Dave

UK Government updates RED LIST countries

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The UK Government has updated the list of countries from which passengers (other than British or Irish nationals, or third country nationals with residence rights in the UK) will not be allowed to travel to the UK.

People who have been in or transited through the countries listed below in the last 10 days will not be granted access to the UK.

This does not include British and Irish Nationals, or third country nationals with residence rights in the UK, who will be able to enter the UK but are required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival along with their household.

You cannot use the Test to Release scheme to reduce the 10-day self-isolation requirement.

UPDATES

  • Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores) and Mauritius removed from list Friday 19 March.
  • Ethiopia, Oman, Qatar and Somalia added to list Friday 19 March.
  • The Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh added to England’s red list Friday 9 April.
  • India added to list Friday 23 April.
  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Bangladesh
  • Bolivia
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Burundi
  • Cape Verde
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Ecuador
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • French Guiana
  • Guyana
  • India
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Qatar
  • Rwanda
  • Seychelles
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • Suriname
  • Tanzania
  • United Arab Emirates (UAE)
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

You could be fined £500 when you arrive at the border if you cannot provide proof that you have had a negative coronavirus test.

If you arrive in England from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man you will need to self-isolate for 10 days.

Managed isolation in hotels

Managed isolation in hotels will be for those arriving from countries where the UK Government has imposed international travel bans and who cannot be refused entry – they will be required to isolate for 10 days without exception. More details will be provided by the UK Government in due course.

Any published updates to the list, or related restrictions can be found here.

Dave

Airport Covid testing

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International travel, in most cases, now requires passengers to show evidence of a negative test for Covid-19. So we have created the following resource to help travellers choose, plan and book Covid tests, in the most practical and convenient location.

We will expand the list as more details are provided of testing centres and facilities, as they are announced and launched.

The following is a set of useful contact details, links and other information about Covid testing at airports around the world. Please use the following information as a guide. If you would like further information, please contact your GTM Account Manager.

The opening times, costs, and turnaround times test results are for guidance only. In each case, please contact the testing centre directly. However, note that some of the centres offer testing only for arriving passengers, so cannot provide test certificates for departing passengers.

UK

London Heathrow

Terminals 2 and 5

Test type Antibody, antigen, LAMP and PCR

Opening hours see website

Approximate cost £40-£99

Results available 45 mins-48 hours

Website www.collinsongroup.com/

London Gatwick

Test type PCR

Opening hours 08:00-20:00

Approximate cost £60-£99

Results available by 22:00 following day

Website www.expresstest.co.uk/

London Luton

Test type Antibody, antigen, LAMP and PCR

Opening hours 09:00-17:00

Approximate cost £40-£99

Results available 45 mins-48 hours

Website www.collinsongroup.com/

London City

Test type Antibody, antigen, LAMP and PCR

Opening hours 10:30-17:00

Approximate cost £40-£99

Results available 45 mins-48 hours

Website www.collinsongroup.com/

Edinburgh Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 08:00-20:00

Approximate cost £80-£99

Results available Within 24 hours

Website www.expresstest.co.uk/

Manchester Airport

Test type Antibody, antigen, LAMP and PCR

Opening hours 07:00-19:00

Approximate cost £40-£99

Results available 45 mins-48 hours (PCR)

Website www.collinsongroup.com

Newcastle Airport

Test type Antigen and PCR

Opening hours 08:00-17:00

Approximate cost £60-£109

Results available 45 mins-48 hours (PCR)

Website www.collinsongroup.com

Europe

AUSTRIA

Vienna Airport

Test type Antigen and PCR

Opening hours 07:00-20:00

Approximate cost €40-€135

Results available 30 mins-48 hours (PCR)

Website www.viennaairport.com/en/care or email office@healthcenterairport.com

FRANCE

Paris, Charles de Gaulle

Test type Antigen and PCR

Opening hours 07:00-17:00

Approximate cost Free under French insurance/fee for international travellers not advised

Results available 2-48 hours (PCR)

Website www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/services/covid-19-test-pcr-antigenic

