Virgin Atlantic: VSbulletin - COVID-19 HM Government Traffic Light Country List Update & Our Flying Programme

The UK Government has announced a limited update to the countries designated ‘Amber’ or ‘Red’ status according to its risk-based traffic light system. See the UK Department for Transport news announcement for more details.

It remains a dynamic time for international travel due to Covid-19 restrictions, which is why we’re regularly reviewing our flying schedule and evaluating our network, providing the services that our customers most want to fly. Unfortunately this has resulted in the cancellation of some upcoming flights between Manchester and Barbados / London Heathrow and Grenada. We just want to reassure you that this change to our flight schedule was decided prior to the UK Government’s ‘Green’ list update on 24 June and we’re sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Following confirmation that Barbados, Antigua and Grenada will be designated ‘Green’ from Wednesday 30 June, we are now rapidly evaluating what scope there is to add flight capacity earlier than planned, as we remain absolutely committed to returning with our customers to these much-loved destinations this summer. We understand that customers will be looking forward to returning to the Caribbean, both to visit friends and relatives or take a well-deserved holiday. We’ll be in touch if there is an opportunity to travel sooner than the currently scheduled restart date of 6 August / 7 August.

The full details of the requirements for travellers returning to England from these destinations can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england.

Please note, this system applies to arrivals to England. Customers must continue to check the requirements they need to comply with for other origin or destination countries before they travel. The latest UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) foreign travel advice can be found here.

For ‘Green’ countries travellers will need to take a pre-departure antigen test before returning to England, but do not need to self-isolate upon arrival, instead taking a PCR test on or before day 2 in England. For ‘Amber’ countries they will need to take two PCR tests, on day 2 and 8 of their 10-day quarantine at home or in accommodation, but they may be able to end self-isolation early through the ‘Test to Release’ scheme, if they take a PCR test on day 5.

The Government has also confirmed its intention to exempt arrivals who are fully vaccinated from quarantine when travelling from amber list countries.

To make this as convenient as possible, customers can find details of recommended Covid-19 test providers here and we continue to work with partners to ensure pricing remains as competitive as possible.

The following countries served by Virgin Atlantic Airways are allocated:

Green: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Grenada (from 0400 on Wednesday 30 June)

Green watchlist: Israel

Amber: China, Cuba, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Nigeria, United States, St Vincent and the Grenadines

Red: India, Pakistan, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago

We’re ready to welcome customers back to some of their favourite destinations, ensuring all our customers fly safe and well. To ensure they can book with confidence we have a flexible booking policy so that if things change, we’ve got them covered. We do understand that the Covid-19 situation remains dynamic and ongoing restrictions may pose difficulties to our mutual customers with upcoming travel plans. If they are unable to travel for any reason, we offer as much choice and flexibility as possible to help them amend their plans. They can also refer to the customer FAQ in our help centre.