NEW <72hr COVID Testing

[SEWI 50]

Merry Christmas members, 

 

A new USA travel advisory has been issued.

 

With less than 72 hours until I'm due to leave the UK, the UK's foreign travel advice to the USA has just updated (08:51)

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

 

Delta/Virgin Atlantic have so far failed to provide any guidance regarding my travel itinerary. 
I'm in the process of exploring Heathrow Airport (Terminal) testing, via covidtesting.collinsonassistance.com 

Also, in comparing the GOV/Virgin Atlantic information, it seems that the PCR test is the only test accepted by both the US government and carrier. 

 

The issue with the terminal testing is that it is pre-security, and they seem to only offer/operate standard business hours, which won't sufficiently accommodate my AM departure time.

As such, I'll be travelling to Heathrow to test tomorrow (26th), or Sunday (27th).

 

My only outings in 2020, since my university went remote in February, have been visa based (medical&interview), so I've not yet been(or needed to be) tested.

 

As always, grateful for any input/guidance.

🎄

 

 

 

______________________________________________________________

 

I will update this thread with the Collinson Assistance / Heathrow (Terminal) testing process, once I am booked & tested, in the hopes it will be helpful to other members imminently travelling.

 

 

 

[Morgan5698 58]

Merry Christmas! 
 

ive been keeping an eye on this too as I fly on Jan 4th. Virgin originally chose to voluntarily test so they decided PCR and Lamp test. Then the US govt brought in compulsory testing a couple of days later which is PCR or Antigen. So I think Virgin have just not had time to update their info and guidance to reflect that. I already had a Lamp booked at the Terminal day before I fly so I need to contact them and change it to antigen. 

[SEWI 50]

14 minutes ago, Morgan5698 said:

Merry Christmas! 
 

ive been keeping an eye on this too as I fly on Jan 4th. Virgin originally chose to voluntarily test so they decided PCR and Lamp test. Then the US govt brought in compulsory testing a couple of days later which is PCR or Antigen. So I think Virgin have just not had time to update their info and guidance to reflect that. I already had a Lamp booked at the Terminal day before I fly so I need to contact them and change it to antigen. 

 

Hi @Morgan5698! I've booked the RT-PCR test (£99) for tomorrow, 26th December ~15:00, which was the earliest availability, and will put my result at the ~40/72 hour window.

 

I opted for the PCR test, due to comparing the Virgin/Gov statement, which suggested that the PCR test was (the only test?) accepted by both carrier, and country.
In the very unlikely circumstances that I test positive, is anybody aware of the protocol regarding flight changes/cancellation, to accommodate not being able to travel?

Virgin/Delta suggests that flights can be changed without change fees, but the online system is not working for me, and I've been unable to reach a representative. 

[Morgan5698 58]

Carrier will fall in line with country requirements, they just haven’t had time to update it. 
 

if you test positive they take you somewhere and a nurse spends some time with you going through things and an airline official will discuss rebooking your flights. Also Virgin has £3000 insurance for any accommodation etc that you need as a result of not being able to fly. It’s on their website if you click up the top regarding Covid notifications a page comes up it’s all there. 

[Loren Y 2,732]

3 hours ago, SEWI said:

 

Hi @Morgan5698! I've booked the RT-PCR test (£99) for tomorrow, 26th December ~15:00, which was the earliest availability, and will put my result at the ~40/72 hour window.

 

I opted for the PCR test, due to comparing the Virgin/Gov statement, which suggested that the PCR test was (the only test?) accepted by both carrier, and country.
In the very unlikely circumstances that I test positive, is anybody aware of the protocol regarding flight changes/cancellation, to accommodate not being able to travel?

Virgin/Delta suggests that flights can be changed without change fees, but the online system is not working for me, and I've been unable to reach a representative. 

If you test positive it is a great way to get out of any " Non-refundable" anything. I tested positive last week, not 1 day before a domestic flight. I was able to cancel my Hotwire ( Non-refundable car reservation), and got all my money refunded for the flight ticket. Was also able to cancel Non-refundable hotel reservations for the weekend also. I was amazed how all the " No way your getting your money back" itineraries were able to " Magically" qualify for a refund. I got lucky I guess, saved myself a good chunk of change, and got to stay home for Christmas. But, since it is only a 10 day quarantine now, I'm back in the air on Monday. Just have a PDF file of your test results available to send via E-mail or chat, and you should be able to cancel/refund anything you have booked. And come January 6th I already scheduled an antibody test to cover me for the next 6 months of travel at least.

[SEWI 50]

UPDATE:

 

I've just returned from London Heathrow, where I tested with covidtesting.collinsonassistance.com - I was originally booked to have the RT-PCR, however, after overhearing conversation whilst waiting, it was made apparent that the PCR test results were taking more than 48hours to be delivered, which is beyond my departure time. 

As a result, I changed my test to the ANTIGEN (Covid-19 (SARS CoV-2) Antigen) test, which delivered results within ~1 hour, for 50GBP. (Negative test- yay!)

