Big changes announced for travel between the UK and the USA
• Fully vaccinated Brits can visit the US starting in November
• From October 4th, UK will no longer require pre-flight testing
Finally…some good news for Brits traveling to the US.
The White House announced on Monday that from early November (actual date TBC) all fully vaccinated Brits can fly directly to the USA. Until then it is only Green Card holders and citizens only.
As you can imagine this has caused a flurry of excitement amongst Brits in LA members. So many heart- warming tales were shared of babies born during lockdown who can now finally have their British grandparents visit, and many members here on work visas who were unable to leave the US for the last 18 months as coming back was close to impossible. One step closer to normality!
But in the meantime the various hurdles will stay in place. It wasn’t until this week that I discovered just how tricky and confusing it is to maneuver the current system. I am one of the fortunate ones that have both British and American passports, so have always been able to come and go as I please. But I have not had reason to do so until this month. Regular readers of this column will know that my mum is in her 80s and her health goes up and down. Recently it has been more down than up, so rather than worry about her from afar I decided it was time for a visit. Not quite realizing that even as a dual citizen it is not quite as simple as it should be.
I’ve been following all of the posts on our Facebook travel forum and have often been bemused by how similar questions are asked over and over again. Now I know why…..it is really, really confusing!
The airline websites haven’t updated their testing requirements for weeks and the government sites are not much better. After much foraging and scrutinizing of the various posts and comments, I discovered that I didn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to be tested, and could use the services of various test sites that are either covered by your insurance or available for free if you have no health coverage – this includes designated CVS pharmacies and the pop ups provided by LA County. For info, visit: covid19.lacounty.gov/testing.
Finding an available appointment that also fits in to the 72 hour window before flight departure ( or is it within 3 days prior? That bit I am still unsure of…), was not as easy as I thought. So as soon as you know when you are flying – before the rules change again on October 4th – book an appointment! And make sure that you can get the results back before you fly.
I was vaguely aware that the quantity of flights had been scaled back due to the current restrictions, but I didn’t realize just how slim the pickings really were. We all mourned when the Air New Zealand’s LAX to LHR option was scrapped in March 2020 , but I had no idea until this week that United Airlines aren’t currently offering a direct flight at the moment either.
Thankfully Virgin and American/BA are – although tickets are not cheap, even with air miles. It really is a minefield of worry. I can completely relate to the angst-filled posts that have been monopolizing our social media. I have been constantly thinking of the forms I need to fill out and the tests I am required to take, feeling frustrated by the time restrictions.
I’ve had several moments where I slightly panic that I booked the wrong test or forgot to submit some information. Ultimately it is the fear of the unknown, not to mention the fear of being denied boarding after paying an extortionate fare.
Many of you have been recommending (free) smart phone apps that help you through this process-ultimately a virtual checklist/filing system that means you don’t have to fumble with forms at the airport. Our editor used Verifly for his recent trip to Europe and back on American Airlines and reports it was a seamless experience, and while it only gets 2.3 stars on the Apple App Store, several Brits in LA members are also raving about it; so seeing as I am due to fly this weekend I thought I should check it out.
My Tips: don’t download this app last minute – give yourself a bit of time to familiarize yourself with it as it wasn’t quite as straight forward as I expected. I recommend you take a look at least 3 days before your departure. And be prepared to have to take a selfie for verification- no you can’t upload that flattering picture of you that garnered 120 likes on Instagram last week, it has to be the way you look at this moment in time. Hence I put the verification process on pause for a few hours, as after a long day gardening in the hot sun I wasn’t at all ‘ready for my close up’.
I look nothing like my passport picture or how I visualize my appearance when I check in – and even if that’s irrelevant I don’t think I want my tired-looking face to be captured for posterity, but I do try to remind myself that in 10 years time I will be grateful to look as I do today, tired or not, but my vanity can’t help but get in the way.
Also: (very important) check the airline you are flying with accepts the app. Unlike me, who started the Verifly process only to find that Virgin Atlantic have their own portal, which is VirginAtlantic Fly Ready – aka TrustAssure™. Check virginatlantic.com for the link.
At first glance it seems pretty straightforward. Just enter your name and your booking reference then upload your ‘preflight/ taken within in 72 hours’ (or is it 3 days?) test result – both digital or a photo of the printed result are apparently acceptable.
You will have to wait until next time to find out if it really is that simple or too good to be true, as at the time of writing this I am 24 hours away from being tested! But by the looks of it (thankfully) I don’t think I have to take an impromptu photo… phew!
Please get in touch if you have any comments or suggestions on this or anything else, or if you just want to reassure me that I am not alone in being confused by all of this…
Email is BritsinLA@gmail.com
Cheers!
Eileen
