Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

From what i'm reading it needs to be within 48 hours of the departure of the flight that actually lands in the uk.

Currently i'm looking at this melbourne airport one that offers results within 90 minutes.

My question for qantas (waiting on call back) is ... can i be checked in for the flight from CBR to MEL / onward legs when I wont have my test done / results until i'm in MEL.

 
Ugh Singapore just cancelled a bunch of flights, without rebooking us. Time for nice 2 hour hold to sort out….
 
This is the summary email just now from UK Gov
Change made:
From 4am, Tuesday 7 December all people aged 12 years and over must take a PCR or LFD COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.

Time updated:
8:23pm, 4 December 2021

This is just getting too much now. And the three boffins in SA are meeting again today to discuss closing SA borders. Honestly this is likely the straw for so many people now.
I hope you’re wrong about it being the final straw for people planning international travel: I see it as just one addition to the several Covid-driven compliance requirements for air travel, and it was widely predicted. As per recent discussion on a couple of threads it won’t deter me or (probably) most of those determined to travel for family or other pressing reasons. I think what is rattling people is not so much the detail of a new rule like this but the demonstration it brings of continuing uncertainty about what else may change. People really hate uncertainty and understandably so.

There is a logic to pre-departure testing (it was recommended by the SAGE experts advising HMG) and I find it reassuring that others on the flight with me will have had to show evidence of a negative test before being allowed to board.
 
I hope you’re wrong about it being the final straw for people planning international travel: I see it as just one addition to the several Covid-driven compliance requirements for air travel, and it was widely predicted. As per recent discussion on a couple of threads it won’t deter me or (probably) most of those determined to travel for family or other pressing reasons. I think what is rattling people is not so much the detail of a new rule like this but the demonstration it brings of continuing uncertainty about what else may change. People really hate uncertainty and understandably so.

There is a logic to pre-departure testing (it was recommended by the SAGE experts advising HMG) and I find it reassuring that others on the flight with me will have had to show evidence of a negative test before being allowed to board.
Only speaking for people in SA but it pretty much looks like the nails being put in right now. Very few flights direct into Adelaide and basically no Y fares. So transits into Eastern States. SA Close borders at a moment's notice so another two weeks in isolation after iso in eastern states, so a three week trip involves something like 9 covid tests. And up to three weeks iso. Assuming we don't get locked out of SA mid stream.
 
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From what i'm reading it needs to be within 48 hours of the departure of the flight that actually lands in the uk.

Currently i'm looking at this melbourne airport one that offers results within 90 minutes.

My question for qantas (waiting on call back) is ... can i be checked in for the flight from CBR to MEL / onward legs when I wont have my test done / results until i'm in MEL.

Actually it's 2 calendar days, not 48 hours.

From 4am 7 December, you can take the test any time in the 2 days before the service on which you will arrive in England departs.
 
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From what i'm reading it needs to be within 48 hours of the departure of the flight that actually lands in the uk.

Currently i'm looking at this melbourne airport one that offers results within 90 minutes.

My question for qantas (waiting on call back) is ... can i be checked in for the flight from CBR to MEL / onward legs when I wont have my test done / results until i'm in MEL.

Thats a tricky one!

I'll do the histopath one at BNE on Xmas eve when I check in. Then I have the UK arrival test booked for Christmas day when I arrive at LGW. Nice Xmas present, a stick up the nose. Will be worth it to see my parents though.
 
As mentioned by others, infection can occur any time after the sample is taken for the pre-departure test. Being vaccinated does not exclude you from contracting the virus, either.
And with Australia's 72 hour window before first flight, together with limited flights and lengthy connections as a result, that gives a generous time frame to get infected. The South Africans on SQ211 who tested positive on their Day 1 test had a 20 hour transit in Singapore.
My question for qantas (waiting on call back) is ... can i be checked in for the flight from CBR to MEL / onward legs when I wont have my test done / results until i'm in MEL.
My experience was first flight yes, onward flights no. Without being able to show the result you won't get checked in to an international flight.
 
Apologies if mentioned earlier, but USA now requires test no more than 1 day before departure. Previously 3 days.
 
And with Australia's 72 hour window before first flight, together with limited flights and lengthy connections as a result, that gives a generous time frame to get infected. The South Africans on SQ211 who tested positive on their Day 1 test had a 20 hour transit in Singapore.

