Airlines offering pre-departure coronavirus testing including EasyJet, Wizz Air and BA
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WITH news of a vaccination sparking hope of holidays once again, a number of airlines are launching their own Covid-testing schemes to allow passengers to be able to travel.
Popular destinations such as Spain, Greece and the Maldives all require a negative coronavirus test to enter, which can cost up to £200 per person.
Airlines are offering discounted prices or even free testing to encourage travellers.
Airports such as Gatwick and Heathrow already offer pre-departure testing, although Heathrow has only rolled it out to Hong Kong travellers, and the Gatwick test costs £60.
Here are the airlines offering testing kits or airport testing procedures either before travelling or when returning to the UK.
EasyJet
EasyJet and easyJet Holidays have joined up with two testing firms - Confirm Testing and City Doc - to offer testing kits.
When customers make a booking on easyJet.com or easyJetholidays.com, they are given a unique code to use on the testing partners’ websites to access a discounted test price.
Available from later this week, customers will receive a reduced rate of £75 per home test with Confirm Testing, or £100 per home test or £150 for an in-clinic test with CityDoc.
Both testing companies aim to provide results within 48 hours of the test being returned to them.
Wizz Air
The Hungarian airline is offering travel documents as part of their “Fit to Fly” package, which includes a PCR swab test and certificate, will be available for £85.
The £85 cost is offered through a deal between the airline and partner, Confirm Testing, and is cheaper than the £110 cost without the Wizz discount.
The test kits will include a collection bottle containing saline and a swab, protective packing wallet, a clear specimen bag to seal the sample, sample label, request form, and a return envelope with prepaid shipping.
For customers requiring a negative test result 72 and 96 hours before travelling, kits can be ordered weeks in advance of a flight and kept at home.
Travellers are advised to order tests at least five days before their flight and then perform and return the test via Royal Mail four days before.
British Airways
British Airways has launched pre-departure Covid testing on two of their flights in a new trial.
Passengers travelling from LA to London Heathrow or New York to London Heathrow with BA, on either flight BA268 or BA114 can get the free tests.
Travellers will be tested 72 hours before their trip, as well as during and after travelling.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin is launching a free, pre-departure Covid testing trial on flights between London Heathrow and Barbados, starting from December 9.
Passengers will be requested to take a free rapid, point of care, lateral flow antigen test before they fly, delivered by health professionals at Collinson and Swissport’s Terminal 2 Pre-Departure testing facility.
However, the lateral flow antigen test does not replace existing testing protocols to enter the countries - Barbados still requires a negative PCR test, three days prior to arrival.
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Here are some of the airports around the world already offering coronavirus tests.
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Travel could go ahead sooner rather than later with a vaccine to be rolled out across the UK in the next week.
However, only those older than 80, deemed high risk or working as an NHS frontline worker will be prioritised first.