Orly, Paris

Test type Antigen and PCR

Opening hours 07:00-19:00

Approximate cost Free under French insurance/fee for international travellers not advised

Results available 2-48 hours (PCR)

Website www.parisaeroport.fr/en/passengers/services/covid-19-test-pcr-antigenic

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

Test type Antibody

Opening hours 08:00-14:00

Approximate cost Free

Results available 30 minutes

Website

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 10:00-18:00

Approximate cost €46

Results available 30 minutes

Website https://aeroport.amedicalconnect.fr/meetings/aeroport-toulouse?hsLang=fr

GERMANY

Dusseldorf International Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 07:00-21:00

Approximate cost €59

Results available within 24 hours

Website www2.dus.com/

Frankfurt am Main Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 06:00-19:00

Approximate cost €59-€139

Results available 2.5-24 hours

Website https://corona.centogene.com/login

Munich International Airport

Test type PCR, antigen and antibody

Opening hours 06:00-00:00

Approximate cost €55-€181

Results available 6-48 hours

On airport walk-in

GREECE

Athens International Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 07:00-23:00

Approximate cost €60

Results available within 24 hours

Website https://www.aia.gr/traveler/travellers-info/faq-for-covid19/

ICELAND

Keflavik, Reykjavik

Test type PCR and antibody

Opening hours tbc

Approximate cost £65

Results available 12 hours

Airport arrivals hall walk in. Two tests are required with 5 – 6 day quarantine period in between tests

IRELAND

Dublin

Test type PCR and LAMP

Opening hours via website

Approximate cost €99-€149

Results available 24-48 hours/12 hours

Website www.dublinairport.com/

LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg Airport

Test type PCR and antigen

Opening hours vary, according to flight arrivals

Approximate cost free of charge

Results available 24-48 hours

Exit of departures hall

RUSSIA

Sheremetyevo, Moscow

Test type PCR

Opening hours 05:00-03:00 (+1)

Approximate cost £18-27

Results available 1-24 hours

Website https://account.life-air.org/account/process

SWITZERLAND

Zurich Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 06:00-20:00

Approximate cost CHF195

Results available 5-24 hours

Website https://checkport.info/covid-testcenter-flughafen-zuerich-2

USA

Boston Logan International Airport

Test type PCR, antibody and rapid molecular

Opening hours 10:00-18:00

Approximate cost $75-$200

Results available 48-72 hours

Website www.massport.com/

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Test type PCR and rapid antigen

Opening hours tbc

Approximate cost tbc

Results available 72 hours and 20 minutes

Website www.flychicago.com/ohare/home/pages/default.aspx

John F. Kennedy International Airport New York

Test type PCR and antibody

Opening hours 10:00-18:00

Approximate cost $75-$200

Results available 5 minutes – 72 hours

Website www.xprescheck.com/

Los Angeles International Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours 08:00-18:00

Approximate cost $125

Results available 3-72 hours

Website https://www.flylax.com/travelsafely#CovidTest

Newark Liberty International Airport

Test type PCR and antibody

Opening hours 10:00-18:00

Approximate cost $75-$200

Results available 15 minutes – 72 hours

On airport walk-in

San Francisco Airport

Test type rapid Nucleic Acid Amplification Test

Opening hours 08:00-18:00

Approximate cost $250

Results available ‘less than an hour’

Website https://www.flysfo.com/travel-well/sfo-covid-19-faqs Testing is limited to Cathay Pacific Airways passengers; United Airlines passengers with confirmed travel originating at SFO to the Hawaiian Islands. In either case, the airline will provide a link for eligible passengers to book an online appointment.
Walk-in passengers on other itineraries whose travel originates out of SFO may be accepted for testing by Dignity Health-GoHealth Urgent Care on a limited first come first served basis.

