Easyjet’s new study reveals that 83 per cent of Brits believe that double vaccinated people should be able to travel to ‘green’ and ‘amber’ list countries without Covid tests.
As it stands, travellers are still required to take a pre-departure lateral flow test before returning to the UK, followed by a PCR test on day two. There is no exemption for fully vaccinated Brits despite the removal of quarantine for ‘amber’ list destinations (with the exception of France, which still requires quarantine). According to Easyjet, the testing process can cost approximately £400 for a family of four.
The study also revealed that 88 per cent of Brits have found the government’s policies and advice regarding travel over the past 18 months confusing, with a further 83 per cent believing that there has been a lack of transparency on the decision-making around the traffic light system.
Over half of fully vaccinated Brits (58 per cent) think that it has taken too long to see the benefits of their second vaccine, while 63 per cent believe that we have lagged behind Europe in opening up travel for UK citizens.
The low-cost carrier has seen a rise in confidence in travel, with 61 per cent of Brits stating that they are much more likely to travel abroad once they have received both doses of the vaccine. Almost half of those surveyed (47 per cent) said that the ability to travel was a key driver in getting the vaccine.
The airline is calling for the UK government to end testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers flying abroad.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of Easyjet CEO, commented:
“The roll-out of the vaccine has been a true success story for the UK and being able to travel was a big driver for many to decide to get vaccinated. The government has shifted its focus on living with Covid and opened up the domestic economy. We now need to take the same next step for travel and recognise that those who are fully vaccinated do not need to be tested when they are travelling from countries which are not on the Red list.
“This study shows that the overwhelming majority of people see no justification for the fully vaccinated having to do tests when they travel to approved countries. The government’s own data shows that testing travellers coming from Europe is not necessary.
“We do not want to see a return to flying being a preserve of the rich and so, we urge the government to quickly remove these unnecessary tests for low risk countries and for the fully vaccinated otherwise they risk turning back the clock.
“Easyjet is looking forward to taking as many people as we can on that long-awaited and well-deserved trip, or to reunite them with their loved ones.”
Meanwhile, the airline has announced that it is increasing the number of flights it operates to 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels during the summer season.
