British and Virgin, fast-track lanes for vaccinees kick off at London Heathrow

The post-pandemic restart is faltering, and it's not hard to see why: between Green Passes, last-minute closures, and secure borders, not everyone has the "courage" to fly. There is too much uncertainty: in the destination country, rules could change abruptly, curfews and lockdowns are feared. And that's why many choose to stay in Italy for their vacation.

However, airlines are going all out. Just think of Lufthansa and British Airways with "Pay when you fly" option., which allows you to pay for your flight only just before you leave. Now, again from British, but this time together with Virgin Atlantic, here comes a new initiative: the Fast lanes for vaccinees, at the airport in London Heathrow.

How vaccine fast lanes work

At present, vaccine fast lanes are only a test. But it is not ruled out that, in the future, they will become the norm. How do they work? First of all, the initiative addresses only to those flying to London Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic or British Airways and departing from New York, Los Angeles, Athens, and Montego Bay (Jamaica). The four cities, according to the British classification, are "amber" (medium-low risk) areas. Which means that, anyone returning to the UK from one of them must normally undergo "only" a 10-day self-isolation. This is precisely what the vaccine fast lanes are for: to Avoid quarantine for those who have already completed the vaccination cycle (but also to avoid the often lengthy anti-Covid screening operations upon arrival at the airport).

Commenting on the initiative was Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kate: "The experiment will allow us to demonstrate that from July 19, pre-departure and arrival checks on vaccines can be conducted safely at check-in and fully vaccinated passengers can avoid quarantine." When the fast lanes debut on July 19, the UK will say goodbye to almost all restrictions. In spite of the Delta variant, which shows no signs of slowing down.

Carriers' comments

"We are already helping our customers prove their vaccination status when traveling to other countries that require it, outside the UK, and we are confident that we can do this for those entering the UK as well," commented Sean Doyle, chief executive officer of British Airways. In fact, to be eligible for the vaccine fast lanes, travelers must present a vaccination certificate (digital or paper) before departure.

"To benefit from the worldwide success of its vaccine plan, the U.K. government must act now to eliminate self-isolation for fully vaccinated passengers arriving from amber countries no later than the scheduled July 19 reopening," Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said instead.

Although it is only an experiment, what will soon debut at Heathrow may turn into a concrete possibility in the near future. After all, the world, as well as companies and airports, cannot afford to stand still much longer. . And here everyone is working to allow free travel at least for those who have completed the vaccine.