Tampa International Airport

Test type PCR and antigen

Opening hours 07:30-13:30

Approximate cost $60-$150

Results available 15 minutes – 48 hours

On airport walk in – more info at https://baycare.org/TPA-Testing

Rest of the world

HONG KONG

Test type PCR

Approximate cost HK$499

09:30-18:00 https://www.projectscreen.co.uk/ 2-24 hours

07:00-23:59 https://www.rafflesmedicalgroup.com/ 2 hours

INDIA

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai

Test type PCR

Opening hours 24 hours

Approximate cost £40

Results available 8 hours

T2 Airport arrivals lounge

JAPAN

Haneda, Tokyo

Test type PCR

Opening hours 09:00-11:30 and 13:00-17:30

Approximate cost £317

Results available 24 hours

Website https://www.e-s-assist.com/patient-front/M00090100/patient/reservation

Narita, Tokyo

Test type PCR

Opening hours 09:00-21:00

Approximate cost JPY39,800-JPY46,500

Results available 2-24 hours

Email in advance – narita-pcr@nms.ac.jp – or walk-in

SINGAPORE

Singapore Changi Airport

Test type PCR

Opening hours tbc

Approximate cost Sin$196

Results available 48 hours

Website https://safetravel.changiairport.com/#/purchase

Dave

Latest Travel Corridors List

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The UK Government published a list of countries, territories and regions that comprise the “travel corridor”. The travel corridor was suspended with effect from 04:00 on 18 January 2021.

If you arrive in England from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man you will need to self-isolate for 10 days.

You must have proof of a negative coronavirus test to travel to England.

Prior to the suspension, the safe travel corridor comprised the following countries, territories and locations

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • Bahrain
  • Barbados
  • Bermuda
  • Bhutan
  • Botswana
  • British Antarctic Territory
  • British Indian Ocean Territory
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Brunei
  • Cambodia
  • Cayman Islands
  • the Channel Islands
  • Cuba
  • Dominica
  • Estonia
  • Falkland Islands
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • Gibraltar
  • Greek islands: Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes, Zakynthos
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Hong Kong
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • the Isle of Man
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Macau
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mauritius
  • Micronesia
  • Mongolia
  • Montserrat
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • the Northern Mariana Islands
  • Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
  • Rwanda
  • Samoa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • Sri Lanka
  • St Barthélemy
  • St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Pierre and Miquelon
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tonga
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Vanuatu
  • Vietnam

Before you plan your next trip, talk to your GTM Account Manager to determine the latest information regarding quarantine and other guidance for the countries, regions and territories you intend to visit.

Dave

Negative Covid test required for passengers arriving in England or Scotland

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Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, announced the introduction of a new requirement for anyone travelling to England. 

He said,

If you are coming here from anywhere, whether you’re a Brit or a foreign national, then you’ll need to take a Covid test up to 72 hours before you come here.

If the pre-journey Covid test is positive, passengers will be required to quarantine, under the laws of the country from which they are travelling, until they recover.

Passengers will still be required to quarantine for ten days (which can be reduced using the test to release programme) on arrival in England. The quarantine rule does not apply when travelling from countries on the Government’s Safe Travel Corridor list.

UPDATE

The requirement for inbound passengers to show a negative Covid test before travelling to England, from a foreign country has been pushed back to 04:00 on Monday, 18 January.

Dave

Passengers to Ireland from Great Britain will be required to show evidence of a negative PCR test

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The Irish Government has updated its rules on travel to Ireland from Great Britain and South Africa.

From 9 January 2021, all passengers arriving at Irish airports and ports whose journey originates in Great Britain or South Africa will be requested to have evidence of a negative result from a pre-departure Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test (COVID-19 not detected) taken up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.

These people will be advised to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in Ireland.

Paul Baker said:

If you’re travelling to Ireland, it’s crucial that you book a PCR test before you depart. We can provide information on recommended PCR test suppliers. So business travellers intending to visit Ireland should contact their GTM Account Manager for advice.

Scott Pawley said:

An increasing number of countries are mandating negative PCR tests for travel, and the list of countries demanding this is changing almost daily. So, at GTM, we are recommending that anyone making international trips from the UK should take a PCR test prior to departure.

