US Citizen returning to USA from Thailand - Is Fit to Fly letter still Necessary for unvaccinated??

[EVENKEEL]

I'm flying back to US in Oct. will I need Fit to Fly certificate? Won't a neg RT - PCR covid test be enough?

Edited August 19, 2021 by EVENKEEL

[sqwakvfr]

I'm flying to LAX in two weeks.  All I need are a valid passport and a Covid 19 RT-PCR test or an Anti-gen test within 3 days(not 72 hours) before departure flight from BKK.  

Edited August 19, 2021 by sqwakvfr

[Skallywag]

 

 

Is this something the airlines would tell you about if you asked?

 

[skatewash]

No, you don't need a fit-to-fly certificate.  Yes, you need a negative covid test result 3 days before your departure to the US.  Note that it can be the cheaper rapid antigen test and does not need to be the more expensive RT-PCR test.  Also, the 3 day specification is a lot easier to comply with than the 72 hours standard.  All explained in detail at the following:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Of course, the above are requirements for entry into the US, you must check any additional requirements imposed by your airline(s) or transit countries.

Edited August 19, 2021 by skatewash

[EVENKEEL]

20 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

 

 

Is this something the airlines would tell you about if you asked?

 

When's the last time you tried calling the airlines and actually talking to a real person in less than an hour. But thanks.

[EVENKEEL]

23 minutes ago, skatewash said:

No, you don't need a fit-to-fly certificate.  Yes, you need a negative covid test result 3 days before your departure to the US.  Note that it can be the cheaper rapid antigen test and does not need to be the more expensive RT-PCR test.  Also, the 3 day specification is a lot easier to comply with than the 72 hours standard.  All explained in detail at the following:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Of course, the above are requirements for entry into the US, you must check any additional requirements imposed by your airline(s) or transit countries.

Thanks, yeah I thought the Fit to fly was old news. I had friends who were regular travelers and they would get the letter online from a Bangkok Dr. 

The RT - PCR in Pattaya is 3500-3800.

[sqwakvfr]

EVENKEEL, I am flying with ANA and longest wait time was about 10 minutes.   I am going to a clinic in Chiang Mai for the RT-PCR and it is 3150 with same day result(at least this what they promise and soon I shall see??).

Edited August 19, 2021 by sqwakvfr

[skatewash]

6 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Thanks, yeah I thought the Fit to fly was old news. I had friends who were regular travelers and they would get the letter online from a Bangkok Dr. 

The RT - PCR in Pattaya is 3500-3800.

I think you'll find that the rapid antigen test is well under 1,000 baht, something around 600-700 baht.

[khunjeff]

18 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Thanks, yeah I thought the Fit to fly was old news.

The fit-to-fly was never required for entry to the US, though it was a requirement for entering Thailand until April of this year. Some clinics in the US refer to documentation of a negative Covid test as a "fit to fly" certificate, but it's not actually the same thing.

[Ganoga]

I just flew back to the states...came through Chicago. You can get the less expensive/intrusive, rapid antigen test instead of the PCR as per USA CDC. They didn't mention or ask anything about covid at immigration. No mask mandate here outside the airport and everything is open. Flew JAL, many children on the plane, not infants, who wern't wearing  masks and nothing said.  They kept an empty  seat between all travelers not in a group. I don't  know if by policy or coincidence.

[sqwakvfr]

The problem with submitting an Anti-Gen Test at check-in is the airline employee might believe only a RT-PCR test is acceptable. I am checking in at BKK and at times communicating with any airline employee can be challenging.  I prefer not to have issues at check-in.  

Edited August 20, 2021 by sqwakvfr

[steven100]

32 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

The problem with submitting an Anti-Gen Test at check-in is the airline employee might believe only a RT-PCR test is acceptable

it won't be what one airline employee believes or thinks .....  it will be what is required. What is the rule before being issued a boarding pass at check-in.   I expect an anti-gen test won't be sufficient.  You should check.

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

it won't be what one airline employee believes or thinks .....  it will be what is required. What is the rule before being issued a boarding pass at check-in.   I expect an anti-gen test won't be sufficient.  You should check.

