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Original poster

has anyone travelled by plane recently with their baby or child?

16 replies

mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 13:11

Just that? I know that there are people who have been travelling for weddings and funerals and other permitted reasons - I wondered if anyone has travelled recently with a child and whether it is frowned upon or questioned as you leave the UK?

OP posts:
Cupoftchaiagain · 14/04/2021 13:12

How recently? We got away last September but would have been different during more recent restrictions.

Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 13:19

@Cupoftchaiagain thank you - I last travelled last August before quarantine requirements went in. I mean particularly at the moment when there is a travel ban on.

OP posts:
ReggaetonLente · 14/04/2021 13:34

I did, in early March. I had emails printed off from both the British Embassy in the country I was travelling to and the embassy of the country in London, explaining why we had to travel. I also had an emergency visa issued so i suppose that was evidence something big had happened.

It wasn't an experience I'd repeat in a hurry, travelling right now is so stressful. But we had to go.

Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 13:42

@ReggaetonLente thank you - I wouldn't be travelling for an emergency but legitimate business reasons, I would have to bring my baby though (breastfed, 5 months, cosleeping).
Were you questioned a lot or was it assumed you had genuine reason to be travelling?
Was it to The Netherlands? (going off the second word in your username sounding like Dutch)

OP posts:
ReggaetonLente · 14/04/2021 14:14

No it was an Asian country. I was questioned yes, on entering Heathrow and at check in, at boarding, and multiple times through immigration at the other end. They are hotter over here than Europe on everything covid related though and the country in question had closed borders to all except certain visa types.

Check in was the most nerve-wracking. I kind of knew once we were on the plane we would be OK. Two people on my flight were turned away at check in - one for not having the right covid test, one for not having the right visa.

I would just advise you to print EVERYTHING relating to the trip and the reasons for it. Can you get your company's head office or HR to put in an email why you have to go? I don't think anyone is out to stop you for the sake of it, but airlines can be fined for allowing unnecessary journeys, so staff have been briefed to check.

We had to get covid tests too, three each in total, including the baby. And government quarantine. Never again!!

Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 14:43

@ReggaetonLente Thank you! That is really helpful. I would be going to The Netherlands and I am a citizen with family there so I can't be stopped coming in, really. No government quarantine. And I don't think the baby has to get a covid test, everything that I've read said above a certain age unless I've missed something!

I'm just worried they'd question in the UK how I can be travelling for business with a baby, but because we have a family company and I would be staying with family it's not that strange. And I can hardly leave the baby at home.

If being turned away from the flight is the worst thing that could happen I might just have to try. I could put it off for another few weeks if I really had to but there seems to be no end in sight at the moment and I do need to go soon.

OP posts:
PuffinShop · 14/04/2021 14:57

If you're a citizen of your destination country, I would think that would be sufficient even without the trip being for business reasons?? How would it be possible for the UK to stop a citizen of another country going back to that country?

I know Icelandic citizens who are permanent residents in the UK who have come to Iceland (with their children) just for an extended stay here fairly recently and there was no issue exiting the UK as they were going to their own country.

Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 15:03

@PuffinShop as I understood it, because the UK has a 'no travel' policy unless you have a reason... You need to have a reason for travelling out of the UK. It doesn't say anywhere 'unless it's to your home country'. Repatriating is mentioned but that's not what I am doing...

But thank you, that is helpful... Partly the reason why I am posting is to hear experiences like that. I don't know if they purposely don't mention exceptions like this to put people off.

OP posts:
Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 15:10

@PuffinShop do you know if they had to fill in the document to give a reason? I just wonder what they did!

OP posts:
PuffinShop · 14/04/2021 15:43

Now I think about it, they may actually have travelled just before the requirement to fill in that declaration form came in.. but it was definitely when the official line was that non-essential foreign travel was banned. I will ask them next time I see them.

Perhaps you are right that the UK has given itself the power to stop foreign citizens returning temporarily to their home country. It does seem absolutely outrageous to me that they should be able to do this. I know that doesn't help when you're at the airport with an official between you and the plane, though.

Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 16:24

@PuffinShop tell me about it! The flights aren't expensive so I am tempted to just throw caution to the wind and do it. Worst case scenario they don't allow me to go. (I guess the worst case scenario would be a fine but I am not sure what basis I could be fined on if I did have a legitimate reason....)

OP posts:
Schulte · 14/04/2021 16:34

Watching with interest. I too have been wondering whether they would stop me from travelling to my home country since I live in the UK but with an EU passport... if anyone has managed to leave the UK and come back then I’d love to hear about it!

Original poster
mightybuzz · 14/04/2021 16:44

@Schulte I'm not surprised, I think there will be many of us. I know there is nothing in the regulations of my home country that state that I cannot come in - and I think this is EU wide.

As I understand regardless of your nationality though you need a reason to say why you are travelling, as leisure travel isn't permitted at this time.

I do actually have a reason to go, but am still worried about the whole process. Like I said above though, I am tempted to just try quite soon. If I do I will definitely update! But I hope someone will come along and share.

OP posts:
poppycat10 · 14/04/2021 17:27

If it's a business reason it's not leisure travel - the idea is to stop leisure travel. It will be fine.

Also - do you need to fly? I wonder if it might be easier going by train or ferry.

101spacehoppers · 14/04/2021 20:16

Yes, a couple of weeks ago. Legitimate reason (we're crown servants). No one questioned why the children specifically, although we did have a connection in Rome and that was chaos (told us we needed Covid tests for the kids when we didn't). No one checked the UK gov declaration form with the reasons, but there was a fair bit of paperwork to do at check in we hadn't had before that was mostly about a country we weren't even going to enter (Italy).

There were quite a few other kids on the flight and at the airport.

My advice would be- print everything out, leave extra time and take lots of snacks.

Kitkat151 · 14/04/2021 20:30

There’s Regularly been up to 6 hour queues for all the Covid documentation at airports.....make sure you got plenty of supplies for your little one

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