Faro airport

[Geoff]

Just to say our hearts sank when we saw only one border post open yesterday (4pm) , but fortunately they quickly opened another 2 and we seemed to be the only plane, so cleared in barely 15 minutes. EJ at Bristol just asked if we had covid jab proof & locator forms but didn't want to see them : at Faro they never even asked!
Departures didn't look good though, though it was the end of half term....we heard that on Thursday some friends took 1.5 hours to clear baggage/security when leaving. Shame about the weather though!

[Braken]

Departed Faro Airport Tues 9 Nov. easyJet two flights checking in within 25 minutes of each other. ONLY three check in desks open to check in circa 360
passengers!!

Clearly people who download all the necessary info: Boarding Pass, Locator Form & Proof of Vaccinations to their i phone, then 60%+ have no clue as to how to access it on their phones causing long ques and delays!

I suggest easyJet has two lines one for the muppets with phones & one for those who have the "PAPERWORK"

Maybe the 10+ people who missed their Glasgow flight because of the above will either learn how to access the info on their phones or have paper copies as well!!

[Geoff]

Hopefully coming back 13 Jan but just come across an unexpected hurdle!

If you have covid and take an NHS PCR test ( as we did) your covid pass information is wiped off the NHS covid pass app. This is apparently because some devious people continue to fly , using the app, even though they have covid.

The app info is apparently re-instated 10-14 days after either testing/isolation finishes...not sure which.

[widge]

Thanks for this advice Geoff. I hadn't thought about the repercussions of testing positive and your Covid passport status before.

[carolyn]

Believe you may also get a 'recovery certificate' on the App, as PCR tests can still show positive long after infection has gone. Need to check with a friend to confirm this.

[Geoff]

Believe you may also get a 'recovery certificate' on the App, as PCR tests can still show positive long after infection has gone. Need to check with a friend to confirm this.

Be grateful if you could please....the 119 agent said the " proof of recovery" should be sent to phone 10-14 days after PCR test date, but neither my daughter nor wife have yet received it, and my NHS App still showing " no vovid 19 records found" although I am only on day 11 at moment.

The Easyjet site says Proof of Recovery will count instead of pre-departure PCRs/antigen tests.....so could save the cost of testing it we get them in time.

[carolyn]

Have checked with the friend who had Covid with confirmed PCR. Her Covid Pass on the NHS App disappeared - replaced with statement saying she had had a positive PCR. Around day 11 it reappeared with an additional page (accessed by sliding left) which was a recovery certificate. This is all on the NHS App - not the NHS Covid app.
Hope this is what you find, as guess this is what EJ/Portugal will accept.

[Geoff]

Thanks...all the covid 19 info reappeared today, day 11, along with " proof of recovery"....the easyjet site says that the " proof of Recovery" can be used instead of an antigen test taken 48 hours before arrival....though the UK Govt site doesn't say this...and Trailfinders say you need this as well as an antigen test!
Portuguse Tourist site ( https://www.visitportugal.com/en/conten ... d-portugal) states :

Mandatory negative test for all flights arriving in Portugal, even for those who have a digital vaccination certificate, regardless of the point of origin of the flight or the passenger's nationality:

- RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or
- Laboratorial Rapid Antigen Test - 48h before boarding, or
- A valid test or recovery EU Digital COVID Certificate, or

- A valid recovery certificate issued by a third country, under reciprocal conditions:Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Switzerland, El Salvador, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Israel, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, The Vatican (https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-tra ... ificate_en)

Think I'll raise it as a separate topic to see if anyone has used it successfully!

[Geoff]

Amazingly effecient Faro yesterday....all the "EU only" passport desks open for the UK flight....separate checking of test certificates....all very quick.....and yes, a recovery pass would have worked!
It's great to be back.