Dave

Getting Back to Business Travel

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There’s no doubt that every aspect of the world’s economy was hit hard in 2020. But 2021 will see the fightback against the pandemic, driven by the mass rollout of vaccines. And, as the world begins to move towards a post-pandemic phase, businesses everywhere will start to plan how to face the task ahead: rebuilding the global economy.

Across the United Kingdom, companies are starting to plan how to restart, recover and regain lost ground. In short, we all face the challenge of how to build sustainable growth and, by doing so, pay back the cost of managing the impact of the virus.

Organisations will be deciding when, where and how frequently they need to travel to meet their growth objectives. So we have put together a document that advises on what they should do in order to meet their travel requirements safely, efficiently and at the best cost.

We have covered everything you should consider when you’re making national or international travel. We have included resources you can use to get more information. And we have even included details of how to get hold of hygiene packs of masks, gloves, wipes and sanitiser, with a special 20% discount.

Getting Back to Business Travel is available to download, free of charge, from this page. Please check back here from time to time to make sure you are using the most up-to-date version.

The document is free to download, to share with colleagues and to give to partners and suppliers. You can download it via the link on this page and you are free to distribute it by email, share it as a presentation or print it, as many times as you need. All we would ask is that you check back here from time to time to ensure you are using the most up-to-date version of the document. The current version is July 2020 and you can see this on the first page.

We have split the document into two parts.

  • The first part provides information if you – or your business – intends to book business travel. It covers advice on travel policies, duty of care, pre-trip planning, booking trips and hotels and an itemised list of what your colleagues should take with them.
  • The second part is for those people taking business trips. It gives advice on what you should do before you travel, what to do at the airport or rail station, details of what to do on board, and what to do when you arrive back in the UK. It also provides useful advice on how hotel stays are different now: the checking-in process, advice on hotel housekeeping and room service, express hotel services, luggage, advice on sanitising items in-room and what guests should do if they fall ill.

You may decide to keep the document as a whole, or divide it into parts that are most relevant to colleagues and share it with them.

The document was produced with the help of the Focus Travel Partnership. You can find out more about the Focus Travel Partnership, what it does and how clients of Focus members benefit here.

Please download the document using the download button, below.

Returning to Business TravelDownload
Dave

Travelling in Europe after January 2021

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From 1 January 2021, new rules apply to UK citizens travelling to Europe.

We have listed some of the main issues travellers from the UK will face, as well as some links to useful resources. But, if you need advice on business trips to countries in the EU or EFTA, contact your GTM Account Manager.

At border control, UK travellers may be required

  • to show a return or onward ticket
  • to show you have enough money for your stay
  • to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing

UK travellers will not require a visa for short trips (up to 90 days in any 180-day period) to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania, where visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total.

EU border control staff may ask you for the purpose of the visit; where you plan to travel and stay; how long you intend to remain in the EU; how you propose to fund your stay; and whether you constitute a threat to public health.

It’s important to check the entry requirements for the country or countries you are visiting. Travel to Ireland will not change from 1 January 2021.

You may need to renew your United Kingdom passport earlier if you are travelling from 1 January 2021.

On the day you travel, you’ll need your passport to have at least 6 months left AND be less than 10 years old.

If you do not renew your passport, you may not be able to travel to most EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It’s important to check whether your passport is valid for the country or countries you are visiting.

You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you travel.

The UK Government has confirmed that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) continues to be valid in some EU countries.

However, it’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition. This is because the EHIC scheme covers pre-existing conditions, while many travel insurance policies may not.

Apply for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

From 1 January 2021, the guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end.

Check with your phone operator to find out about any roaming charges you might get from 1 January 2021.

A new law means that you’re protected from getting mobile data charges above £45 without you knowing. Once you reach £45, you need to opt in to spend more so that you can continue using the internet while you’re abroad. Your phone operator will tell how you can do this.

You should check that your qualifications will be recognised in the EU if you provide services like legal services.

You’ll need to have your UK professional qualification officially recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in the EEA or Switzerland. It will need to be recognised by the appropriate regulator for your profession in each country where you intend to work. You’ll need to do this even if you’re providing temporary or occasional professional services.

