Officials warn airports could face five-hour queues at the border when UK opens up to the US and EU on Monday as they call for vaccine checks to be done 'upstream' to save Border Force

Officials said staff should expect the staggering waiting times during peak hours
Border Force union warned of more queuing if they have to check vaccine status
But the Department for Transport said travellers would be checked before flying

Published: 09:59 BST, 30 July 2021 | Updated: 10:05 BST, 30 July 2021

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Airports could face five-hour queues when Britain opens up to the US and most of the EU next week, ministers have been warned.

Officials said staff should expect the staggering waiting times during peak hours after international travel restrictions are relaxed on Monday.

They called for vaccine checks to be done 'upstream' - at the border before people fly - to help out airport workers in the UK.

The Border Force union said there will be more queuing for passengers if they have to check the jab status of arrivals but did not think it would be 'catastrophic'.

But the Department for Transport last night confirmed to MailOnline travellers would be checked before people fly to Britain.

England will allow US and EU travellers who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus to enter without the need to quarantine from Monday.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the new rules on Wednesday following intense pressure from the travel sector.

The Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Assembly followed the move.

But earlier this month the US State Department advised all Americans not to travel to the UK due to the Delta variant and this is not expected to change until August.

Officials said staff should expect the staggering waiting times during peak hours after international travel restrictions are relaxed on Monday. Pictured: Heathrow last weekend

The Border Force union said there could be more queuing for passengers if they have to check the jab status of arrivals but did not think it would be 'catastrophic'. Pictured: Gatwick last weekend

The Department for Transport last night confirmed to MailOnline travellers would be checked before people fly. Pictured: Heathrow last weekend

What a French farce! UK says France went on amber-plus list over Covid cases on island 6,000 miles away

A fresh row erupted over France being put on the amber-plus list last night after Dominic Raab admitted it was because of Covid cases on an island 6,000 miles away from Paris.

The Foreign Secretary yesterday said the country had been added to the list because of high levels of the Beta coronavirus variant on the French island of La Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

His claim came in the wake of a series of Government denials that this was the case.

The decision two weeks ago to put France on the list triggered fierce controversy and led to thousands of fully-vaccinated holidaymakers having to self-isolate for ten days on their return.

It also sparked a diplomatic row with Paris. French president Emmanuel Macron is said to be annoyed about the decision to place France on the amber-plus list.

UK officials warned ministers before the Covid-Operations committee's move to open up travel it will cause a huge surge in arrivals.

They said it could lead to staggering queues of up to five hours at airports during peak times.

According to the Times, they called for vaccination checks to be done 'upstream' to limit pressure on Border Force workers.

But the enforcement agency's union said they did not think the queues would be 'catastophic' depending on if they had to check vaccine passports.

A spokesman told MailOnline: 'It depends on the traffic. All the resources we have are there but there will still be queues.

'We don't have fewer staff than before the pandemic but they are structured differently.

'There are queues in normal years, that won't be different. If we have to check vaccination certificates, which we're not sure if we will have to, then it will be different.

'The problem has been checking them at the border for the Department for Health.

'There will be more waiting but it will not be catastrophic. It won't be as bad as we have seen during the pandemic if we don't have to check these documents.'

The Department for Transport last night said EU passengers will use an electronic system to show their vaccine status while in the US they have physical copies that will be checked by airlines before departure.

It will help speed up Border Force moving people through British airports when they land.

The UK has a far higher case rate than the US currently - but the countries are on different trajectories

Tide of bookings after cruises comeback

Bookings for ocean cruises and transatlantic flights have surged following the relaxation of travel restrictions. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced fully vaccinated travellers from amber countries will not have to quarantine. It means from Monday, liners will be able to take passengers to foreign destinations for the first time in more than a year.

To meet the pent-up demand, Viking Cruises has opened up bookings for three years and launched expeditions across the globe inclu-ding river cruises on the Mekong in Vietnam, the Nile in Egypt and the Mississippi in America. P&O Cruises and Cunard anno-unced international travel dates after being inundated with requests. Meanwhile demand for flights from the US to the UK has surged since the Government announced the scrapping of the quarantine requirement for fully jabbed travellers from America.

