UAE drops pre-arrival PCR tests for vaccinated arrivals
If you are traveling to the United Arab Emirates you will need to check the requirements of the emirate you are visiting as they have different requirements. The good news is that the UAE as a whole has dropped pre-arrival testing for those who are fully vaccinated. Those who are not fully vaccinated will still need to be tested.
Here are Dubai’s full requirements on the Emirates page:
As of February 26, 2022, passengers traveling to Dubai from all countries (GCC included) must meet one of the conditions below
- Present one or more valid vaccination certificates indicating that the passenger is fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the WHO or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and includes a QR code system; Where
- Present a valid Covid‑19 negative test certificate which must be based on a molecular diagnostic test intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS‑COV‑2 viral RNA, which is issued within 48 hours of collection of the sample and delivered by an authorized health service provider, with a QR code system; Where
- Present a valid medical certificate issued by the competent authorities that the passenger has recovered from the Coronavirus SARS Cov-19 within one month from the date of recovery until the date of arrival, with a QR code system
Upon request, passengers must undergo a PCR test upon arrival in Dubai and self-quarantine until they receive a negative result. If the passenger tests positive, they should follow the guidelines issued by the relevant health authority in the Emirate of Dubai.
Note that printed or digital PCR test certificates or vaccination certificates are accepted in English or Arabic and must include a QR code. SMS certificates are not accepted. COVID 19 PCR test or vaccination certificates in other languages are acceptable if they can be validated at the point of departure.
For Passenger(s) in transit, the entry rules and conditions at the final destination will apply.
Travelers arriving in Abu Dhabi will also be required to take a free COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival. The official Etihad page is here.
Qantas brings back LON-SIN-SYD
Qantas A380 Inflight Lounge
In other good news, Qantas has announced that it will bring back its A380 flights from Sydney to London via Singapore. Flights will resume in June with QF1. At the same time, the new Qantas Singapore First lounge is expected to reopen after being closed throughout the pandemic.
New Qantas A380 business class seat
Singapore has recently relaxed its transit rules so that you can now leave transit areas to visit the airport and normal lounges. However, there is still a cap on the number of transit passengers allowed, so Qantas will not be able to resume flights until at least June.
In addition to good news, the A380s will be facelifted A380s with new business class seats, refreshed first class and premium lounges on board.
The London – Darwin – Sydney service will continue until June 19, when London – Perth will resume.
HT: Australia’s Executive Traveler
Finnair returns long-haul planes to London
A330 business class
One of the advantages of the Finnair flight from London to Asia, besides the great prices, was the fact that you could fly on a long-haul plane from London to Helsinki. Before Covid, they operated A330s and A350s on the road with long-haul flat seats. Due to lack of demand during Covid these have reverted to short haul aircraft.
The good news is that from March 2, Finnair will restart its daily A330 service on AY1331 and AY1332. Although the A330 isn’t as good as the A350, it still has decent flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. So it’s a great way to start your journey. BA stopped flying to Helsinki during the pandemic, so flights are codeshare BA (BA6031 and BA6032). Finnair has something of a monopoly in Helsinki with prices starting at around £600 in business class. Still, you can often fly to Asia for around £1,000-1,500 with them in business class!
HT: Air travel to London
