fergus

After a long enforced absence we are back. Just wanted to let everyone know what the trip was like. We were veterans at coming here probably flying every 4-5 weeks. It was almost easier than getting a bus. Then covid arrived.
So yesterday we flew on Ryanair back to Faro. We were very apprehensive after the other stories of people being turned away at the gate. We checked all that was required. This included (according to Ryanair's web site) a form for SEF in Portugal, but on it you could only state you were travelling from Brazil, or Azores or some other places but no drop down for UK, so could not complete that one. Did the passenger locator form and printed to PDF so that we hard copy in case of any queries. Did the PCR test as required and got the certificates via email.
At on line check in to Ryanair you are asked (and told you must) upload the passenger locator form (which you can only do if you have saved as PDF) and you can upload your PCR test certificate. So did both.
Arrived at the UK airport and apart from staff, there was no one else in security. Of course, Ryanair had tried to tempt us to buy fast lane as an upgrade. That would have been a joke and waste of money. Got frisked by security which was fine as they had nothing else to do and we had allowed extra time, just in case. So, happy to waste a few extra minutes and have a chat.
Oh, by the way, almost forgot. When you check in with Ryanair there are some new terms you must agree. Of course there is the usual about have you packed the bag yourself, have you been asked to bring anything for someone else, do you have drugs, a loaded firearm and so on in your case. But the new one asks (and you can't say no) to confirm that you will reimburse Ryanair for any fine they get for allowing you on the flight, if by doing so, any rules are broken. I think the maximum is between €10,000 and €500,000. Not sure whether the travel insurance would cover you if you had to claim! They would certainly be wearing their squirmy pants when you called them to say you wanted to. Anyway, I am rambling a bit.
So got to the gate. Ryanair handler wanted passport and boarding card as usual. Then the covid certificate that was already unloaded to their website at on line check (but hey ho). No mention of passenger locator form, perhaps because we had agreed to pay any fine!
On the plane in no time. Only 50 people on board.
I bet Donald trump has flown in his private jet and still had more people on board!
At Faro they asked for the covid certificate but not the passenger locator forms. As you can imagine, through passport control in no time.
So, after lots of fretting about what used to be a monthly routine, we had a good experience at both ends. Much the same as it used to be but with only about 10% of the usual amount of people everywhere.
Hope that helps others worrying about it. It really was a doodle.
So much so, that I do really feel sorry for those that have had such a hard time and even been bumped off their flights.

riv

V useful post. Thanks.

Just to clarify.............you talk about ' the Covid Form '.

Is this a reference to some Form which you have obtained when you underwent a test to see if you had Covid ?

Or the Form you can get from the NHS to prove you have had double dose of the vaccine ?

If the former............where did you get your test done and how much did it cost ? How difficult was it to time such a test to be within whatever the number of hours of arrival in Portugal ?

And on the subj of the NHS double vaccination certificate.............no one, whether Ryanair or state authorities , asked for that ???

BTW, on the subj of the new clause you have to agree to indemnifying Ryanair etc. I would be v surprised if any Judge upheld this as a valid, legally enforceable Term of your contract with Ryanair. But I would rather not get involved in the litigation so I wonder if other airlines such as Jet2 and Easyjet, or for that matter BA and TAP have such a clause ?

Shanorme

Fergus, thank you for posting that info. I'm (hopefully) flying with easyJet to Faro on the 19th of June. Was supposed to be the 18th but the flight was cancelled.

fergus

Someone asked what the covid form was. It was the 'certificate' provided by the tester. Because of logistics we used zavamed for the PCR test to get into portugal. With the requirement that you do the test within the 72 hours prior to your departure and that testers say they will get you the results 36-48 hours after they have received the test, and the flight was on a Tuesday evening, the timing looked difficult. But Zavamed have a drop off for the tests on a Sunday, but only in Taunton. The test was taken at 0800hrs Sunday, delivered to Zavamed by 1300hrs Sunday and results and certificate were emailed by 1400hrs on Sunday.

riv

I am sorry I am still not understanding the step by step mechanics of this............

You go to a physical office somewhere to pick up the test ? Then you do it at home yourself ? And return the sample you have taken from yourself to the physical office of the company ?

Or it is all done by post ? or some of it is by post and some of it is by physical delivery to a specified address ?

and then theydeliver the result by email ? How does anyone know that the test you have taken from yourself ( ? the nose ?? the throat ?? )

How does anyone know that you truly did take the sample from yourself, and not someone already known to be covid free ?

It sounds a real nightmare, logistically. People seem to be doing it but I just would like to know the step by step mechanics of how.

