The HfP chat thread – Saturday 18th September

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bafan says:

18 Sep18 September 18:14

According to Reuters, Zients had told the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board that the Biden administration does not plan to ease travel restrictions. However, contact tracing will be helpful when the restrictions are lifted in the future and when people all over the world will be allowed to enter the US.

“We are exploring considering vaccination requirements for foreign nationals travelling to the United States,” Zients stated.

No official statement has been given on when international travellers will be able to travel to the US. However, it has been suggested that EU travellers may be banned from entering the US until the 2022 midterm elections.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-travellers-may-be-banned-from-entering-us-until-2022-midterm-elections-expert-warns/

Surely diplomatically that would be a massive issue.
- bafan says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 18:15
  
  The end of the copy and paste. I’m on my phone so bad editing skills damn it…
- Blenz101 says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 18:49
  
  Closed borders is playing well domestically in the US so why would Biden change anything. I think he has shown already that he is more than happy to do what suits America first.
  
  People can still get in if they go and spend time in a third county first. Much like the U.K. has been making its own citizens do unless that want to be imprisoned at their own expense.
  - Anna says:
    
    18 Sep18 September 19:33
    
    But they’re not closed to half the world, including many countries with dubious testing strategies and infection statistics! It’s completely nonsensical.
    - Blenz101 says:
      
      18 Sep18 September 19:57
      
      Oh yes. I’m aware. I’m in Dubai and have been free to enter throughout the pandemic from here even when we were thrown on the U.K. red list.
      
      It’s clearly political but the president will win no votes by being seen to roll back Trumps proclamation and the trouble that will follow if cases ever rise in the future.
    - Paul Pogba says:
      
      19 Sep19 September 00:21
      
      Biden is proud of his Oirish heritage and has inherited a (pre GFA) dislike of the British as a consequence. He has no interest in doing us any favours.
      - Anna says:
        
        19 Sep19 September 03:00
        
        But the ban includes Ireland so that makes no sense!
      - Paul Pogba says:
        
        19 Sep19 September 10:29
        
        Lots of Bidens moves are incoherent, demobbing Bagram immediately prior to a withdrawal, cancelling Keystone XL and then wondering why oil prices have risen; he’s a senile idiot.
  - BuildBackBetter says:
    
    18 Sep18 September 20:21
    
    Thought half the Americans don’t know what goes on outside the states. Foreign policy is rarely an election issue unless it results in military deaths.
  - Lady London says:
    
    19 Sep19 September 10:49
    
    Which countries can one enter the US from if British/EU? Do they all require a 14 day stay en route?
    
    Also ISTR that we can indeed transit from Canada but by land?
- Blindman says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 19:06
  
  “may be banned from entering the US until the 2022 midterm elections.”
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_United_States_elections
  
  So that’s November 2022!
  - Zoe says:
    
    18 Sep18 September 19:26
    
    So that might screw up our rescheduled Virgin Upper trip that we just moved to around the 4th July 2022.
    - Blenz101 says:
      
      18 Sep18 September 19:38
      
      Would you open up the country when there is no pressure to do so at home and your citizens can already travel freely.
      
      If he opens up any new increase in cases / deaths or a new variant will be pinned on the Democrats and him personally.
    - Andrew says:
      
      18 Sep18 September 20:21
      
      Not looking good for Virgin’s future then.
- AL says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 20:42
  
  The full FP piece is at https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/09/13/travel-bans-border-restrictions-biden-covid-pandemic/ – it’s a good read, and it’s important to consider the comments in context.
- Harry T says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 23:58
  
  This is total poppycock. Not everyone in the United States is an inward looking, xenophobic degenerate. Eventually there will be pressure to open up. The sad truth is that the covid response in the US has been subpar compared to Europe and they are struggling to control the virus, due to large cohorts of diehard anti vaxxers. Once they implement mandating vaccines, the epidemic will be better controlled and they will start to look outside of their domestic situation.
  - bafan says:
    
    19 Sep19 September 01:53
    
    The vaccine mandates will be going in front of the Supreme Court no doubt – looking at how successful domestic tourism has been for them this year they just don’t seem to need Europeans as much as we liked to think they did.
    
    I’m in Canada atm, I may extend my trip here and go down there on Day 15.
  - Lady London says:
    
    19 Sep19 September 10:53
    
    I have no idea why the US has tolerated vaccine refusal. In most States parents can’t refuse to have their children vaccinated. They simply don’t have the choice.
    
    Why the States have not mandated the same for Covid is a mystery to me.
    
    (Btw I don’t support this but that is how the US has been for other vaccines even questionable ones like the HPV one).
LM says:

18 Sep18 September 18:37

Have the UK gov and airlines got rid of the requirement to evidence your need to travel to a red list country i.e. it being an essential trip? Is the current procedure just turn up to the airport, show PCR and passport and fly?
- Blenz101 says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 18:52
  
  Outside of full lockdown where any journey outside your home has to be ‘essential’ there has never been a requirement to prove the reason for your journey based on the UK’s traffic light system.
  
  To get into a red county you just need to meet the entry requirements for that county and find an airline flying there.
  - LM says:
    
    18 Sep18 September 18:55
    
    Thanks for the help.
Reney says:

18 Sep18 September 19:45

someone claim you could get them cashed out on paypal.

You can gift the credit to friends and family. Mum hasn’t paid a phone bill since April and won’t be for a good long time!
Tarmohamed says:

18 Sep18 September 19:53

Curve Flex and Monzo Flex – this should be interesting and confusing.
Lee says:

18 Sep18 September 20:08

QQ: My flight to Doha with BA this November has been zeroed out all inventory. When will BA cancel the flight normally? Thanks
Phil says:

18 Sep18 September 20:29

Has anyone been through Gatwick North international arrivals recently? I was just wondering what immigration queue times have been like.

Thx in advance.
- Jen T says:
  
  19 Sep19 September 05:44
  
  Went through on Friday around 12pm – 6-7 people ahead of me at the E-gate. Very quick!
The cyclist says:

18 Sep18 September 21:20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRx3or3WPLs
Matthew says:

18 Sep18 September 22:34

Can’t do OLCI for my wife going to Dubai tomorrow with BA. Is this normal for checking documents? Concerned she won’t be sitting next to her friend in Club as can’t choose a seat either. Any tips or just sort at airport? Thanks.
- Tracey says:
  
  18 Sep18 September 22:45
  
  Normal as documents need checking etc
  - Matthew says:
    
    18 Sep18 September 22:48
    
    OK great thanks. Shame I can’t choose a seat now though and docs get checked at airport tomorrow.
- Rob says:
  
  19 Sep19 September 08:21
  
  Has she uploaded the necessary documentation that is required for Dubai? If not, BA will block OLCI to stop someone turning with just hand baggage and getting on the aircraft without their PCR test being checked.