My experience was first flight yes, onward flights no. Without being able to show the result you won't get checked in to an international flight.
still allowed to do the flight and just have to go through check-in again at MEL ?

although land at mel / get tested ----- 90 mins ---- / get checked in to EK

5 and 1/2 hours doesnt seem enough
 
I sure hope Singapore changes it's testing regime in the next 3 months. basically as well as the pre departure test it is testing every day for the next 7 after arrival.
  • As of December 2, 2021, Singapore is requiring supervised rapid antigen tests on the third and seventh day after arrival in Singapore
  • As of December 6, 2021, Singapore is requiring self-administered rapid antigen tests on the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth day after arrival in Singapore
In other words, if you spent a week in Singapore, you’d need to get tested a total of eight times, not accounting for any testing required for departing the country, based on your destination after Singapore.
 
Reassuring news from Dan Andrews’ presser today for those of us in VIC/NSW with Xmas travel plans, as reported by The Guardian:

“Andrews says on the tighter restrictions other states have brought in to tackle Omicron that he is not critical of these measures, but that Victoria will not take any steps to keep the variant out of the state.

He said he was texting his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet yesterday and the pair agreed they would not be pursuing “Omicron zero”, given the high vaccination rates in the states, and the fact the variant appeared to be less serious.”
 
Reassuring news from Dan Andrews’ presser today for those of us in VIC/NSW with Xmas travel plans, as reported by The Guardian:

“Andrews says on the tighter restrictions other states have brought in to tackle Omicron that he is not critical of these measures, but that Victoria will not take any steps to keep the variant out of the state.

He said he was texting his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet yesterday and the pair agreed they would not be pursuing “Omicron zero”, given the high vaccination rates in the states, and the fact the variant appeared to be less serious.”
Tell his mate in SA then.
 
still allowed to do the flight and just have to go through check-in again at MEL ?

although land at mel / get tested ----- 90 mins ---- / get checked in to EK

5 and 1/2 hours doesnt seem enough
Of course, you check in as far as your doco permits, check in at MEL when you have all the right doco.

5 1/2 hours sounds fine, get tested, 90 mins, cuppa, obtain printed result, should be right around when checkin for EK opens.

My "1 hour" test arrived in about 45 minutes. Registering and paying in advance will save you 10 minutes.

Cheers skip
 
I sure hope Singapore changes it's testing regime in the next 3 months. basically as well as the pre departure test it is testing every day for the next 7 after arrival.

Can't understand this. Lunacy.

If they had ZERO cases, maybe make a conservative case, but they have COVID, maybe 1,000 cases per day. Who cares if some more cases come in internationally?
 
Reassuring news from Dan Andrews’ presser today for those of us in VIC/NSW with Xmas travel plans, as reported by The Guardian:

“Andrews says on the tighter restrictions other states have brought in to tackle Omicron that he is not critical of these measures, but that Victoria will not take any steps to keep the variant out of the state.

He said he was texting his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet yesterday and the pair agreed they would not be pursuing “Omicron zero”, given the high vaccination rates in the states, and the fact the variant appeared to be less serious.”

Thank you VIC and NSW for leading the way and keeping these other lunatic states in check!
 
Of course, you check in as far as your doco permits, check in at MEL when you have all the right doco.

5 1/2 hours sounds fine, get tested, 90 mins, cuppa, obtain printed result, should be right around when checkin for EK opens.

My "1 hour" test arrived in about 45 minutes. Registering and paying in advance will save you 10 minutes.

Cheers skip
Hey mate,

How sure are you on this? i had a call with QF that said the opposite but they didnt seem all that certain of themselves.
 
From what i'm reading it needs to be within 48 hours of the departure of the flight that actually lands in the uk.

Currently i'm looking at this melbourne airport one that offers results within 90 minutes.

My question for qantas (waiting on call back) is ... can i be checked in for the flight from CBR to MEL / onward legs when I wont have my test done / results until i'm in MEL.

So why not get tested on the day before the flight as well? Check your stuff right through from CBR using those test results, and then do another at MEL to use for UK entry purposes if you really need it?
 
How is the UK thing going to work for people having to transit in the eastern states from Adelaide then say through Doha? So flight length of 30 hours but have to allow 24 hours to get result before departing first flight? No time in Doha or eastern states to get rapid one!
 
For the the PCR pre-test before leaving the UK if you are a dual citizen.....

We are flying next weekend (transit via singapore), we have to exit on our Australian passport and hence get the PCR test required for singapore transit linked to our Australian passport.

We were planning to enter with our UK passports and get the Day 2 PCR linked to our UK passport details when we fill out the UK passenger locator forms. Does anyone know if it will be an issue to do this now. ie should we enter the UK on our Australian passport so our pre-departure PCR test is linked to these details? Alternatively would you need 2x pre departure PCR tests, one for each passport? Hope this makes sense.
 
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