Shanorme

I don't know about Fergus but I have an in-store test appointment booked with Boots. I go in, they take the sample, send it off to the lab and email me the results.

fergus

Hi Riv. Firstly, I made a mistake in my post. The test was delivered to them on Sunday and the certificate was emailed on Monday (not Sunday as per my original post). An option when deciding on which test provider was to go to a car park at a retail outlet on Monday where you do the test in much the same way as an NHS drive thru. But if they took more than about 30 hours to send result we would not have had the certificate on time. Alternatively we could have gone to the drive thru on Sunday morning, but due to other commitments that would have meant that we need to take two cars and separate trips to the test centre. So, instead, we ordered and receive the test kit in the post from Zavamed. They arrived next day and we ordered them in plenty of time. We took the tests at home and then we delivered them to their lab in Taunton, because that was the only drop of location available on a Sunday. On Monday-Saturday you can take your Zavamed completed test to a number of different collection points, in various towns.
You are right that no one saw us take the test, so it is not fool proof. However, if you do any funny business and you get found out Boris will hit you with a £10,000 fine. Add would you really want to fly to another country if you thought you did have the virus? I suppose if you are an Indian in India you might want to fly to UK or Germany, as the Indian health service is totally overwhelmed. Fortunately, we (UK) are no longer in that situation and if I were to get covid, I think the NHS probably offer the best care and chance of surviving.

chislenko

Are you staying out for a while then Fergus or do you still have to organise the rigmarole of coming back?

Must admit the more I look at it all the more I am convincing myself to wait, but the question is how long do you wait, particularly now this new variant appears to be pushing case numbers up again.

It's now over 18 months since we have seen our place and ideally need to get there.

fergus

It is a dilemma, what to do?
We hope Portugal will be back on green list by the time we come back, but of course, it could go on red list.
There could be another lock down in UK in 3-4 weeks and no one allowed to travel, apart from people coming home.
Portugal might have a new wave.
There might be a new variant resistant to vaccinations in September.
At the moment nothing seems to be certain, but I pleased to be back in Portugal and as I can't predict what the situation will be when we come to leave, we have to accept it is out of our control and, that what will be, will be.
As an aside, the one way price on the flight I came out on was only £19.99 a few days before departure. Bargain for some. Especially as with only 50 people on the flight everyone was guaranteed a whole row of three seats each.

Pistolpete2

So just to get this clear.

Ryanair are effectively speeding-up the boarding process with the passenger indemnity so that they aren't at risk. They are also asking pax to submit required covid tests (PCR) to them when you check-in to ensure everything is in order.

Easyjet, so it seems, are asking either for hard-copy PCR test results or them on your phone.

Reference the PORTUGAL PLF they are expecting YOU the passenger to do what is required and they aren't bothered, which is actually seemingly correct anyway and Easyjet are just dead wrong - but Ryanair have that indemnity.

When you say that you downloaded items to pdf do you mean that you then printed them off. That was my plan of action. For the PLF I plan to print the form off and print a picture of the QR codes and we need a different one for Madeira too and may or may not also have to produce our vaccination certs when checking in for onwards from Porto to Funchal - we have the PCR test anyway so no big deal.

fergus

Just to confirm that even though we had uploaded negative covid certificate during on line check in, we were asked to show the certificate at gate by Ryanair and then again at passport control in Faro. We had printed copy; but it was on the phone as well. The PLF we were not asked for but I had that both on phone and also hard copy. Just to be sure.
By the way the ryanair web site has a link to another Portuguese form from SEF. But the drop down of originating countries covers angola, brazil, azores but not UK. So it is not possible to complete it and no one asked or even mentioned it so maybe Ryanair info is wrong on that for UK passengers.
Hope this helps everyone.

riv

Fergus
Thanks for the further detail.

It persuades me that if I do travel I need to go the BOOTS route

https://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/sto...esting-service

Chislenko.........I am in a bit the same frame of mind as you.........However, the way things are looking in both UK AND Portugal ( where today's paper reports that the Govt is brake pedaling the opening up at least in some regions, so far ) I suspect that it is not going to get any easier soon. I am disappointed the Port Govt ( and the UK Govt ) do n't just accept double vaccination as sufficient. The Spanish seem to.
HOWever, taking it slowly I think I understand how it works going the Boots route. They set out the nitty gritty steps, and THEY do the shoving the thing up your nose and down your throat.
I am amazed there is any credence given to a test resulting from ppl doing this bit themselves..........Surely most ppl would just not tolerate that business and the swab is unlikely to be full on. Anyway, Boots it is by the looks.

robbie20

Hi Riv, Do you live in the UK ? Aren't you doing the twice weekly covid tests now recommended by this government ? You soon find out if you have not done it correctly.
If you did a PCR for travel and have not done it properly it will come back as insufficient, or words to that effect.
Also it is far more easier procedure when you do it yourself.

dingg

Fda has just stated that the innova lft is next to useless and banned it in the USA, uk has spent over 1b rebadging it under the guise of NHS test.

NataHH

Thanks Fergus for your lengthy and very formative post using Ryanair. Has anyone flown to Portugal recently with easyjet? I am really confused with the locator form which has to be completed prior boarding using a link to the DGS website. Can I do it on the PC at home? Do I get a print out which I can give to the check in lady? Any info would be greatly appreciated.