VeriFLY Actually Does Work (Amazingly)

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 19 total)

  • SimonRowberry
    Participant

    Hi,

    I have just come back from a trip to ZAG on BA in Club Europe. I gave the VeriFLY app a try, as it was being trialled by BA, despite the fairly negative reviews it had received. As I have posted earlier, it was initially pretty hard to use as it isn’t intuitive.

    There were templates for visits both to Croatia and the UK. I managed to (fairly) easily upload my pre-flight PCR tests in both directions, and my 2-vax certificate from the NHS app, as well as my Passenger Locator document and Day 2 test details.

    BA immediately accepted the VeriFLY digital approval on both legs and the actual journey was painless from the point of view of documentation.

    I am off to Finland in a few days. However, VeriFLY doesn’t have a template for Finland and there seems to be no way of creating one, so I will have to take other forms of documentation on that trip. Every silver lining has a cloud, I guess.

    Safe travels.

    Simon

    4 users thanked author for this post.

    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Hi Simon, pleased you made it without any further electrical problems… I presume you need to be a brave person NOT to travel without paper print outs. Presumably Verifly works for check-in at Heathrow, but paper copies are / were still required at point of entry.. Have uploaded docs to verifly for tomorrow’s trip, but still taking a file of papers…. just in case…


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    Hi Martyn,

    Yes – I had the paper printouts with me as a backup but they were not asked for at any point. At LHR I simply showed the VeriFLY “Pass” and that was accepted without question. On arrival at ZAG, I showed my paper copy of the Authorisation to Enter (a Croatian requirement) but the border guard said she didn’t want to see it and just stamped my passport. Basically, no evidence of anything was asked for at ZAG. That may be because everything was electronic and cross-referenced to my passport number.

    On the return, I again showed VeriFLY at check-in and that was accepted without question. I also used the e-gates at LHR, which was a massive surprise to me.

    Just one word of warning – when the UK Government confirms receipt of your Passenger Locator Form, they say that it (the confirmation pdf with QR code) is “attached” to the email. It is not if you are using your phone. It’s simply not there. I had my MacBook so could print it out in case, and also upload the QR code to VeriFLY. However, this omission caused some poor Liverpool lad who was trying to check in some massive problems.I’m not sure how/if he sorted it out.

    I will be taking paper copies of everything when I fly at the weekend, as I’m not flying BA this time and I suspect the Finns will be more rigorous than the Croats.

    Safe travels, Martyn!

    Simon

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    Malachi1
    Participant

    I am not using it, and not going to encourage this narrative to become permanent. The paper printout works well enough, which I used from LHR-JFK.


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    Malachi!,

    I am sure that the producers of the app are terrified by your lack of encouragement 😉

    Have you actually tried to use it?

    Simon


    Mel Saunders
    Participant

    I recently used VeriFLY on a trip to Dubai. It was definitely not intuitive and actually a huge hassle to upload all the documents…However it definitely made the airport and check in experience smooth and seamless (to the point that we were directed to first class checkin although only flying in economy both outwards and on return) and as such will 100% be recommending to anyone travelling with BA.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    Trevor
    Participant

    Just don’t try using it for flights out of London City Airport as such flights are not recognised by this and the IATA system!

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    lostantipod
    Participant

    It added zero value to my recent trip to France despite jumping thru all the hoops required to complete it. And I still had to fish thru emails to show my negative test taken prior to departure from France to the U.K.to a guy who wouldn’t have known the difference if I’d sent myself the email and a made-up test result. Now, if there were a payoff in terms of avoiding queues, I’d probably use it, but for now… I don’t intend to again.

    I note a lot of people questioning the data security implications of how this app works ….but I don’t have the technical ability to distinguish anti-vaxxer privacy hysteria from actual poor technical security. Would like to hear more on the trust aspects of this app.


    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    I think a key point is that I used it with BA as they accept it. Many (most?) airlines do not. That is a fundamental limitation.

    Simon


    lostantipod
    Participant

    I travelled with BA.
    I also tried DM’g BA on Twitter to ask whether the dedicated lanes they talked about were in effect in NCE or LHR, but I got an automated response asking my booking ref, full name, flight #, date of travel, and to donate a kidney or small child , so I gave up.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    FormerBA
    Participant

    It worked well for me coming back from Greece. In some respects I wish there was a universally accepted app for all carriers.

    The lack of interest in the paperwork at borders is simply common sense. The airlines have done all the work for them in advance and with APIS data being in systems before your flight even departs form the gate it is questionable why we have border checks at all. Though given the English paranoia about migrants I accept it not something that is going away anytime soon.

    I am for nayting that makes my journey through the airport less painful than it is.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    [quote quote=1111236]The lack of interest in the paperwork at borders is simply common sense. The airlines have done all the work for them in advance and with APIS data being in systems before your flight even departs form the gate it is questionable why we have border checks at all.[/quote]

    Armed with all possible and relevant apps, including Verifly and a file full of prints outs and copies………

    T5 this morning, no interest at check in other than passport – “your going to Malta, it’s down to the Maltese to check you when you arrive”

    At Malta – after passport control a very well organised medical paper checking area – all they wanted to see was proof of vaccination and EITHER, hand written locator form or their EU equivalent on line form.

    I still favour the full paper file ….. just in case….

    I would like to think FormerBA is correct is the assumption the computers have ‘told’ everyone….. HOWEVER, I may now be 60, but I am finding it very challenging to keep up with the all covid travel rules.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    We traveled JNB-FRA-MXP, and my boys have been to Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam and no-one has ever asked for any passenger location form, Covid certificate etc at any point apart from when we entered the lounge at Frankfurt, where we had to show out vaccination certificate. is this just a British thing??


    FormerBA
    Participant

    No one is asking for them here either. Given that the work is done by the airlines before you depart there should be no need for anyone to ask other than as a random control measure.

    I was in a theatre in London last week with 2500 unmasked others. Why I have to wear a mask in an airport, on a plane or in a lounge makes no sense.

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    SimonRowberry
    Participant

    I was asked at Finnair check-in yesterday at Helsinki for my NHS vaccination QR codes and my locally-taken PCR test QR codes. And sight of my Passenger Locator QR code.

    The check-in lady said “These have now been entered onto your booking locator and you won’t be asked for these documents again before you depart.” She was right.

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