Antigen test is accepted for flying to the US.

 

i did it last month.

 

 

[nottin]

20 hours ago, skatewash said:

No, you don't need a fit-to-fly certificate.  Yes, you need a negative covid test result 3 days before your departure to the US.  Note that it can be the cheaper rapid antigen test and does not need to be the more expensive RT-PCR test.  Also, the 3 day specification is a lot easier to comply with than the 72 hours standard.  All explained in detail at the following:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Of course, the above are requirements for entry into the US, you must check any additional requirements imposed by your airline(s) or transit countries.

As skatewash said, check with the countries/airports you are transiting through. Transiting through Singapore for example doesn't accept the cheaper rapid test, only the RT-PCR test.

 

[EVENKEEL]

31 minutes ago, steven100 said:

it won't be what one airline employee believes or thinks .....  it will be what is required. What is the rule before being issued a boarding pass at check-in.   I expect an anti-gen test won't be sufficient.  You should check.

We can all swap stories but at the end of the day, I'll pay whatever for the RT-PCR test before returning to the US. I won't jeopardize my travel because of some attendant handing out boarding passes. We can site rules all day but I won't take a chance with an antigen test.

[LomSak27]

If you are getting the RT PCR test in Thailand for a hospital or clinic that does a good business in them. You will get a letter stating the results of your test, with an excellent chance it uses the phrase  "fit to fly" in it. whether that is the 'fit to fly' document I would not know.  

 

Check with the airline you are flying, if they accept a rapid antigen test, I would not assume all do.

[sqwakvfr]

"Antigen test is accepted for flying to the US.

 

i did it last month."

 

i am flying to the LAX with ANA.  I received 4 emails and 2 text messages reminding me that I would need to have a RT-PCR test negative result at check-in.  ANA appears to be somewhat confused and after two long phone calls to Tokyo I got a degree of clarification.  ANA also wanted a Japanese Health Department Certification Form signed by the doctor who certifies the PCR lab report.  ANA then clarified that the Japanese Health Department Certification is only required for those who are entering Japan(I only have a 2 hour connection).  But in the end I was told "bring a RT-PCR negative report" at check-in.  Anyway after these calls I booked a RT-PCR test in Chiang Mai.  

[skatewash]

There are two or maybe even three issues here:

1) What does the US require?  Here it is pretty clear, the US will accept rapid antigen test for entry (or alternatively, RT-PCR test).

2) What does your airline require?  Not so clear here.  The airline is going to require what is needed for entry to your destination at a miniumum.  But the airline CAN require anything they want to require (specifically, something above and beyond what is required by the destination).  So unless you are completely convinced that your airline(s) is/are going to be satisfied with a rapid antigen test then it is probably safer to get the more expensive RT-PCR test, even though the US would be quite happy with just a rapid antigen test.

3) If you have to get off of one airplane and board another airplane at an airport you need to be interested in what, if any, requirements that airport has regarding the type of covid test you need to show.  The only thing I can say about this issue is that RT-PCR seems to be the gold standard for covid testing.  Not sure I would want to get caught out in an airport that has it's own testing requirements with a rapid antigen test (which, yes is good enough for US entry) that may not meet their own specific requirements.  I'm not even sure airports have their own testing requirements.

All in all, it seems more prudent to get the RT-PCR test which I think everyone agrees will satisfy all three issues.  Even if the abundance of caution standard seems too high for you it's at least good to have a heads up that it could be an issue.  Do you own due diligence.

[Ganoga]

If flying through Japan,  and not an overnight layover at the airport, Japan requires NO testing.

Both  countries CDC requirements, for the usa and for japan transit passengers are online.

Jal by the way, is partnered with american airlnes and has recently opened many routes to fly to smaller airports in the usa. This year instead of a 6 hour drive home from an airport it was only 50 minutes from my regional one.

 

[bunnydrops]

One other problem with getting the Antigen test is that it has a fair degree of faults positives, and it you get one of those you have to take the RT-PCR which you will also have to pay for and get results before your flight.

[bunnydrops]

Flying JAL they checked before the flight in Bangkok, and on entering the transit area in Japan. Wasn't checked in the US.