 

I would like to comment, now that I have calmed down, that the London Heathrow/ Collinson testing is an absolute disgrace. A complete and utter shambles. There is zero coordination/information whilst you queue, they run very behind schedule (my test was ~80minutes after my appointment time), and the results are delayed by a minimum of ~60-90 minutes- whereby you might be required to return to the testing location (pre-security) for a second test, if an issue transpires. 

I would also comment that ~10-15% of those queuing, were in the process of missing their flights, owed entirely to the delays.

 

Essentially, I would suggest allowing ~6 or so hours before your departure, if you are testing on the day of. But, where possible, test before the airport. == this only works for the LAMP/ANTIGEN tests, which should deliver within 90minutes.

Virgin Atlantic advised me that Boots are now able to conduct pre-flight Covid testing-- which I'm sure is a far better service than the Collinson process.

 

Virgin Atlantic also refused to give me a definitive answer as to which tests would be accepted in order to allow me onto their aircraft, regardless of what testing the US government accepts. Due to liability concerns, I'm sure?, just that the accepted tests were changing on a daily basis, and that if checking-in TODAY, they would accept LAMP, ANTIGEN and PCR test results (<72hour).

I was unable to reach Delta, for guidance whilst at LHR.

 

For reference, a member of staff informed me that the LAMP test results take 60-90minutes to be delivered.

 

 

I hope this will be of benefit to members, to ease the aggravation of my experiences! 🥴

[Morgan5698 58]

Jeez what a disaster. Extremely concerning what a mess they are in and the fact Virgin can’t even give a definitive answer as to what test to take! 
Thanks for the heads up! I’m getting mine done with my wife the evening before we fly as we are staying in a hotel near Heathrow, so should have plenty of time and hopefully they will be a bit more organised by then. 

[SEWI 50]

8 hours ago, Morgan5698 said:

Jeez what a disaster. Extremely concerning what a mess they are in and the fact Virgin can’t even give a definitive answer as to what test to take! 
Thanks for the heads up! I’m getting mine done with my wife the evening before we fly as we are staying in a hotel near Heathrow, so should have plenty of time and hopefully they will be a bit more organised by then. 

Hi @Morgan5698, honestly ~18hours later, I'm still wound-up over it all. 

I should have commented that I tested at the Terminal 2 facility, which was probably all the more chaotic owed to people trying to test on the day of their departure. 

During one of my several rants with(not at) the Virgin representative, who was pretty stunned by my accounts of Collinson only 4-floors below him, advised that there is also a testing facility at Terminal-5 (in the car park, not the actual terminal?) which seemed to be far less busy. He also pointed out an alternative provider: https://www.expresstest.co.uk/pcr/ which has facilities in the area, as well as the local Holiday/Premier Inn, which is also testing- Actually, on this note, I would certainly encourage you to enquire with the hotel your staying with if they could test you. He actually commented that most hotels are offering tests at a considerable discount, as part of a room/test package.

 

If you're testing at T2, I'll try to save you some confusion, as there is absolutely zero signage for the testing, or information in the confirmation e-mail:

The testing area is on floor 0, the queues start outside- on the terminal side in-between the terminal and floor 0 parking. You'll know you're in the right place when you see a large gathering of people cramped together in a cattle-pen system, with ~10 queuing lines. The queuing is somewhat irrelevant as the times are called in blocks ("13:00-13:00 appointments can now proceed to the stairs!"), where you'll then wait some more, before eventually meeting your first representative of Collinson, where they admit ~2 people at a time into the building, where you'll wait until an administrator is available to process your details, before waiting some more until a testing booth is available.

WRAP-UP! It is a LONG time standing outside, and the wind seems to get accelerated due to the funnel like nature of being in-between the two buildings.

My  advice would be to do this: 

Enter the T2 at level 5 (departures), find the Virgin Atlantic representatives, and have them give the airlines official/most-up-to-date position on Covid testing, notifying them that you will be checking-in/departing within X-hours, and the test that you are booked for. Following this conversation, head back to the lifts with floor 0 as your destination, which will place you inside the parking lot, from here, you just need to walk yourself to the other side of the lift- so you're facing the terminal again, and that is where you'll see the testing queues. 

 

Following the test, you'll be advised to stay accessible to the terminal (Costa Coffee was the suggestion offered to me), for ~45-60 minutes, as a precaution to the test not being readable. Tip here- my test was administered by a St. Johns Ambulance Paramedic, so, I asked for his professional opinion as to whether my test was satisfactory, and whether he thought it likely that I'd be able to depart on Monday morning, his off-the-record response was a thumbs-up, and to enjoy my trip!. So, if at all possible, try to spot the paramedic, as the other testers might not have enough experience to save you an extra 1hour parking charge! 

 

Beyond this, I wish you the very best luck and the smoothest experience possible with your test, travels, and a wonderful start to your new life state-side! 

🎄

  

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, SEWI said:

Actually, on this note, I would certainly encourage you to enquire with the hotel your staying with if they could test you. He actually commented that most hotels are offering tests at a considerable discount, as part of a room/test package.

 It’s fascinating to me how businesses adapt on the fly to serve customers and quickly add a new gig during all the changes that pop up with no notice. 

