Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Day 2 PCR tests
kitz90 · 21/08/2021 21:03
I'm just back from hols in Mallorca having been out there with my husband and 3 kids (all between 5 & 10 years old).
The PLF to return to the UK didn't ask for day 2 PCR codes for the children, it only asked for codes for the adults.
I'm now doubting whether I needed to spend almost £150 on day 2 tests for the kids and whether I need to use them. Me and the hubby will obviously do ours. I just wondered what other peoples experiences were?
Faevern · 29/08/2021 12:42
Agree that I wish I hadn’t paid for DCs test as they were added to my PLF so didn’t need their reference numbers. Had to show all my forms though and they were looked at properly at the airports.
We did the day 2 tests but don’t see how anyone could possibly check whether DCs were done, how could they follow up all of these children? Do the companies have some link up with the PLF forms and send the info back to cross reference? I doubt it.
We went with Randox, they were the cheapest and results were within 24 hours. Wish I had kept the DC’s tests to use for me and a friend next week.
Augtwo · 31/08/2021 11:01
@tedsletterofthelaw
Nobody checks, and by the time you get your results, if positive you could have potentially been spreading covid for 5 days so what is the actual point?
Boils my piss.
Exactly this!
DurhamDurham · 01/09/2021 07:03
Has anyone recently come back from Malta? We're due to go in just over a week and have sorted out the PLFs, the Covid passes but we haven't booked the tests yet.
Will book the day two tests but aren't sure what to do about the tests we need before boarding the flight back, do we book when we're there in the resort or should we order them online to take with us? It's all so confusing and just seems to be a money making exercise.
ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff · 01/09/2021 10:18
@Faevern
We did the day 2 tests but don’t see how anyone could possibly check whether DCs were done, how could they follow up all of these children? Do the companies have some link up with the PLF forms and send the info back to cross reference? I doubt it.
We went with Randox, they were the cheapest and results were within 24 hours. Wish I had kept the DC’s tests to use for me and a friend next week.
Do you still have the email when you bought them? The code will be on that.
Faevern · 01/09/2021 10:27
@ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff I do but I have used the tests on DCs. I could use the code on a PLF but I would have no test to take and I don’t know if that would flag up that I didn’t do the day 2 test?
ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff · 01/09/2021 10:32
I did it. Well I'm about to. Sitting in Palma airport and I got the QR code from a day 2 test I used for the code but didn't actually use for a trip in July.
I'll let you know in a few hours if I encounter any problems!
ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff · 01/09/2021 10:33
Sorry to answer your question I didn't for my last trip and nothing was flagged.
Like PP's said, it's a money making scam exercise in my opinion.
Faevern · 01/09/2021 19:01
@ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff do you mean you didn’t do the PCR day 2 and no one noticed?
I wonder if the codes can be reused or random codes could be entered with no tests being taken?
ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff · 01/09/2021 19:05
@Faevern Yes. I didn't take it and no one noticed. I used the same code that I used previously for my flight today, received the QR code and flew back no problem. It was checked at Palma, no checks in Scotland.
Faevern · 01/09/2021 19:10
Wow, thanks for that, it was scrambling my head how this could all be tracked, it would seem it can’t.
ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff · 01/09/2021 19:11
My friend also forgot to send her day 2 test back after being in Ibiza and she heard nothing either.
Twiglets1 · 01/09/2021 19:15
@DurhamDurham you need to order the flow tests you will need to take on holiday (to return to the U.K.) before your trip and take them with you. We did this and carried them in our hand luggage so they didn’t get too battered.
chillibeansauce · 01/09/2021 19:22
My 12 year old travels alone (they have a special service for minors) to Italy and no one asked for her day 2 test booking confirmation on arrival. Really annoying.
KnottyKnitting · 01/09/2021 20:11
You need the PCR code for the locator form for the return journey. We dutifully did these and paid £40 each for the postal PCR- got the results ( negative) but no one checked. I wonder if they are positive that the company report this?
Some people in the resort we stayed in said they were going to put a random code in on the locator form- not sure if they got away with it!
Delatron · 01/09/2021 20:28
I did initially enter the code wrong and it didn’t accept it.
I won’t get the codes/kits for the kids next time. (Or pay for a bloody courier to rush the test back).
ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff · 01/09/2021 20:34
Don't even buy new codes! If I go away again (which I can't see me doing anytime soon) I'll be recycling the code, again.
Delatron · 01/09/2021 20:46
I’m going away in October. I’m tempted to try the same codes. I guess if they don’t work I’ll just buy a couple more tests when I’m out there for the codes. Hmm.
Genegenieee · 01/09/2021 20:48
If flying BA, the BA VeriFLY app asks for the codes for adults and teens.
We saw people at Heathrow having to show print outs for the tests taken pre departure, vaccination records and booking tests - I wondered if they do random checks
RacistAngst · 01/09/2021 20:50
@Delatron
It seems that many people are doing just that according to Twitter
DurhamDurham · 01/09/2021 21:27
@Twiglets1 thank you
Just ordered from Excalibur a 'travel pack' which includes both the lateral flow one to do before travelling back and the day two one once home. Reviews are mixed online but the reviews seem to be patchy with all of the companies.
Twiglets1 · 01/09/2021 21:48
Yes I agree about the reviews always being mixed. The main thing is you have done what they want so the holiday can go ahead with no problems
DurhamDurham · 01/09/2021 21:52
Thank goodness for that, I keep imagining myself on the beach next week and it'll all be worth it 
Twiglets1 · 02/09/2021 06:50
@DurhamDurham
That's the thing - the paperwork is a faff but we just got back from Gran Canaria and the sunshine and lovely views and evenings out make it all worthwhile!
PersephoneJames · 02/09/2021 07:24
Nobody checks. I’ve had to go to the uk for a few weekends this summer but because the UK rules are so insane I’ve had to buy the day 2 and day 8 tests to get in, even though I fly home on day 1.
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