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If you booked with a third party such as a travel agent, you'll need to contact them directly to discuss any queries you may have with your travel arrangements, such as rebooking, as they are best placed to help.
Since 17 May 2021, the UK Government has implemented a new framework for international travel known as the ‘traffic light’ system, which sets the conditions for entering England from countries abroad based on their allocation as either ‘green’, ‘amber’ and ‘red’. This system will be replaced by a simplified framework for international travel from 4th October. Under the current rules in effect until then, different requirements are prescribed depending on the colour assigned to the country from which you are arriving (and any others you have visited in the past 10 days). The Government published the country lists here.
Please note, this system applies to arrivals to England. You must continue to check the requirements you need to comply with for other origin or destination countries before you travel. The latest UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) foreign travel advice can be found here.
| Measures required | 🟢 Green country | 🟠 Amber country | 🔴 Red country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger Locator Form | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-departure test | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Managed Quarantine at Hotel | No | No | 10 days |
| Self-isolation | No | 10 days* | N/A |
| Test to Release | N/A | On day 5* | No |
| PCR Testing | On or before day 2 | On or before day 2 | On or before day 2 |
| Further PCR Testing | No | Day 8* | Day 8 |
To get the most up-to-date country lists and requirements for green, amber and red, please refer to the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england. Effective 4th October, a simplified framework for international travel replaces the traffic light system. More details are here.
Currently the following countries served by Virgin Atlantic Airways are allocated:
Green: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Hong Kong and Israel
Amber: China, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan, United States and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Red: Cuba, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago.
Additionally, the following Virgin Atlantic Holidays destinations are allocated:
Green: Canada, Singapore
Amber: Maldives, Mauritius, Thailand and United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Red: Bali (Indonesia), Dominican Republic and Mexico.
From 0400 BST on Monday 4th October 2021, the rules for international travel to England will change from the red, amber, green ‘traffic light system’ to a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world. More information is available via the UK Government website.
The rules for travel from countries and territories not on the red list will depend on your vaccination status.
Rest of the World (i.e. non-Red) countries
Fully vaccinated customers
If you’re fully vaccinated through an approved vaccination programme you’ll need to take these three steps before flying to England. To understand what makes you eligible for fully vaccinated status, please check GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england#fully-vaccinated
· Book and pay for a day 2 PCR COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England (from late October the required PCR test will be replaced by a lateral flow test)
· Complete your Passenger Locator Form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
· Take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive in England
If you’re fully vaccinated you will not need to take a pre-departure test; day 8 COVID-19 test or quarantine upon arrival.
Unvaccinated customers
If you do not qualify under the fully vaccinated rules; are partially vaccinated; or are not vaccinated at all, you will be subject to more stringent requirements. Before you travel to England you must:
· take a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to England
· book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arrival in England
· complete your Passenger Locator Form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
After you arrive in England you must:
· quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
· take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8
You may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.
From 0400 BST on Monday 4 October, irrespective of vaccination status, customers who have been in Red list country in the last 10 days will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish national or you have residence rights in the UK.
Before you travel to England, you must:
· take a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to England
· book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests. Book as early as possible to ensure availability as you won’t be permitted entry to England without proof of a confirmed quarantine package booking.
· complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
If you’re arriving from a Red list country to London Heathrow airport, your flight will land in Terminal 4.
When you arrive in England, you must quarantine in a managed hotel, including 2 COVID-19 tests.
President Biden’s administration announced on 20 September 2021 that the United States will open its borders for fully vaccinated international visitors from early November 2021, including British travellers.
If you’re fully vaccinated with a vaccine recognised by the United States, you’ll be able to enter the US as a visitor, be it for a holiday, business or reuniting with loved ones.
According to the White House announcement, customers will need to show proof of vaccination prior to boarding US-bound flights, and also complete a COVID-19 test within three days of departure. Once further guidance is updated about approved vaccines and accepted format of proof, we’ll update our US travel advice. Please do ensure you check the latest US entry requirements before travel, and if you’re a British national, refer to the UK FCDO website for all regular entry requirements from the UK.
We are confident that the Astra Zeneca vaccine will be accepted and this has been confirmed by spokesperson from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci.
