Travel Covid requirements

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costakid
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby costakid » Wed Dec 16, 2020 9:08 am

did he get on or not? Not quite clear Spanish.

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spanish_lad
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby spanish_lad » Fri Dec 18, 2020 3:08 pm

nope, they wouldnt let him on the plane
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

Paddy Pumpkin
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Sun Dec 20, 2020 7:16 am

Just had someone arrive yesterday. There was no check to see if they had the PCR test at any point along the journey. The QR code health form was checked at check in and also upon arrival (before entering luggage hall) but at no point did they actually have to produce the test certificate.

I can only think it is a gimmick because I cannot travel to Galicia but John Smith from England can. It would be a bit tough to sell movement restrictions in Spain when someone can arrive from outside the country, hence the government can claim these travellers are checked.

Parilla
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Parilla » Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:15 am

By which airline, Paddy ?

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:41 pm

Vueling

I guess they know the Spanish law and situation best given they are a Spanish airline. The QR code thing can be done when you land, well at least it was when I last travelled in October

As for the PCR test this can also be done on arrival and you will be fined, but not stopped from entering the country (it's written in the BoE)

So maybe the foreign airlines who don't know the local law are just going belt and braces. I also heard of a friends daughter on Easyjet and they were thoroughly checked for documents at check in, but not at boarding so if you were hand luggage only then they didn't check the QR or PCR.

I once spent 45 minutes at check in at Madrid flying to Thailand because the check in staff didn't know the law. They insisted on onward travel ticket. I had none because I was a Thai resident. They insisted that only applied to citizens of Thailand. I said ok then deny me check in but please just put the reason in writing which they wouldn't. Eventually they relented when somebody senior saw my passport with multiple Thai stamps of residency with dates after I became a Spanish resident.

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby El Cid » Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:20 pm

That's a bit out of date now that UK residents are not allowed in, PCR or not.

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:43 pm

At the risk of sounding pedantic....it's still in date until tomorrow.

I know a guy who worked in Mallorca. When UK brought in the quarantine for travellers from Spain they gave a few hours notice. He was getting married the following Saturday and if he took his planned flight the next day he would have been in quarantine for his wedding day. Anyway he basically grabbed his passport and got to the airport as quick as he could and got the next flight he could the UK so he would get to the UK before the quarantine cut off time. He ended up in Manchester even though he lived in Canterbury he didn't care as long as he didn't have to quarantine. I imagine there maybe be some similar scenes in the UK today for people scrambling to get to Spain before the cut off

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby katy » Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:11 pm

Your stories are anecdotal, have you any hard evidence from El Pais etc. Word of mouth here is that airlines at this end are refusing boarding to anyone not having a test certificate if destination requires one. (quite a few airline staff live close to me) but it is not evidence.

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:17 pm

And all stories are anecdotal until you have hard data from a wide range of sources, so even if El País writes it unless it is based on wide ranging data and research it remains anecdotal.

In my case I collected my sister from the plane on Saturday, she flew Vueling and there were no checks. Unless she deliberately lied to me for no reason?

Additionally I urge you to read the BoE (the law) the PRC (as I write) is not a prerequisite to enter Spain. If the airline refused me boarding I would ask for the refusal in writing because it is illegal, until tomorrow anyway.

Just because the airline refused boarding it doesn't mean what they did is legal. Maybe this information might help somebody who was denied boarding.

elusive
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby elusive » Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:58 pm

5 cases of the uk strain confirmed in andalucia with several other suspected. All from recent air arrivals from the U.K . Makes you wonder what the point of the PCR tests are other than making and costing alot of money.

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:01 am

They had to do something to stop people complaining about that there was no free movement between regions but there was between Spain and other countries. Balearics now require PCR test for some inter regional flights. It's all just a joke, residents visiting family over Xmas here in Spain will be a much bigger spreader.... and the authorities are worried about cases coming from abroad

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costakid
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby costakid » Tue Dec 29, 2020 9:46 am

For sure the pcr etc will be lifted for the influx of summer visitors. Spain cant afford another summer like 2020. Not sure if it will be lifted before July though.

elusive
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby elusive » Tue Jan 05, 2021 4:11 pm

According to media reports the uk is about to announce that a PCR test will be needed to enter the uk

El Cid
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby El Cid » Tue Jan 05, 2021 4:46 pm

About time too!

They should have done that in March last year!

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Pamela1 » Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:12 pm

The tests are usless and just a money racket, tested on a wednesday morning, fly on a friday night with enough time to be infected with the virus inbetween..

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby El Cid » Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:38 pm

No one said they were perfect, but they are better than nothing. If you reduce the 72 hours it makes it very difficult to get the results in time for your flight. The alternative is rapid tests at the airport but we all know, from the various mass testing, they are very unreliable.

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costakid
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby costakid » Tue Jan 05, 2021 11:07 pm

Pamela1 wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:12 pm The tests are usless and just a money racket, tested on a wednesday morning, fly on a friday night with enough time to be infected with the virus inbetween..
Cheapest I found was £99 but no guarantee that the result will be in 72 hours. For £170 they can get you the result in time. Same test, same lab.

elusive
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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby elusive » Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:26 am

Family member used boots for £120. Had the test at 11am on a Saturday and he had the result 1am monday. Half the worry was finding a company you knew was legit as loads of clinics start popping up on the net advertising. Not much use as he was in tier 4 by 17.00 saturday!

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby katy » Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:33 am

Testing is useless, all borders should have been closed like New Zealand and a few others did.

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Re: Travel Covid requirements

Postby Pamela1 » Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:51 am

I live out in the sticks and usually have to travel a fair distance for everything so i considered myself very lucky that there was a lab 15mins drive down the road where i could get the test done, the certificate was in my hand the next day. Had i had to rely on the postal test then the trip i took to Malaga in Dec wouldn't have happened and it definitely would not have happened if i had to then try and find somewhere in Malaga to be tested so that i could return home.
I paid £109, the test was originally advertised for £140 but i think they got few takers..Again i was lucky that the airfare was very low so the whole trip was very affordable but i could see by the few passengers that they must be running at a loss and they can not surely continue for much longer? Something will have to give at some point but i hope for the sake of the airlines and those who rely on tourism and also all of us who want to travel or need to travel it won't be too late.


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