US will end Covid-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country

[deweytrader]

One less thing to worry about!  Woo hoo!

[bookbabe]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/10/politics/us-to-end-pre-departure-testing-requirement/index.html

[KeithJenner]

Excellent news. I've got a short trip planned to the US next month (not a cruise), and getting a test was going to be a pain (working the day before and a fairly early flight). One less thing to worry about. 🙂

[Colorado Buffalo]

If only we could get an end to the 48 hours before boarding test.

It's apparent it doesn't work. 

[KeithJenner]

34 minutes ago, Colorado Buffalo said:

If only we could get an end to the 48 hours before boarding test.

It's apparent it doesn't work. 

Hopefully this makes it more likely that will

end soon.

 

I think it could go either way. It wouldn’t surprise me if pre embarkation testing is still around in a year, neither would it surprise me if it ends soon.

[jamadeliz]

This is fantastic news!! Yay!

[The Traveling Man]

Very happy to read this news.  Too bad they didn't do this a week ago.  We had to pay 65 Euros each for tests to fly home from Rome.

Edited June 10, 2022 by The Traveling Man

[Dcoy]

Now if only NCL would stop requiring testing before boarding. 

[BermudaBound2014]

Hallelujah.... cruise lines need all the help they can get!!

 

Baby steps toward ending quarantines, which, in my opinion, is what it's going to take from a business perspective. 

 

[The Shrike]

Hell yeah!!!

[NorthernJoey]

Wow, great. Let´s hope CDC will allow cruises to sail without testing aswell. Or is it CDC's decision?

[BklynBorn47]

4 hours ago, Dcoy said:

Now if only NCL would stop requiring testing before boarding. 

I am thrilled that we no longer have to test to return home.  After all, there were plenty of positive people on our recent B2B2B who didn't need a test for THEIR home country and were able to pass it on to those of us who did need a test.  Now I am surrounded by plenty of cases right here at home.  

That said, cruise ships are in a different situation.  I don't want to test either but I understand their trying to limit the cases by the preboarding test. Of course, it doesn't catch everyone, but it at least eliminates those who have no problem boarding while knowingly sick.  
When we all scatter back to our home countries, none of this is tracked but if a cruise ship has a Covid "breakout" the media and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon.

Petrie Dish!  Petrie Dish!  Sad but true.  
Personally, I feel safer cruising than in my hometown.  Next up another B2B2B Sept-Oct.  

[deliver42]

The cruise lines don't have the clout with the CDC that the airlines do because they're foreign registry. They haven't even tried to get the testing lifted.

[suometar]

4 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Very happy to read this news.  Too bad they didn't do this a week ago.  We had to pay 65 Euros each for tests to fly home from Rome.

I hear you. We were in Helsinki and were counting on getting tested at a site just down the block from us, but they closed that site down on May 31 and the only other site that had reasonable prices (79 euros vs 135 euros at a clinic across the street) was at the airport, which caused some stress since we had to test the morning of our 1 PM flight. Not only that,  but if we wanted the documentation on paper it was an additional 20 euros. And here is the kicker: nobody, and I mean nobody, wanted to see the results of the test, whether on paper or electronically

 

[BklynBorn47]

1 hour ago, suometar said:

I hear you. We were in Helsinki and were counting on getting tested at a site just down the block from us, but they closed that site down on May 31 and the only other site that had reasonable prices (79 euros vs 135 euros at a clinic across the street) was at the airport, which caused some stress since we had to test the morning of our 1 PM flight. Not only that,  but if we wanted the documentation on paper it was an additional 20 euros. And here is the kicker: nobody, and I mean nobody, wanted to see the results of the test, whether on paper or electronically

 

We tested in Reykjavik on June 2nd and had no idea what we were paying since it was quoted in local currency.  We were so happy to be negative, I never bothered to check the conversion.  It will be on the credit card statement. Considering the cost of our 42 day B2B2B, it really didn't matter LOL

In our case Iceland Air DID check that we were negative.  

[suometar]

1 hour ago, BklynBorn47 said:

We tested in Reykjavik on June 2nd and had no idea what we were paying since it was quoted in local currency.  We were so happy to be negative, I never bothered to check the conversion.  It will be on the credit card statement. Considering the cost of our 42 day B2B2B, it really didn't matter LOL

In our case Iceland Air DID check that we were negative.  

The U.S. requires the negative test -- not Icelandair, or Finnair, or any airline. We submitted our negative covid test results to the check-in person at the airport  in Helsinki and were told that we need to show it back in the states. But the immigration officer at JFK had no interest in seeing it, nor did anyone else

[susiesan]

1 hour ago, suometar said:

The U.S. requires the negative test -- not Icelandair, or Finnair, or any airline. We submitted our negative covid test results to the check-in person at the airport  in Helsinki and were told that we need to show it back in the states. But the immigration officer at JFK had no interest in seeing it, nor did anyone else

US immigration has never asked to see the negative results for the 2 years this policy was in place. Great that it is going away on Monday.

[BklynBorn47]

8 hours ago, suometar said:

The U.S. requires the negative test -- not Icelandair, or Finnair, or any airline. We submitted our negative covid test results to the check-in person at the airport in Helsinki and were told that we need to show it back in the states. But the immigration officer at JFK had no interest in seeing it, nor did anyone else

I understand that it was the US requiring the test, but every time we have flown home since Covid it was the airline that checked our status.  We have never been checked at our home airport. That made sense to us but given your experience it has obviously not been universal.  In any case, it's a moot point now.  Happy traveling!

[Globaliser]

5 hours ago, BklynBorn47 said:

I understand that it was the US requiring the test, but every time we have flown home since Covid it was the airline that checked our status.

 

Isn't that because the aim of the US requirement was to prevent you boarding the flight back to the US unless you have a negative test? That's why the US required the airline to enforce it.

[njhorseman]

43 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Isn't that because the aim of the US requirement was to prevent you boarding the flight back to the US unless you have a negative test? That's why the US required the airline to enforce it.

Correct.

[KeithJenner]

47 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Isn't that because the aim of the US requirement was to prevent you boarding the flight back to the US unless you have a negative test? That's why the US required the airline to enforce it.

That is basically how it works. It is almost always the airlines responsibility to check visas etc, and it has been the same with covid tests and vaccinations. The onus is on the airlines as they would have the responsibility of flying you back again if things aren’t correct (or putting you into quarantine or whatever they would have to do in this instance)

Edited June 11, 2022 by KeithJenner