Some useful information based on the journey experience (London Heathrow BA – Hyderabad) – 17July.
Long read for those planning to travel to India/Hyderabad. Covered our experience into 3 categories.
A.Before the travel
1. Give Covid test within 72 hours of your flight (RT-PCR Fit to Fly Test), we paid £99 each but later realised that there are cheaper options as well (approx £65 also), so, please do your research to cut down cost if possible
2. You will get the covid negative results (they will send resuts in email as PDF attached) usually in 1.5 day (like next day, before midnight)
3. Once you get covid negative results, make sure ti complete below two steps:
3(a) Upload the certificate to passenger booking (under Manage My Booking)
3(b) Fill the Air Suvidha form on India government website with alk passenger details, including passport, India address, UK, India contact details, purpose of visit etc and upload the covid negative certificate (remember to rename the file to not have spaces, special chars etc that wikl come from your original file from covid test results) and remember to have all passport file sizes to be PDF only and under 1MB size. This form will accept registration number all travelling passengers in one go.
4. Once Air Suvidha form is filled and submitted, it’ll generate a reference number and send a PDF file (called Air Suvidha self declaration form) to your given email address.
5. Make sure to take minimum 4 printed copies of Air Suvidha forms that you have filled (per passenger)
6. Make sure to take 4 copies of Covid negative test results (per passenger)
7. Complete web check-in as usual 24 hrs before travel date/time and fill as many details as possible to avoid delays during check-in
8. Sometimes Airlines (like BA) send emails asking us to drop off luggage day before the travel to avoid long queues on the travel day (opt this if possible as per your convenience)
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B. Travel Day
9. Better to be arrive at airport 3hrs before flight
10. Temperature screening extra step before entering check-in queue
11. Check-in process has been normal (with lean staff) but expect delays, surprises and better to spend couple of hours at airport than rushing
12. Security check-in as usual
13. Before flight is boarded face sheilds are given that are to be worn throughout the journey
14. Flight boarding as usual
15. Two kinds of forms given to be filled-in
15a. Regular Arrival Card for foreign passport holders
15b. Declaration-cum-option form to be filled wherein you’re agreeing that you will install/use Aarogya Setu App and more importantly hotel categories that you would opt (with costs) in case hotel quarantine is required. Expected to fill, choose options and sign the form.
16. Air Suvidha form is also given in flight , just in case you missed to fill or aubmit online. (better to fill/submit online)
17. Except that crew will be in PPE kits, rest is normal, as usual.
18. Food, in-flight services – as usual
C. Upon Arrival
19. Depending upon queue size, and depending upon if transiting or final destination, passengers may be asked to be seated in the searing area once disembarked from flight.
20. All document copies will need to be submitted in various departments/stalls (for Indian Medical Health Organisation, for Covid test team, for Airport authority)
21. Get Covid test (Rs.1250/- per person) in one of counters. Results will be sent to given email address same day.
22. Get home quarantine stamp on hand and proceed with Immigration, submit one set if Air Suvidha form along witg regular immigration procedures
23. Proceed to baggage collection as usual
Finally, no need to panic, but take all safety measures and have safe flight Stay Safe!
