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Original poster

Travel to France what happens if your flight is delayed LFT timing?

44 replies

rookiemere · 10/02/2022 14:10

Argh I've been a bit of an idiot. I was so keen to confirm that I was negative that I did my lft for France at 12.49 as the recorded time.

We're flying to France on Saturday at 11.20 am, but if flight was delayed more than an hour or so then it means my test was taken outside the 48 hrs allowed.

I can't find any advice on what would happen in this scenario. Luckily DH and DS haven't done their tests yet. I could go out and buy another test tomorrow at £15 to be on the safe side, but would rather not unless I have to.

Anyone have any experience please or wording anywhere ?
Thanks

OP posts:
Risibisi · 10/02/2022 14:12

No experience but I’d rather lose £15 than risk not being allowed on the flight.

Kingstonmumof1 · 10/02/2022 14:14

You would need another one. Happened to a family member recently e.g. connecting flight was cancelled, they had to get a second lft

Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 14:16

Bum, I'm such an idiot, I think you're right - get a test and have it in my bag I got the result certificate through within minutes so I could wait and see if we were delayed at the airport.

OP posts:
catelina · 10/02/2022 14:17

Given that France is about to change its rules and scrap pre-departure tests altogether, you'd have to be very unlucky to be refused travel for such a minor error. That said, there are a lot of bad-tempered jobsworth border control gendarmes out there...

TBH i'd be tempted to risk it.

SheriffCallie · 10/02/2022 14:19

Not sure if there is any flexibility in the system re delays (I’d hope so) but are you flying from the U.K.? I thought the lft had to have been taken within 24hrs if flying from U.K.?

ButPerfectlyFormed · 10/02/2022 14:20

Can I do a mini hijack and ask a question that I and another have asked on a different thread please? We've done LFT tests with Chronomics for travel to France. They're billed as fit-to-fly but the certificates look v low tech - ie no QR codes. Can anyone reassure me that this is ok and no QR code required?

Pembertonrd · 10/02/2022 14:20

It's 24 hours, not 48.

Pembertonrd · 10/02/2022 14:24

@ButPerfectlyFormed

Can I do a mini hijack and ask a question that I and another have asked on a different thread please? We've done LFT tests with Chronomics for travel to France. They're billed as fit-to-fly but the certificates look v low tech - ie no QR codes. Can anyone reassure me that this is ok and no QR code required?
I used Randox and whilst I had a qr code the check in merely read my certificate. Which was tricky on my phone, it's really small.

As long as they're a certified company you should be OK.

MehMahMoo · 10/02/2022 14:33

@Pembertonrd
It's 48 hours if you're vaccinated, 24 hours if your not. I think. Not long since changed.

Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 14:38

I've ordered a new one can pick up tonight. If flight is delayed there will be more than enough time to do it and get the results through.

And yes it would take a particularly pernickety bureaucratic type of person to turn me away because of it, but hey French border post Brexit, so I wouldn't like to rely on the goodwill of an official.

I think with Randox you can cancel up to 14 days after buying so if it's not needed I could even get a refund.

OP posts:
ButPerfectlyFormed · 10/02/2022 14:48

@Pembertonrd Thank you!

Wiennetta · 10/02/2022 14:50

Have a look at the exact wording of the rules. When I was looking at Canadian rules - they’re referred to the test being taken X number of hours before the scheduled departure time of your flight. Not before arrival. And obviously that allows leeway if your flight departs later than scheduled.

Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 14:53

Argh I'm such a plonker @Wiennetta i didn't think to do that. Let me do that now ...

OP posts:
Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 14:54

Ah no it says 48 hrs prior to departure, not scheduled departure. Could be lost in translation, but actually I've got a back up plan and the certificate seems to come through almost immediately if I do need to use it.

OP posts:
Wiennetta · 10/02/2022 15:27

Ah worth checking! At least you’ve got a back up Smile

ButPerfectlyFormed · 10/02/2022 15:35

In case it helps anyone in the future, just coming back here to say I uploaded the certificates to Eurotunnel's website where you can provide advance passenger information and have just had notification that they've 'passed validation', which they say is done by staff rather than automatic. So I'm taking that as a good sign!

notimagain · 10/02/2022 15:45

[quote MehMahMoo]@Pembertonrd
It's 48 hours if you're vaccinated, 24 hours if your not. I think. Not long since changed.[/quote]
Correct..with 48/24 hours, as appropriate, prior to time of departure.

uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918#Vaccinated-people

With reference to the possibility of the rules changing yet again….there might be a change to zero tests for fully vaccinated by this time next week but it is not yet confirmed..

www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/pour-les-voyageurs-vaccines-la-france-va-lever-les-tests-aux-frontieres-20220208

Pembertonrd · 10/02/2022 15:49

@notimagain
Must have changed again.
I did UK to France end of January and am fully vaccinated.
Lft had to be 24 hours.
Also the ryanair check in was very thorough. Scrutinised everything.

Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 16:03

@Pembertonrd i think it changed from 24 hrs to 48 hrs for vaccinated just a couple of days ago.
I bet they will get rid of tests in time for the English half term holidays. Not much use to us from Scotland, still at £14.50 a pop (plus one extra because I'm a numpty)it's not as onerous as it used to be . Just delighted that we're able to go to be honest.

OP posts:
notimagain · 10/02/2022 17:43

[quote Pembertonrd]@notimagain
Must have changed again.
I did UK to France end of January and am fully vaccinated.
Lft had to be 24 hours.
Also the ryanair check in was very thorough. Scrutinised everything.[/quote]
Can’t recall exactly when it changed but as rookiemere says it was very recent, French consulate website gives chapter and verse.

MehMahMoo · 10/02/2022 19:06

I've paid attention to the 48/24 hrs as we have a 15yo not fully vaccinated as had covid at Xmas but travelling with 3 fully vacced adults so follows the vacced adult rules. But I'm still going with 24 hours to be sure and give some leeway.

Completely with whoever doesn't want to risk the pernickitiness of staff... we're transitting so coming back from a French green country so have the different 'sworn statement' doc from there that just has the word 'green' instead of 'orange' at the top. That document feels like something from a hundred years ago! And 15 year old has to complete one too.

Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 20:26

Argh @MehMahMoo i thought I had the right sworn statement but I see it says Green at the top, is that the wrong one for Coming from UK?

OP posts:
Original poster
rookiemere · 10/02/2022 20:34

I'm now reprinting the orange form which is handily just on two pages rather than one because goodness knows it would have been too much trouble for someone to check it fitted on one page

OP posts:
cptartapp · 10/02/2022 21:03

Butperfectlyperfoemed can't answer that specific question, but good luck with that company.
We used them for pre flight swabs last August which were only delivered after our flight had set off!! We'd had to make a last minute return dash to the airport the day before for an hours tour around swabs with Randox so we could fly. Thousands of disgruntled customers in the same boat according to Twitter. Shambolic and unreliable.

MehMahMoo · 10/02/2022 21:08

@rookiemere it's orange from UK. Surely they can't care about one word when the swearing terminology is the same just the 2 page issue I know. I feel so barking mad with it! To complicate matters (we go on Monday) my husband is getting back from an African country at 6am tomorrow meaning he doesn't have to test on the way in because it's 2hrs past that change. It's all barmy!