this  time?

I hadn't seen my wife since last October.  Maybe that's OK for your relationship - its not for mine.