Virgin Atlantic said it had more than three times as many bookings for New York to London flights compared with a week earlier. The reopening of Britain's borders is a major boast to the cruise industry, which has suffered a worldwide loss of £36billion and 334,000 jobs since March 2020.

The sector was shut down at the start of the pandemic and the Foreign Office had to repatriate some 19,000 Britons on 60 cruise ships hit by Covid outbreaks. After 14 months, domestic cruises have been permitted since May 17. But it is the reintroduction of international cruising that may save the industry.

The Foreign Office has removed its advice against cruise travel and operators said they will pay to repatriate passengers if necessary. Tom McAlpin, boss of Virgin Voyages, said: 'This is tremendous news for UK cruising. It's been a long, challenging 18 months, and not only are people ready to travel again, they're ready to do it in style – and importantly – in the safest way possible.'

Airlines reported staggering booking surges yesterday, with trips from New York to London spiking by 250 per cent while overall reservations from the US leaped 100 per cent week on week.

There was also a 'swift uptick' in bookings from Portugal, Italy and Greece after quarantine was axed for double-jabbed visitors.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesman told MailOnline: 'Following confirmation that isolation and quarantine for fully vaccinated EU and US citizens arriving into the UK will be removed from 2 August, Virgin Atlantic has seen a significant uptick in interest in travel from the US to the UK.

'Overall flight bookings are up by more than 100 per cent week on week, with bookings from New York to London increasing by nearly 250 per cent, compared to the previous week.'

An easyJet spokesman said: 'Following the announcement, we have seen a positive impact on flight bookings, including on flights between Europe and the UK, now that those who are fully vaccinated and no longer need to quarantine.

'Should passengers wish to move their flights to after the restriction is lifted on Monday, all easyJet customers are able to change their flights this summer without a change fee at any time up to two hours before departure, providing even more last-minute flexibility.'

And flight price expert Gavin Harris, from Skyscanner, said the cost of bookings is staying low as airlines try to entice more customers.

He added: 'Travel providers - including airlines - are using price to help encourage bookings and build confidence as people start to travel again, and this extremely competitive marketplace is fantastic news for travellers looking for good value trips.

'Many providers have been vocal about their plans to keep prices as attractive as possible, so if you know how to search and compare there are many amazing deals.

'Travel is returning, with many countries relaxing rules and popular spots in Europe and further afield welcoming travellers once again.

'We expect prices to fluctuate with demand, but generally we will see providers keep fares low as they compete to win back travellers' business as they dust off their suitcases and return to the skies.'

Passengers in the international arrivals hall at Terminal 2 of London Heathrow Airport are pictured yesterday

Curb rip-off tests to let UK soar, say travel chiefs

Travel chiefs and business leaders demanded ministers act to reduce the cost of rip-off tests for holidaymakers.

Ministers announced on Wednesday that restrictions on international travel will be scrapped – allowing cruises to begin again. They also said that double-jabbed US and EU travellers will be able to travel to the UK without the need to quarantine.

But there was nothing said about the high cost of tests that travellers must take to prove their Covid negative status, which can be hundreds of pounds. Abta, the group which represents tour operators and travel agents, welcomed the resumption of cruising but warned barriers remain. A spokesman said: 'We need to see the Government make further progress on making testing more affordable and proportionate, and we need to see more destinations added to the green list at next week's review.'

Cabinet ministers agreed to remove self-isolation rules from 4am this Monday for citizens from the US and some parts of the EU.

At this week's meeting, Boris Johnson personally pushed for the new rules, arguing: 'If we don't let travel restart now, when are we going to do it?'

Currently, only people who received their jabs in the UK from the NHS can avoid quarantine when arriving back from amber list countries.

But under the new system, tourists will not have to isolate for ten days upon arrival if they have had a complete course of vaccines approved by the US or EU medical authorities.

The rules will also benefit British expats living in the US or on the Continent.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'We're helping reunite people living in the US and European countries with their family and friends in the UK.'

Amber arrivals who have been fully vaccinated in the US and European countries will still be required to complete a pre-departure test, alongside a PCR test on or before day two after arrival.

The current requirement for a test on day eight will be dropped but those vaccinated in the US will also need to provide proof of US residency.

The exception to the plans will be arrivals from France, who will continue to be required to enter quarantine because of the spread of the Beta variant in the country.

