Fly me to the Moon - your 3rd travel Megathread - read OP

Arrived in Dublin today, test checked meticulously in UK and Dublin didn’t ask for PLF but refused passengers from boarding that didn’t have the right documentation, don’t risk it folks.

Hey everyone,

Quick question - Myself and my partner live in Spain and we are due to fly back to Dublin on December 22.

We’re fully vaccinated and are booked in to get Antigen tests the day before we travel (December 21).

We’re flying with Aer Lingus and have downloaded the VeriFLY app.

I’ve created a trip in the app, added both of us to the trip but I’m a bit confused about the process.

There are 4 steps we need to complete: Travel Authorization, Vaccination/Recovery Confirmation, COVID-19 Test Review & Before you go to the airport.

Travel Authorization:

We can’t do this until this Sunday. What does it entail?

Vaccination/Recovery Confirmation:

We completed this step and ticked the box to say we were vaccinated. The app shows that this step is complete however, we weren’t asked to upload our vaccination cert?

COVID-19 Test Review:

I assume this is where we will be uploading the Antigen test results the day before we travel?

Before you go to the airport:

What does this entail?

I’m going to be bringing printed versions of everything with me anyway but would be very grateful if someone could walk me through the above?

Also, passenger locator form. Is this included in VeriFLY’s process (possibly in the Travel Authorization step?) or do we just need to do that separately?

Many thanks in advance.

I had a similar experience in Poland this weekend

*just in passing

When we came back from Germany last week they checked everything in Germany, certs, PLF's and the negative vaccine results. Airport staff checked everyone in the queue while we were waiting to board the flight to Ireland.

Funnily enough in Dublin airport nothing was checked, we were actually told to go through the eGates so no interaction with staff. Perhaps Germany called them and said they checked beforehand? 🤔

Heading to the states on 27th for 2 weeks , Florida.

if they do the dirty on us while we’re over there and slap early january quarantines in on return to Ireland, so be it. It’ll be worth it to get away.

travelling back to Dublin but upto the north though so might get off anyway

Not looked in media but appears US now asking for PCR test within 24 hours of flight.

Friend visiting us heading back to the US yesterday, did PCR Friday, had to do another to fly.

Impossible to know. The flights I'm watching have come down significantly in the last week. I suspect in the new year the could be new rules about the DCC aimed at giving people certainty/ protecting aviation and flights will go back up again.

Or there will be even more chaos and they'll plummet.

Aer Lingus are the only ones I trust to honour their T&Cs though so if you see a good price I'd go for it.

ah right I thought poster meant PCR only: yeah 24hrs is ok as long as they stick to antigen being acceptable: have mine booked at Dublin airport randox day before travel:

From above if someone wants the full lot:

Passengers prevented from entering the Republic because they have not got the correct Covid test results have potential grounds for legal action against the State, lawyers say.

Airlines prevented Irish and EU citizens from boarding flights to the State last week amid confusion over revived rules demanding that travellers have negative Covid test results before arriving.

Lawyers say Irish or EU citizens refused in this way could potentially take a legal challenge, as they have a right to land in the country.

Barrister and Trinity College Dublin lecturer Patricia Brazil says that Irish citizens have a right to land in their home country and notes that the State cannot deport them.

EU citizens have the right of freedom of movement within the union. Individual states, including the Republic, can derogate from this on several grounds, including public health.

Ms Brazil points out, however, that any measures taken in this circumstance have to be proportionate.

She stresses that anyone taking such a case after being barred by an airline would have to show that the business was acting on the State’s behest, rather than its own initiative.

Airlines can bar passengers from boarding flights for numerous reasons, including safety or not having the correct identification.

“This situation is still very novel,” Ms Brazil says, adding that the courts had yet to try the issue of whether someone without the proper Covid tests could be prevented from entering the Republic.

David Kenny, associate law professor at Trinity College Dublin, agrees that Irish citizens have a right to land in their home country.

He points out that the regulations make it an offence for someone to arrive in the Republic without the correct Covid test result, so they do not appear to envisage airlines barring people without these documents.

Prof Kenny also maintains that a passenger barred by an airline could take a case, but similarly argues that they would have to show the airline was effectively doing the State’s work when it prevents them from boarding.

Ms Brazil adds that various challenges to the controversial hotel quarantine introduced earlier this year showed the courts were prepared to give the State some latitude when it came to dealing with the pandemic.

Government announced early last week that it was introducing rules demanding that vaccinated travellers have a negative result from an antigen test taken within 48 hours of arriving in the State.

Those who are not vaccinated must show a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours of their arrival.

The Government first said it would apply the rules from December 3rd, but then changed this to December 5th.

However, airlines subsequently complained that they were not told of the change until late on December 2nd.

Then they maintained that it was not clear if the Government intended to apply the rule from midnight on December 4th or on December 5th.

Two passengers who travelled to London over that weekend subsequently contacted The Irish Times to say they were barred from boarding flights because they did not have the correct test results.

Ryanair stopped one person at a boarding gate in Gatwick, while Aer Lingus halted the second when he attempted to check in at its desk in the same airport.

Both had checked Government websites before travelling and say these had advised getting PCR tests after their return.

The pair were forced to delay their return for 48 hours while they arranged antigen tests in London.

When the restrictions were announced, the gov.ie website listed the option to travel with no test and isolate at home - essentially (according the government's OWN communication) there were 3 options for travel on December 5th: antigen, pcr , no test and home isolate.

The Irish Examiner newspaper printed those as the 3 options and posters like myself reposted the examiner and gov.ie on here in good faith (assuming the civil service wouldn't be so incompetent as to get something that important wrong)

Then to add insult to injury rather than admit their mistake the govt released a press release via RTE calling travellers without tests "criminals".

So if people believed they could travel without a test its on the government not them.