chesterton_fan

I'm a UK citizen, green card holder, married to a US Citizen. I'd really like to visit my parents and family in the UK.

I had previously assumed, without really checking, that international travel was impossible for ordinary people, and to basically not bother. But after a bit of research, it looks like flights are still happening. So I'm thinking about going ahead and booking something.

Has anyone tried flying 'home' (whatever that means) since all this started?

I can see four obstacles to doing it successfully:

1. Catching Covid, and possibly passing it on to my parents (or my wife and kids on my return).
2. Quarantine in the UK for two weeks -- happily, the house next to my parents' is an airbnb, so I'd book that and we can shout at each other from the windows for the first two weeks. (I'd probably stay in the UK four weeks total, I'm working from home full-time at the moment and I'd be able to just continue working from the UK.)
3. Re-entering the US -- looks like LPRs are exempt from the travel ban so I don't think there's a problem. I can't see the executive being able to prevent spouses of citizens from entering.
4. Quarantine in the US for two weeks on arrival (seems to be only recommended, not enforced, but I would anyway).
5. Just thought of a fifth issue -- travel insurance (medical) -- but I believe the NHS covers emergencies even for non-residents.

My passport and green card are up-to-date so no issue there.

I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has successfully done this since March, and how they found it.

notaclue

I was planning on going back mid-august, but my flight has literally just been cancelled.

From my research, no they cannot stop you entering either country. No one is going to come knocking on your door when you fill out a form telling them where you are staying in the UK.

Although the guidelines state that you should quarantine having come from the US, I believe fair and reasonable is to get tested three days prior, on the way to the airport (rapid test results) and again immediately upon my arrival in exchange for not quarantining. Three negative tests, a good mask, distancing on the aircraft and still following the distancing requirements is more than sufficient in my view.

That said, if they book me on to a new flight, I'll be sure to share the experience.

robin1234

I’ve flown UK to US, three weeks ago, Heathrow to Boston, and yes, services are running. As to quarantine on return to the US, how strictly it is enforced may depend on your state of residence. I live in New York, and my details were passed from the public health operation at the port of entry (Boston) to the New York public health department. I was interviewed on the phone by the state public health person, who asked me whether I would voluntarily comply with a strict 14 day quarantine. I volunteered to do so, the alternative was that they’d obtain a court order. In theory, I could have been subject to six months imprisonment or a fine. I was contacted twice a day by phone by my county health department. All state workers I had contact with were very helpful & friendly.

I personally would not undertake a round trip to visit anyone. The health risk to the traveler is simply too high, in my opinion. There were less than thirty people on my flight, but in no way did it feel like a safe environment... simply because you’re captive for seven hours.

excpomea

My elderly mother is in the UK, 76.
If she was to fall ill I would not hesitate to return. Taking any precautions I could.
Thanks for the update Robin.

robin1234

My main precautions were (1) Direct flight only (2) Car from home to terminal, then terminal to home. I got a trusted local car service in England, and my MA-based daughter drove me from the airport in Boston to home in northern New York.

Jerseygirl

as a mother I would not want my son/daughter to put their lives at risks at this time by visiting me.

there is a thread in the Canada forum about someone who is travelling UK/Canada/UK with a 10 month old baby. I don’t know what the reason for travel is, but IMO that is a very foolish trip to make.

Pulaski

I agree, and I am 99.99% sure that my mother would agree with you!

Per Chesterton_fan's checklist I would stop at his listed item #1. .... "Wanting" to travel is not the same as "needing" to travel, and I am yet to think of anything that would cause me to need to travel to the UK (or anywhere else) at the moment, upto and including my elderly mother falling ill or a family funeral.

Jerseygirl

essential travel...I have thought that myself. If there is a vaccine available in the US before Canada, I would consider crossing the border. I am a USC, so am entitled to enter the US...but as a Canadian resident I am not sure if it would be deemed ‘essential travel’ when trying to re-enter Canada.

chesterton_fan

Ok thanks all for the replies, I'm thankful for Whatsapp, very hard for my parents to be away from the grandkids until (realistically) 2021 at the very earliest.

Jerseygirl

there are millions in the same position. I am sure that most would not want to risk either their grandchildren’s or children’s lives by taking such a risk at the moment.

my daughter and 6 yr old granddaughter live nearby...we have only seen them from a distance. My granddaughter is already getting distressed about Christmas. She has been asking her mum if we will all be able to sit around the tree and open presents, and will be be able to have Christmas lunch together.

Pulaski

"Very hard" is relative, and I suspect that definition is peculiar to people who have never experienced war, a famine, a major disaster, such as an earthquake or volcano, or, at least prior to 2020, a major regional or global epidemic.

We live in a time when, in the industrialized world, almost everyone gets to survive childhood , live their life in peace, and expects to grow old and get to know their grandchildren, and yet most of the world doesn't have that luxury - there are wars and famines, diseases that kill thousands, civil wars and terrorist insurgencies, that kill and maim, earthquakes that destroy entire towns, and the list goes, on. I don't think 18-24 months, or even three years apart from family members would rank on most people (around the world)'s list of the worst possible catastrophes.

Giantaxe

Normally the NHS would cover the "emergency" part, but not any hospitalization as a result of said emergency. But they are actually covering the cost of covid testing and hospitalization. That's remarkably generous in comparison to what would happen to someone in the reverse situation in the US:

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs...omic-area-eea/

Having said that I'm in the camp that I wouldn't visit outside a dire emergency. I've basically resigned myself to not visiting until there's an effective vaccine.

SanDiegogirl

I have a colleague whose son (US citizen) and grandson just came in from Czech republic via Heathrow just for a visit. They visited San Diego Zoo 3 days after they arrived! (It's closed again now due to rising positive cases of the virus)
Quarantine what quarantine?
I think that where a trip involves grandchildren and grandparents a lot of people think that is essential

zzrmark

I didn't expect to be jumping in on this thread but I didn't expect my 70 year old mother to break her neck today.

I probably meet the 'need to travel' conditions but with a 14 day quarantine in the UK and coming from a hotspot county in the mess that is Florida there is not a cat in hell's chance I'm going to want to nor be let into a hospital. Looks like I may have to join the rest of you in the 21st century and sign up to Whatsapp...

Pulaski

Oh no! Sorry to hear that.