[SEWI 50]

2 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

 It’s fascinating to me how businesses adapt on the fly to serve customers and quickly add a new gig during all the changes that pop up with no notice. 

You mean, profiteering on highly stressful situations that often have little-to-no notice! haha. 🤪

But yes, I agree, it is quite interesting how I arrived at the LHR testing facility under the impression that only they could offer testing to meet the standard of airlines/governments, only to then be told that actually, a little creativity will deliver acceptable solutions (i.e. hotel room/test bundles!) 

 

also, UPDATE:

I've just now received a telephone call from Delta- the <24hour before departure call, whereby a representative informed me that I MUST produce a certified negative COVID test, in order to travel with them. 

As of today, Delta's position is that a negative test is required, with no particular test type being specified. 

I sought clarification that both Delta and the US Government would accept my negative Antigen test, which she confirmed would be satisfactory. 

 

As per my previous message, this seems to be changing frequently, so keep in touch with your airlines, and subscribe to the https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa e-mail alerts.

 

 

[Morgan5698 58]

19 hours ago, SEWI said:

I've just now received a telephone call from Delta- the <24hour before departure call, whereby a representative informed me that I MUST produce a certified negative COVID test, in order to travel with them. 

As of today, Delta's position is that a negative test is required, with no particular test type being specified. 

I sought clarification that both Delta and the US Government would accept my negative Antigen test, which she confirmed would be satisfactory. 

Thanks for the Info. They’ve updated their website on Virgin now to reflect PCR And Antigen test, and advising not to use the T2 facility unless absolutely necessary as the queue ‘goes outside the terminal’! Brilliant. 
 

I booked mine at T5 for Sunday evening - We fly Monday afternoon. Did you have to produce your flight info? I’m wondering if I’m allowed to use T5.... it didn’t say I couldn’t! 

[SEWI 50]

56 minutes ago, Morgan5698 said:

Thanks for the Info. They’ve updated their website on Virgin now to reflect PCR And Antigen test, and advising not to use the T2 facility unless absolutely necessary as the queue ‘goes outside the terminal’! Brilliant. 
 

I booked mine at T5 for Sunday evening - We fly Monday afternoon. Did you have to produce your flight info? I’m wondering if I’m allowed to use T5.... it didn’t say I couldn’t! 

About to depart for the runway, so I’ll try to type this quickly/

the instructions I received, stipulated that flight confirmation MUST be provided, however only my passport was reviewed. 
 

definitely take your travel confirmation/itinerary passport... it’s such a faff, you’ll want absolutely everything with you. Honestly, I think your T5 plan is great thinking, and from what the VA representative told me, should be far more streamlined (I think it is in the car park as opposed to being in-out of the terminal like the T2 station?)
 

I’ll post some feedback of the LHR experience during my layover at ATL. 

But for the most part, it was actually a whole lot less stressful/delayed than I had imagined/feared. 
 

Edited December 28, 2020 by SEWI

[Morgan5698 58]

3 hours ago, SEWI said:

About to depart for the runway, so I’ll try to type this quickly/

the instructions I received, stipulated that flight confirmation MUST be provided, however only my passport was reviewed. 
 

definitely take your travel confirmation/itinerary passport... it’s such a faff, you’ll want absolutely everything with you. Honestly, I think your T5 plan is great thinking, and from what the VA representative told me, should be far more streamlined (I think it is in the car park as opposed to being in-out of the terminal like the T2 station?)
 

I’ll post some feedback of the LHR experience during my layover at ATL. 

But for the most part, it was actually a whole lot less stressful/delayed than I had imagined/feared. 

Good luck, I hope you have a great flight! Thanks for the heads up. Tbh it wasn't really smart thinking to do T5 on my part, It was just closer to the hotel I'm staying in the night before! Maybe I got inadvertently lucky there... We're in a local hotel Sunday and will make our way to T5 and get the test done the evening before, then following day we can just go get our flight (assuming we test negative!).

 

I've Emailed the testing company at Heathrow as we originally booked a LAMP test, but need to change that to an Antigen. Were you able just to change it at the appointment then?

 

Safe travels! 

[Bug&Bug 143]

Did any of you try to get the test done on the same day of the flight?

 

I see some early afternoon flights and wondering if its too risky to get the test in heathrow first thing in the morning

[Toby & Becky 0]

On 12/28/2020 at 3:04 PM, Morgan5698 said:

Good luck, I hope you have a great flight! Thanks for the heads up. Tbh it wasn't really smart thinking to do T5 on my part, It was just closer to the hotel I'm staying in the night before! Maybe I got inadvertently lucky there... We're in a local hotel Sunday and will make our way to T5 and get the test done the evening before, then following day we can just go get our flight (assuming we test negative!).

 

I've Emailed the testing company at Heathrow as we originally booked a LAMP test, but need to change that to an Antigen. Were you able just to change it at the appointment then?

 

Safe travels! 

How did your test at T5 go? Did you have any issues at arrival in the US? We set up for testing Monday at T5 at noon, and are departing Tuesday at 9am. Booked online for the rapid antigen test.