Travellers departing GB for EU countries will be able to buy duty free goods (alcohol and tobacco) once they have passed security controls on the same basis as currently applies to those travelling to non-EU destinations.

The extra statutory concession that currently permits tax-free sales beyond security controls, on goods such as perfumes, electronics and clothing will be withdrawn.

Passengers will no longer be able to bring unlimited amounts of alcohol, tobacco or other goods for personal use when travelling from the EU to GB.

Personal allowances will be extended to those travelling from EU to GB. The amount of alcohol that passengers can bring into GB will increase. Passengers bringing in any goods over their personal allowance must declare them and pay the relevant tax/ duty.

You must declare goods that you take with you to sell outside the EU – for example if they’re in your baggage or in a private vehicle. You’ll need to declare goods you take to sell anywhere outside the UK from 1 January 2021.

If you’re taking your own vehicle, you will need a green card and a GB sticker.

Please note that, for the green card, you will need the physical document – you cannot rely on an electronic copy.

Dave

Temporary emergency travel restrictions announced

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A new strain of coronavirus discovered in the south east of England, which is said to be up to 70% more transmissible has led to significant disruption to international travel.

Flights from the UK have been temporarily banned by a number of countries in Europe and across the world. And, in some cases, restrictions are being placed on travellers from the UK, or people who have visited the UK in the last two weeks.

The Netherlands was the first country to announce a ban on travel to and from the UK. Since then, a further two dozen countries have introduced restrictions – this number is expected to increase throughout today. 

Scott Pawley, managing director of Global Travel Management said:

We are in constant contact with airlines, hotels, other travel suppliers, industry bodies and UK government departments to make sure we are on top of the situation as it develops.

Scott also has advice for anyone travelling – or planning travel – over the next few days:

If you or your colleagues have booked travel over the coming days with Global Travel Management, we will be working hard to make sure your trip goes ahead; or to keep you informed of any changes that must take place.  We will be checking your flights regularly, so that we are aware of any forced changes.  We will be monitoring the situation with regards to further travel restrictions.  And, most important, we will let you know if the situation with your travel changes, as soon as we can.

If you have any travel plans in the coming days and weeks, let us know.  We will give you all the advice and help we can, as we always aim to do. 

Dave

List of private providers of coronavirus testing

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The Government has released a list of providers of coronavirus testing.

The Department of Health and Social Care is aware of the following private sector, non-NHS, providers who may be able to conduct tests for the presence of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

The list of providers, as of 15 December, is as follows:

The Department of Health and Social Care maintains this list and updates will be shown on the gov.uk website, here.

Dave

Etihad Airways marks the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with spectacular flyover

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Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE and official sponsor of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, performed a spectacular flypast of Yas Marina Circuit.

Moments before the start of the 17th and final race of the 2020 Formula 1 calendar, Etihad’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner was accompanied by the Al Forsan Aerobatic team in the skies above Yas Island.

Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand & Marketing, Etihad Aviation Group, said:

Since its inception in 2009, Etihad has been a proud title partner of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. One of the highlights of the race is the flypast by the Etihad Airways Dreamliner and the Al Forsan aerobatic team which is watched by millions of viewers around the world.

Flying above the iconic Yas Marina Circuit’s start line at 600ft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, decorated in a Formula 1 themed livery, was operated by a team of four experienced pilots. Captain Mohammed Al Tamimi was in command of the aircraft, supported by Captain Spiridon Nakos. Seated at the rear of the cockpit was Captain Abdullah Salah and Captain Fouad Al Marzooqi who had the challenging of task of maintaining split second accuracy on the timing of the flyover.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race weekend was closed to spectators, however, Yas Marina Circuit issued limited complimentary tickets to Frontline Heroes to thank them for their efforts in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Etihad’s Wellness Ambassadors were on hand at the Frontline Heroes Hill to welcome all guests and provide health and safety guidance and the Etihad Airways Wellness Kit.

Additionally, Etihad offers all Frontline Heroes recognised by the Frontline Heroes office, an exclusive programme of benefits including Etihad flight discounts and preferential rates.