A passenger was prevented from boarding last week’s British Airways flight over a misunderstanding on how long prior to the flight he needed to be tested for COVID-19.
Under current restrictions, all passengers travelling on flights to the United Kingdom are required to have a negative PCR test 72 hours before the flight departs.
However, a confirmation email sent to passengers from BA stated the following: “The test must be a PCR, LAMP or antigen test that conforms to the standards stipulated by the UK Government… testing for people travelling to England must be taken within the 3 days before you start your journey. For example, if you travel on Friday, you must take a test no earlier than Tuesday.”
Similar wording – three days rather than specifically 72 hours – is used in the official UK government website. That site also states, “For example, if you travel directly to England on Friday, you must take the test on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.”
Renante Areola, who was due to fly home to the Philippines via London, on the 29 Jan. flight, said based on the information in the BA email, he went for a PCR test on Tuesday, 26 Jan.
“It quite clearly said on the BA email that to fly on Friday, you could take the COVID test on Tuesday, three days prior. I went to the hospital to take the test on Tuesday, and then in the airport, it was a different story. They asked us for a test that was taken 72 hours before the flight departure time,” he said.
Since the flight was leaving at 9pm Friday, only tests done after 9pm on Tuesday would have been accepted, under the 72-hour rule. “But no hospital is doing COVID tests at night,” he said.
“All the passengers who took the test during the daytime on Tuesday couldn’t get on the flight because the BA staff said the COVID test had expired by some hours,” Areola said.
He contacted the airline by email but received no response. He said BA staff at the airport said they could not let him board.
Areola said there were six or seven other passengers who also were left behind because they had also gotten tested on Tuesday.
He has rebooked for the next Heathrow-bound flight on 12 Feb. and has also had to rebook his connecting flights to the Philippines, via the Middle East.
The cost of the change fee, in addition to the cost of his accommodation until the next flight, has fallen to Areola to meet. He says he hopes his experience will serve as a lesson to future travellers.
British Airways, in response to questions from the Cayman Compass, said in a statement, “This is a fast-changing situation so we advise all customers to check the latest travel advice at gov.uk and also equivalent government websites for the entry requirements for their destinations before travelling as these can change at short notice.”
The airline said its “third-party provider has apologised for the human error when checking some customers in for their flight” and that BA is in contact with the affected customers “to provide them with options”.
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