As international travel continues to be close to a nightmare, with rules and regulations constantly changing, there has been a sign of progress at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Passengers are able to book on-site testing for trips abroad and for the tests required by the UK for returning travellers.
For those travelling to France, the French immigration police are demanding to see either a PCR test made within 72 hours of arrival, or an antigen test taken within 48 hours.
The facilities at Heathrow allow travellers who have pre-booked a test to receive their results within 30 minutes and arrive in France with a negative test result just a few hours old. The cost is also reasonable, with Collinson charging 40 pounds.
The antigen test involves nasal swabs that are less unpleasant than a full PCR test.
Meanwhile, British Airways is encouraging its customers to use an app called Verifly to simplify the checking-in process. The app is difficult to use, time-consuming and unnecessary, as BA check-in desks are almost deserted.
Check-in staff often need to be informed that France is accepting antigen tests.
It should be noted that Air France is currently offering flights from Nice to Heathrow, and for parents it can be useful as the airline accepts unaccompanied minors. BA stopped providing this service.
Useful link: https://www.collinsongroup.com/en/medical-and-security-assistance/covid-19-testing/airport-testing
PHOTO: The Collinson testing centre at Heathrow’s Terminal 5
