ckusa

I admit I probably travel more than most - typically once every 6 weeks or so from the US to the UK, so Covid was a right pain. I did a US-UK-US trip at the end of May, and a US-UK at the end of June.
In terms of Covid, it is your exposure that matters (not the 'R' value). If you have been following guidance (face masks, social distancing etc), there should be a very low chance of you having it to begin with. As to the actual travel itself, very few are travelling, particulalry TATL due to the restrictions. The airports are pretty empty (both ends) and the TATL flights I've taken have had maybe 20-30 pax, so only about 10% full.
Quarantine: US end - was contacted by the state health department, nothing horrendous - just making sure I knew I needed to self isolate. At the UK end, no one contacted me at all - but self-isolated anyway for two weeks. No great deal (working from home in both instances).
Entering the UK you need to fill in an online form (no earlier than 48 hours before arrival) - this is checked on arrival. For the US you fill in a health contact form (and oddly a blue customs form!) and have your temperature taken - again no real problem.
For health insurance, our US policy does cover international travel, but in the past I've had no problem with the NHS - never been asked if we're not UK resident. Yes, they shouldn't do that, but probably more trouble than it's worth.

So, yes it is possible. Key thing is to take all precautions that you can - you would be unlucky to 'catch' covid with a single viral particle. In some way, TATL travel at the moment is probably the best it will be for a while due to few passengers. As soon as restrictions are lifted and passngers numbers increase, then the problems will start!

Nutmegger

Wishing her the best. No, you would not be allowed in the hospital.

mrken30

Not sure on your company restrictions, but my company recently locked down their external VPN access to mainly US IP addresses due to cyber attacks from overseas. I can no longer work from the UK which is a PITA.

robin1234

Fortunately a google search revealed the meaning of “TATL.”

Who knew, it’s something I’ve been doing since the 1970s!

mrken30

And has nothing to do with being a TATL tail?

robin1234

That, but also, Tatl is a character from the Legend of Zelda but that didn’t seem to quite fit the context.

robin1234

In fact I still remember my first transatlantic flight, Heathrow to JFK, 1973. BA, Youth Fare, £99 round trip. I remember being quite excited, enjoying the meals and so forth. The snack, the second meal, was actually a very nice afternoon tea with cake etc.

SanDiegogirl

I remember back in the 80's travelling with BA back and forth to Belfast. On the late afternoon flight we would get scones with cornish cream and jam - flying between Heathrow and Belfast !!

Jerseygirl

sorry to read about your mum. Please let us know how she is getting along,

BEVS

I did that by myself somewhen around 1976 or so. Can't remember the price nor the food. It was BA though.

BEVS

That's not good . Not good at all.
Hope Mum starts making a good recovery.

robin1234

In terms of short flights, I quite often fly Montreal to Ottawa, usually to connect to a flight to London. The actual flight is seventeen minutes in length. For some reason they insist on serving a drink! Bearing in mind the take off and landing phases, they have about three minutes to do it. Ridiculous.

Giantaxe

Mine was in '81 during the air traffic controllers strike! Left Heathrow hours late and arrived at JFK after midnight... then an early hours taxi ride to our Manhattan hotel. Quite an introduction to the US.

zzrmark

Sorry OP, I didn't mean to hijack this thread.
Thank you all for the regards/interest after my mother's accident. She has a break in a neck vertebra and bruised her spinal cord. Has use of her legs but restricted movement in one arm and tingling in both arms. She moved quickly from the ICU ward to the high dependency ward and was put in the general ward of the neurosurgical department yesterday. She's being transferred 130 miles to a specialist spinal unit, info is a bit sketchy but family members who visited say she's upbeat, no reports on expected outcome.
She's a full on hippy type who's avoided the NHS for at least the last forty years and will no doubt be a right pain in the butt with the staff trying to get them to change out their chemical drugs for her herbal remedies etc...

EDIT: And marginally on topic. I was surprised to learn that family members could visit in the high dependency unit but are not allowed to in the general ward, in true NHS fashion none of my family can tell you about the spinal unit's visiting terms because they were offline earlier today and no-one could find out about visiting because they weren't answering any phones either.

chesterton_fan

No worries zzrmark. Thanks for all the replies.