Anyone travelled from Heathrow in the last week or two (to Italy)

[MrsWonderland]

Has anyone travelled from Heathrow in the last few weeks? How busy was the airport? What additional procedures are there? Are they doing temperature checks outside/inside. Are there queues that are longer than normal?

Also anyone flown BA to Rome. How busy was the flight? We're you able to take hand luggage?

[timeforawine]

Sorry to hijack OP but it's a great question. Has any flown from Manchester recently? we've booked our security slot 1hr45 before our flight, is that enough? Did you feel ok in the airport? We have masks/hand gel
Hope anyone travelling soon has a lovely trip. another month until mine and i can't wait

[MrsWonderland]

Are you in Rome or travelling on from there? We are picking up a car from SixT and driving straight up to Umbria but have heard Rome is incredibly quiet so wondering whether it's worth a few hours on the way back.

[CushionsandCandles]

Snap.
Driving to Umbria. We plan to avoid Rome

[CushionsandCandles]

Roads are quiet, it's 32C and the sunflowers are out.
All good!

[MrsWonderland]

OMG. I cannot wait!!

[MrsWonderland]

Update. We're on the plane. Heathrow was busier than expected. Long queue for bag drop. Everyone in masks but not at 2m distance. Once we got airside it's was much easier. Temperature check very easy. Annoyingly long forms to fill out for each passenger (shame we couldn't complete in advance). Small hand luggage that fits under the seat in front mandatory (some check in staff quite rigid on size and measurement. Others more relaxed if it looked back pack size.). See you on the other side.

[MrsWonderland]

Flight full!

[redcactus]

Not Heathrow but we flew Stansted to italy on Thursday. Nice and quiet. Normal check in procedure. Masks throughout but only enforced on plane. No getting up to queue for toilet. Took hand luggage on board, Ryanair prefer this.

Was a peaceful and eventless journey. When we arrived (Pisa) we social distanced through customs and used the automated passport machine, no extra checks. Ryanair had sent us a form for the Italian border control but we weren't asked for it.

[notimagain]

Thanks for the update MrsWonderland..

"Heathrow was busier than expected."
"Flight full!"

I bet the "Leadership Team" are really glad you shared that with us..

[ssd]

If flights are full, is there no social distancing on planes then?

[Meredusoleil]

Doesn't sound like it. Hence the obligation to wear a mask!

[ssd]

I didn't think masks were used in place of social distancing though. Seems a bit daft.

[Meredusoleil]

Yes you're right. They're not supposed to be instead of, but as well as. But it's an aeroplane afterall. What should we expect?

[ssd]

I suppose social distancing on planes would cut capacity by about two thirds.
Or maybe something about the air circulation makes it safer??

[Meredusoleil]

Who knows? I think that's what the airlines are saying. But I'm more inclined to think they want to maximise sales from bookings, by filling the most seats they can!

[CushionsandCandles]

Sounds a different experience to ours the week before on the same flight.
Heathrow dead and plane half full.

[notimagain]

There's been a big increase in the last week in services scheduled to operate and also a bit of a push to get more of the airport facilities opened up.

[Meredusoleil]

I think it's only going to get busier going into August 😐

[CaptainBrickbeard]

I’m desperate to know what people find flying into Greece after Wednesday when U.K. travellers are allowed in. We are due to fly there soon after and I’m not sure it’s sensible given that Greek authorities are being (rightly!) very wary of the British. I’d assumed the holiday would be cancelled but it’s apparently going ahead so I will lose the money if we choose not to go - currently very undecided!

[MrsWonderland]

@CushionsandCandles

Sounds a different experience to ours the week before on the same flight.
Heathrow dead and plane half full.

Very. We were at T5 at 6am so particularly surprised. I think it was a combo of first weekend post quarantine relaxation and start of the Summer season. V interested in hearing about your return.

I can't say it was a pleasant experience. Arrival in Rome also challenging and slow. They weren't allowing use of self scan passport machines so each flight was (separately) lined up behind one or two Italian customs desks who took a long time.

I think we found it particularly challenging as we were travelling with DS's 9+10 one of whom has ADHD and who finds flying a bit stressful anyway and the mask wearing particular uncomfortable (by Rome which was hot we definitely all felt hugely uncomfortable in them with having worn them for about 6 hours)

It was always a means to end though. Our care rental experience was quick at least unlike yours (despite them trying a hard upsell) and after a longish drive (sunflowers glorious as you said!) we were all incredibly relieved to arrive at our accommodation. Definitely a pool day today!

Good luck to those travelling.

[CushionsandCandles]

Will let you know about return but we have another week here.
Funny- I've got two DS's the same age. So if you see a family of four Brits in Umbria give us a wave - haven't seen any other Brits yet.
Have felt safe throughout though and Umbria has had no coronavirus cases now for 5 weeks.