Flying from the UK to the US during Covid-19 (Amber Country)

Recently, right before UK freedom day, I was able to fly from the United Kingdom to the United States. I am an America Citizen and had been traveling home to visit my family, who I haven’t seen for years. When it came to traveling, I found that during COVID rules, everything is really confusing, hard to follow, and jumping around, and I really just wanted to hear from someone who had made the trip, to know what to expect, instead of reading endless government websites. So, I decided to write my experience up.

Couple of key points: This is my experience from my point of view. There is probably other (and maybe even better) ways to travel during COVID. The Government does not recommend travel for leisure yet, to Amber countries, so do consider if you really need to travel. Restrictions are always changing and adjusting, this is based of of me traveling a few days before Freedom day, but at the time of posting, there isn’t many changes to anything. There are different rules per state. I flew from the UK into Boston, with a layover in Iceland, and then drove to New York. I am a US Citizen. I flew via Icelandair.

Preparing in the UK

To travel by plane, you normally have a lot of prep from bringing snacks (air plane tickets rarely include meals now-a-days) to packing. I would doubly recommend snacks on this journey, unless you really want to buy food on an airplane, but we will get to that later. There are actually a bunch of different, new requirements that you will need to do in order to travel.

With the new guidelines in place, there is a bit more prep than you may have expected. To leave the country, you will need to get a Fit to Fly test. These tests are not provided by the NHS and do cost. There are a few different options, which mostly change when it comes to the time you’ll get a reply. I ended up going with DAM health, who have an app to go along with their test. I booked up a 48 hour results test, so that the test would still be valid when I landed in the US – something that was listed as a requirement in the state I went too. These tests happen at a centre, which you need to travel too. This test cost £119. There are lots of different, new companies that seem to have popped up to do these tests. There also seems to be lots of different ways to get the test (at home, at a centre). It’s a lot of information to sift through!

Fit to Fly Test

The test itself is similar to an at-home COVID test. Before I took my Fit to Fly test, I got an at home COVID test to take, so that there were no surprises. Before I went to my test, I downloaded the Health Passport Worldwide and set up the app. It’s a straight forward app, you need to put in your date of birth, name, picture, and some information to confirm who you are. At the center, I was given a new mask to wear, had to sanitise my hands, get my temperature checked, scanned my app, and then went in for my test. A nurse used a long q-tip to brush the sides of my tonsils. She did not go into my nose, as that is not apart of this test, and I was in and out in a few minutes really. Everyone at the Luton DAM centre was really kind, explained everything, and told me that I would get my test results back in time (I was a bit nervous about this, because you never know!).

I waited at home for an email that would tell me my test results (which I was told I would get) but instead, the app pinged and it showcased my results as negative and ready to fly within 12 hours of taking the test. This was such a good turn around time, I am really happy that I have gone with them. Everything felt really easy and smooth!

Before the Airport

If you have traveled before, you know that you can check-in online the day or two before your flight, just confirming you will be there. When it comes to traveling to the US right now, there is a lot of these forms that you need to fill in. I checked in for my flight and was told there were a few more things that needed action. My flight had a layover in Iceland, a green country, that required paperwork. I needed to fill out a passenger locator form, digitally, letting the country I had taken a COVID test, my flight number, how long I would be there, if it was just a layover, etc. This required information from my passport and plane ticket. Along with the passenger locator form, it was advised that I print out a form that will be required when I land in the US – which is a declaration that I do not have COVID and have had a test. They also hand out copies of these on the flight.

At Heathrow Airport

I travelled through Heathrow airport. When I arrived with Dann, we realized that beyond the carpark, he could not go in. The airport itself has a big barrier that states only people flying can go through, so goodbyes are done at the airport. This was a bit strange as I had arrived so early and did not think the airport would not allow people to enter, but that’s what was stated, so I ended up going through after saying goodbye in the carpark. Once in, all of the self check-in machines are blocked off, so you do need to go and talk to someone at the designated airline you are traveling with. They check over your COVID test – mine was in my app – and then give you your tickets. From there, everything feels like any other plane ride. I waited around for my gate and then got onto my plane.

Plane Ride and Layover

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Once you board the plane, you are all given a sort of safety kit. This Personal Protection Pack included hand sanitizer gel, a mask, antibacterial towel and a plastic bag for throwing away everything. Each item was individually bagged, and together in a larger bag. Masks are required on planes when I flew, and everyone was spaced out on the plane. The plane ride itself was pretty normal, with drinks and the offer of very expensive plane food.

Once we had landed in Iceland, we were all shuffled off of the plane into an empty area of the airport. There, we were put into lines depending on if we were going to stay in Iceland or if we were going to continue on. Those who were staying were directed towards the boarder control and out of the airport. The rest of us lined up and spoke, one by one, to a boarder officer who the basic boarder questions about why we were traveling and checked our passport. There were no stamps and we were told to stay in that area, as our connecting flight was within that part of the airport. There was only one food area – which served no hot food, but had sandwiches.

Soon we were loaded back up onto our next plane, were we were given another protection pack that contained the same items as above. During the flight, they handed out the paperwork to declare your COVID status to the US (which literally is just a form you sign) but did not have any pens to sign it, so it might be best for you to sign them at home and just bring it with you.

Landing in the US

When I got off the plane, everything was pretty straight forward. We all went towards the boarder. I had my paper all filled in, my passport, and was ready to go home. When it was my turn, I was asked the basic questions (how long have you been out of the country, why are you visiting, what do you do for a job). The boarder officer did not ask for my declaration. After he handed back my passport, I asked if he needed the paper, and he chuckled at me and said it was really a paper to “cover the airline” and that he did not need to know my COVID status. He also said that there is no isolation period, and welcomed me home. It was a really odd experience, but to be fair the forms have literally no information on them anyway.

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And that’s it! I’ve been in the US for two weeks now and have really been enjoying it. This trip was more expensive than normal and required a lot of back and forth, with all of these requirements, but it is doable. Hopefully sharing how I’ve done this will help others too. Do check government websites and airlines to get the latest COVID advice, and spend some time reading to understand what needs to be done and what to expect.

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