The requirement for a pre-departure Covid-19 test, will depend on the country you’re flying to and its protocols, which may differ according to vaccination status. If you do need a test you can find details of recommended Covid-19 test providers here. If your destination accepts at-home tests, we also have easy and convenient testing bundles available with our partner Prenetics via this dedicated microsite, where you can search the country you’re flying to and it will present all the tests you need, in one simple purchase, delivered to your door.
As travel restrictions continue to ease for many countries, we’re ready to welcome you back to some of your favourite destinations, ensuring all our customers fly safe and well.
The health and safety of our customers and crew remains our number one priority and we continuously review all our health measures. We do require all customers and crew to continue to wear face masks for the duration of their flights and continue to adhere to and often exceed the guidance and regulation of the relevant authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health England (PHE), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), as well as the Covid-19 protocols set by the governments in the countries we operate to.
From mask-wearing at the airport and on-board to the personal Health Packs that every single customer will receive, more information about how you're in safe hands can be found here along with our award winning cleaning onboard, recognised by a recent Diamond status award in Health and Safety from APEX and Simpliflying.
To ensure you can book with confidence we have a flexible booking policy so that if things change, we’ve got you covered. We do understand that the Covid-19 situation remains dynamic and ongoing restrictions may pose difficulties to our customers with upcoming travel plans. If you are unable to travel for any reason, we offer as much choice and flexibility as possible to help you amend your plans.
If you booked directly with us, you can use our Rebook my flights form. We'll check availability for your chosen destination and dates, and if there's no fare difference to pay, we’ll update your booking and email your new eTicket. If we need to speak to you about anything, we'll get in touch via WhatsApp or SMS within 7 days to complete the process.
If you haven’t yet decided on new travel dates, you can convert your booking to a Travel Voucher until you’re ready. Your new travel dates can be any time up to 30th April 2023 and the same flexible booking policy applies.
You’ll need to use the full value of your open ticket. If your new ticket price is lower, we can’t refund the difference.
We continue to review our flight schedules regularly and monitor the Covid-19 situation closely. We will be in touch with any customers affected by a rescheduling or cancellation, prioritising those with the most imminent travel plans. You can also check the check the status of their flights here.
Where a flight is cancelled, we’ll be in touch with you and you can rebook your flights for a new date all the way until 30 April 2023, convert your booking to a travel voucher, or of course request a refund. More information on your options when a flight is cancelled can be found here. If you made your booking through a third party or travel agent, please contact them directly to discuss your options.
All Virgin Holidays customers with a booked travel date up until 30 April 2022 may rebook up until 30 April 2023 with the date change fee waived, or convert your booking to one of our holiday vouchers.
To simplify the options and to provide immediate peace of mind for customers whose holidays are cancelled, we’re automatically providing an ATOL-protected digital voucher for the value of your trip, redeemable up until 30 September 2022, which you can use to rebook a package holiday, departing any time before 30 April 2023. This can either be to the same destination or we can look at alternatives, as well as different times of the year. Of course, where a holiday is cancelled, you can also request a cash refund.
We continue to review our holiday schedules regularly and monitor the Covid-19 situation closely. Rest assured if there are any changes to your holiday then we will be in touch, prioritising those due to depart soonest.
To simplify the options and to provide immediate peace of mind for customers whose holidays are cancelled, we’ll automatically provide you with an ATOL-protected digital voucher for the value of your trip, redeemable up until 30 September 2022, which you can use to rebook a package holiday, departing any time before 30 April 2023. This can either be to the same destination or we can look at alternatives, as well as different times of the year. Of course, where a holiday is cancelled in these circumstances, you can also request a cash refund.
We understand that the Covid-19 situation remains dynamic and ongoing restrictions may pose difficulties to our customers, which is why we offer as much flexibility and choice as possible so your holiday is in safe hands. We’re committed to supporting our customers’ travel plans so if you’re a Virgin Holidays customer with a booked travel date up until 30 April 2022 you can amend your existing holiday booking up until 30 April 2023 with the date change fee waived, or convert your booking to one of our holiday vouchers. Please check our standard terms and conditions for more information.
If your destination is added to the Red list, unfortunately we will have to cancel your holiday and will be in touch with your options.
Check out the latest travel restrictions and requirements for the places you want to go.
Book your flight now and change your travel dates later without being charged an admin fee.
Find out how to rebook your flight if it has been disrupted or cancelled.
Find out which type of Covid-19 tests are required to travel and when they should be taken.
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