When the British government announced its latest travel rules review last week, it promised that next month it would say more about how and when it plans to lift restrictions for fully-vaccinated travelers. The statement came as concerns continue over the global spread of the so-called Delta Variant, which had led the government to postpone the end of its own domestic social distancing rules until July 19.

This weekend, the UK recorded the most new Covid infections since February, with a big week-on-week increase, alongside a renewed push on vaccinations, as the situation remains fluid.

Any move towards opening up travel comes amid growing pressure from airlines and the wider industry, with BA chairman Sean Doyle saying “We cannot afford another missed summer,” while Ryanair – along with the UK’s largest airport group – launched a legal challenge over Britain’s “traffic light” system of classifying destinations.

Everyone’s reason for travelling is, of course, different, and despite the media preoccupation, not everyone who wants to leave the country is going on holiday, but rather trying to see family they might not have been with for many, many months.

On the day of last week’s government announcement, I was at Heathrow Airport, about to take my first trip to the US since last year. I realize I’m lucky to be able to do so as a dual US-UK citizen. Long story short, I was fully vaccinated in April and my girlfriend in the US is due to undergo some surgery, so I really wanted to be with her. My citizenship allowed me to travel and I’ll be more than happy to comply with the various quarantine and test requirements on my return.

(Similar but distinctive rules apply for flights to and from the US out of Dublin. You can find more information here.)

Even though everyone’s travel experience will be different, I thought it might be useful here to document some impressions of the process and pass along some tips for when we all start to travel more freely.

US-Europe optimism?

In the wake of President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Europe for the G7 and other meetings, there was increased optimism that travel restrictions between Europe and the US might be relaxed sooner rather than later, with airlines at least able to plan for a fuller capacity on their lucrative transatlantic routes. But so far, there has been no sign of a shift.

As Célia Belin wrote in the Washington Post this weekend, the ban on travel between the US and Europe “once made sense, now it’s only causing hardship.”

She poignantly explains the difficulties affecting families separated by officialdom between two lives and two homes. “Travel is not just about tourism,” she writes. “It’s about human lives, which for now, are stuck in unremitting bureaucratic purgatory.”

Under pressure from their tourism sectors, EU economy ministers recently recommended that member nations lift a ban on non-essential travel from the US, but despite diplomatic pressure that opening is still one-way – Europeans are still barred from entering the US for non-essential travel even if they are fully vaccinated. 

For Britain, the US remains on the “amber” list, which requires a 10-day quarantine upon return, as well as specific testing requirements at both ends. 

Passengers are required to obtain a negative PCR test within a window of 72 hours ahead of departure. When you book a flight through the BA web site, it will direct you to a number of its recommended test centres, where you can get a discounted rate. (Note that you can’t book a test through a centre until you know which flight you’re going to be on).

I booked to be tested at Heathrow after flying in from Belfast, two days ahead of my US departure. The test centre will send you a QR code with your allocated time, and then usually by the end of the next day will email you the result, and a Fit To Fly certificate if negative. That’s valid for a limited time. (You can of course always opt to get tested in Belfast within the required window if you’re connecting onwards the same day). 

I’d done a number of at-home lateral flow tests in the couple of weeks ahead of travel day – you can order home kits from the NHS here – because my biggest worry was getting a freakish false positive on the PCR test at the airport – which would mean I’d have to return home to isolate, and the entire trip could potentially fall apart at that point, with no time to rescue it by retesting.

BA recommends passengers download an app called VeriFLY. It seems like a good development – a health-related equivalent of Global Entry or other trusted traveler programs – but I had a problem with uploading the certification which theoretically gets you smoother approval at check-in.  

The NHS is also planning to use its own app as the equivalent of an electronic vaccination passport, but bear in mind it doesn’t yet cover addresses in Northern Ireland, where a paper-based vaccine “passport” could be available in the next couple of weeks, according to the Department of Health, bringing us into alignment with the rest of Ireland.

Obviously not everyone traveling will have VeriFLY, so the airline currently makes provision for hard copy documentation at the airport. I had to ask my London hotel to print out the Fit to Fly certificate, and then at check-in I had to sign an attestation form that I had received a negative result. 

Even though there might be fewer people in the airport, the check-in lines will be busier because of the additional documentation. Also, bear in mind that one check-in line will have travelers to multiple destinations, all with different entry requirements.

On board, my flight was about half full – it was busier in the back of the plane, so it might be worth paying the extra to sit a bit further up – and mask observance was good throughout. Passengers were generally respectful of social distancing during the boarding process and I was pleasantly surprised by how “normal” everything felt under the circumstances. 

Same when we landed, with the US customs and immigration process still pretty much the same as I remember it from last year. Mind you, there weren’t many passengers in the ‘non-US citizens’ line, so I’m not sure how that side of the process might have been. On the flight we were asked to complete a US health declaration form with our contact tracing details, but actually submitting them wasn’t enforced.

In all, it’s fair to say the preparation for the trip created some anxiety and certainly required more planning than the spontaneity of a Covid-free world, but as with every travel experience, it’s worth the effort to see loved ones after so long. Here’s hoping we can all enjoy that freedom again soon.

Some tips that might help when we can travel again:

  • Regularly check the latest rules – from both governments – on what’s required at both ends of your trip. 
  • Double-check your travel insurance. It might have specific Covid restrictions based on UK government advice that will affect your coverage (I have an annual policy but ended up having to buy a second policy from another provider that filled in the gaps).
  • Check how busy the airport test centre is. They might be able to process you ahead of the time you’ve booked for, which means you won’t have to hang around the airport waiting for your appointment.
  • Get to the airport early and leave plenty of time for delays due to greater document scrutiny. I got to Heathrow before 2pm for a 5pm flight and that  turned out to be just comfortable. Always assume your gate is going to be as far away as it can possibly be, especially if you’re using the airport transit. If you’re changing flights, make sure you leave more than enough time when booking transfers.
  • Make sure you have spare masks in your hand luggage in case you lose one – or the string breaks – and you’re in a place where you can’t buy a new one. Technically you won’t be allowed on public transport or into the airport without one.
  • Keep hard copies of every document you’ll need to get through each stage of the process. Even where you may have uploaded the data to an app, there may not always be a wifi connection at the check-in desk, or your phone may run out of power if you’re stuck in a long line.
  • If you are using an app, don’t panic if you can’t upload the Fit To Fly certification, just carry it with you and at check-in you’ll be given an attestation form to say you have tested negative. You then hand this in as you’re boarding.
  • Above all, be sympathetic towards airline and airport staff. They’re managing a difficult and evolving situation with great professionalism at a time of tremendous uncertainty.

Also published on Medium.