Bill for testing cost almost as much as flights

by Martin Beckford

It was in the dark days of the winter lockdown that I booked a summer family holiday to Spain. Like millions of Britons, I wanted my children to have something to look forward to while stuck at home. And I felt sure that the vaccination programme would see foreign travel back on track within a few months.

Months of anxiety later, my gamble appeared to have paid off as foreign travel restarted and then double-jabbed passengers like me were told we would not have to isolate on return from Amber list countries – just days before we were due to fly. But it quickly became apparent that not all of the ever-changing rules had been relaxed as I had hoped. To get into Spain, my eldest child, 12, would have to take a commercial test less than 48 hours before arrival – but some providers said it took that long to get the results. And what if her swab got lost in the post?

It seemed safer to go to a drive-thru centre for a quick test that would be accepted in Spain and the 'fit to fly' declaration within an hour – but that cost £136 for my daughter and me. I got one myself in case my vaccination certificate wasn't accepted. To our relief, we tested negative and last Tuesday we breezed into Luton airport with only a cursory check of our printed test certificates, and had our Health Control Form QR codes successfully scanned at Alicante.

Getting back to the UK this week was even more costly, however. A Spanish clinic charged us 190 Euros (£162) for two lateral flow tests although they did check our blood pressure too, probably wise given the size of the bill they had just handed me. The local doctor signed a letter to show at the boarding gate – but the airline staff barely glanced at it, let alone checked to see we hadn't just printed it ourselves at home.

The biggest testing was still to come, however. To get back into the UK, all travellers have to fill out a Passenger Locator Form online – and this requires a reference number to prove you have bought Covid tests for two days after your return. Although only 11-year-olds and older have to take pre-arrival tests, anyone over four has to get a post-arrival one so that covered all three of my children as well as me – even though I have had both jabs and already provided two negative tests in the past ten days.

The Government website claims prices start at £24 – but the cheapest I could find were £75 for self-swab ones. So that came to £300 for all of us.

And, of course, after we had spent half an hour queuing at Passport Control, the over-stretched officers had no time to study our form details. In total I have spent £598 on tests – as against £656 on flights. Anyone with more than one adult or teenager in their party would not see much change from £1,000.

But there is growing confidence that France may be taken off the 'amber-plus' list next week.

Travel and tourism bosses hailed the rule change, with Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye saying the Government had made 'the right decision'.

It follows months of criticism ministers have been too slow to restart international travel and tourism, particularly given the UK's successful vaccination rollout.

Mr Holland-Kaye said: 'We will now work with colleagues in the industry to boost UK trade, reunite family and friends and generate billions in new tourist income.'

Sean Doyle, British Airways chief executive, said the move 'will allow us to reunite loved ones and get global Britain back in business'.

Airlines UK, which represents big carriers, said the move would offer 'a lifeline for thousands of businesses reliant on international inbound travel'.

Joss Croft, of trade association UKinbound, said it would 'allow the £28billion inbound tourism sector, which supports over 500,000 jobs across the UK, to finally restart'.

Ministers announced the scheme as part of a goodwill gesture, hoping the US and other EU countries will reciprocate and allow quarantine-free access for Britons.

But at the moment it looks like such a move is unlikely from Washington, which recently said it had no plans to lift advice that US citizens should not travel here.

The new rules apply to the US, the EU, plus countries in the European Free Trade Association and the small states of Andorra, Monaco and the Vatican City.

They will have to have been inoculated with vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration or the Swiss vaccination system.

Mr Shapps said: 'We've taken great strides on our journey to reopen international travel and today is another important step forward.

'Whether you are a family reuniting for the first time since the start of the pandemic or a business benefiting from increased trade – this is progress we can all enjoy.

'We will of course continue to be guided by the latest scientific data but thanks to our world-leading domestic vaccination programme, we're able to look to the future and start to rebuild key transatlantic routes with the US while further cementing ties with our European neighbours.'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'By reopening quarantine-free travel for travellers who have been fully vaccinated in European countries and the USA, we're taking another step on the road to normality which will reunite friends and families and give UK businesses a boost.'

Claire Walker, from the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'Businesses will also want to see Government do everything it can to... drive down the cost of any tests required for travellers.'