[Greg]

Last week the Chairman and CEO of BA, Sean Doyle, wrote to the PM requesting “All emergency testing for fully vaccinated passengers should be removed”. I am not sure he understands yet, how fully vaccinated individuals carry and transmit the virus, but I have a counter proposal.

Given that airports around the world, including T5 at Heathrow, offer a PCR test with results in 3 hours, is it realistic to ask passengers to turn up 4 hours early to have such a test before boarding ?

This will involve considerable logistical effort, but costs and timings will only improve, but would YOU be willing to add up to £100 to the cost of your ticket, KNOWING that every person on the plane is COVID free ? Is this an answer to putting bums back on seats ?

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Polly, DerekVH, PeterCoultas, tomwjsimpson

[DavidSmith2]

I really don’t know the answer, mainly because I think the reason flight numbers are down can be attributed to a whole load of (sometimes conflicting) reasons. Is it worth travelling to somewhere which is (or may be) in lockdown? Is it worth the hassle and cost of all the extra forms and procedures? Is it worth sharing a tube with hundreds of other people in close proximity? Does all the general uncertainty make it worth even planning? What happens if I get stranded somewhere because of a positive test? The list goes on….

Your proposal, Greg, may encourage some, but would also put off others and I have no idea how the numbers would stack up on each side. The London-Accra flight is hardly a representative sample, but it was clear that, for the majority of passengers (at least the vocal ones) the extra time, effort and cost of getting pre and post tests was a big disincentive to travel.

[Greg]

The reason for my post David is that I have a 12 hour flight to Mauritius on Sunday, and while all of my fellow passengers will have paid for and produced a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure, I think the extra cost for a 3 hour result would be even more reassuring.

I think France have got it right with a negative result required within the previous 24 hours.

[esselle]

[postquote quote=1172141]

It is a solid suggestion, but it will only work if it is applied across the globe sadly.

You may be reassured that all is clear on your outbound flight from UK, but unless the same testing regime is applied for your inbound trip you have no reassurance at all.

[DavidSmith2]

[postquote quote=1172141]

I fully understand your position and, from that point of view, I think it would be of comfort to you and many others (and of course a helpful measure to actually reduce infection) but I think the majority of people would prefer less, not more, checks (or at least more efficient ones). London-Accra took me 12 hours from arrival at Heathrow (3 hours before) and leaving Accra airport. The actual flight is 6 hours. Most of that time was spent queuing at Heathrow while people’s documents were checked, then LFT arrival test and further doc checks in Accra. It definitely makes the trip a real pain nowadays and is likely to put me off repeating it more than needed. And that is before we get into the issue of positive test results (false or otherwise).

Incidentally, BA are clearly putting their eggs in the Verifly basket. The business check at T5 in included 10 desks for those using Verifly and 8 desks for those not using it. Travelling to Ghana it is not an option, so we were stuck in a business class check-in queue for over an hour yesterday.

[LaWhore]

Testing and quarantine ought to be removed for all passengers and not just the vaccinated ones as the vaccines are completely ineffective against virus transmission.

Testing itself is largely a paper exercise to satisfy the public (majority of whom want restrictions on incoming travellers). No country has proven testing, masks or hotel quarantine are effective methods of preventing new variants from spreading through the society.

Thankfully there’s still Mexico or Costa Rica where travel is permitted regardless of the vaccination status and have no testing requirements.

[MartynSinclair]

Getting all passengers to arrive 4 hours before departure, getting them through a testing programme, then expecting results before departure & for multiple flights departing – great idea, but could never happen logistically… oh.. passenger or airline paying?

1 user thanked author for this post.

Polly

[TominScotland]

Martyn, good points. Who pays? Makes no difference because if it is the airline, they will just pass the charge on to the passenger…..

1 user thanked author for this post.

Polly

[Greg]

No country has proven testing, masks or hotel quarantine are effective methods of preventing new variants from spreading through the society.

So tell me Whore, why does every single Doctor, Nurse, Porter, Visitor, Chaplain in every single COVID ward, in every single country in the world wear a mask ?

1 user thanked author for this post.

MarkCymru

[LaWhore]

It’s interesting that you bring an example of mask wearing in a hospital environment. Can you tell me what is the percentage of people getting infected with COVID after being admitted to hospital in the UK?

[FaroFlyer]

[postquote quote=1175677]

I can only speak from personal experience, but of 2 people that I know who have been hospitalised for reasons other than COVID, in the last 12 months, both caught COVID while in hospital, and both died. One was a friend who was generally healthy, the other my father in law who was admitted with cancer. Friend died from COVID, father in law died with COVID.

[K1ngston]

[postquote quote=1172030]

Good idea but wont work! There is a complete shit show going on here in Singapore with people getting off flights who have gone through 72 hour PCR tests or in some cases the same day test you are talking about, have shown negative to get on the flight and by the time they get off the plane they are positive and then secreted away for up to 10-16 days in some instances depending if the authorities here think its Omricon or not!! I know it doesn’t bare thinking about but its happening!

How do I know as people who have been here for more than a week proved 7 times here and twice pre and post boarding and then testing positive and under a QO (Quarantine Order) they are being carted off to a facility … just ask Polly!

So however much you think you are travelling in a COVID free environment that might not be the case… it is a tin can in the sky after all

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Kopite, Polly

[FormerBA]

Pre and post flight testing is simply a turn off to travel.

Vaccination, backed by rigorously enforcement and use of covid passports is the way to go. Yes vaccinated people will get ill but its now clear that the majority will be mild symptoms.
We need to keep people out of hospitals so that they can operate as before; we need to live our lives but seem to be getting held back by those who willfully refuse to vaccinate. With 90% plus vaccinated the next move is to restrict the movement and freedoms of those who will not vaccinate so that those who have vaccinated can live again.

4 users thanked author for this post.

Kopite, MarkCymru, Polly, FaroFlyer

[CathayLoyalist2]

[postquote quote=1177968]

100% agree with you. Singapore has already announced that unvaccinated people who are hospitalised will have to pay the costs- This will upset some people and so be it. With rights, which some people bang on about endlessly, comes responsibilities

2 users thanked author for this post.

MarkCymru, Polly

[LaWhore]

If the unvaccinated are to pay the medical bills, so should the obese, the drug users, smokers and the drunk. Also, lower the taxes please, they already pay for the healthcare.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Mark, TupeloKid

[Author]

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