Ignore flight connection rules during Covid-19 and risk ruining your entire trip.
So you’re ready to get back into international travel! You’ve booked your flights and hotels, and researched entry restrictions and covid-19 testing requirements for your destination and return to the USA. But if you forget to consider travel rules for the countries through which you’re connecting, your trip may be over before it begins.
What does it take to cross international borders these days, or to connect through a place without crossing one? Hint: Some countries won’t let you transit at all right now—even though airlines will sell you a ticket there!
In the best case, you fly from one country to another with no stops in between. NYC-Rome or Miami-Barcelona, anyone? But with airlines operating fewer flights than in more than a decade, that’s not as easy to do as it was fifteen months ago. If you’re flying from the USA to a European, Middle Eastern, African, or Asian country, there’s a fair chance you’ll transit via another country. For example, you may connect through London on your way from the USA to Abu Dhabi.
It’s important to remember your flight connection country may have different rules for entry or testing requirements than your final destination country. In some cases, you may not be eligible to transit at all.
For example, lately there have been deals on airfare from Europe to Mexico via the USA. Unfortunately if you’ve been in Europe or a handful of other countries (Brazil, South Africa, and China, for example) during the prior 14 days and aren’t a US citizen/resident, you cannot transit to Mexico via the USA. (Note: the USA is expected to rescind the EU and UK travel ban soon, but it is still in place as of this writing.) Why? Passengers for these countries are currently banned from entering the US and US airports don’t have airside transit, meaning you have to clear Immigration before boarding your next flight (technically “entering” the USA). Note: all airlines will sell you a ticket for this itinerary, as it’s on you to know the transit rules, and they are unlikely to give you a refund if you are barred from the flight(s).
Same concerns apply when traveling from the USA. While Americans and others are currently banned from some of Europe’s Schengen Zone countries (again, this is expected to change soon), there are several countries that will allow you to airside transit; that is, you stay in the airport and catch your next flight without going through Immigration. (As such, you are not crossing a border and thus not technically “entering” the country.)
In addition to verifying whether transit is possible at all in some countries, you also need to consider whether you face additional testing requirements, perhaps even more rigorous than those of your final destination.
For example, consider Paris and Amsterdam, two popular international transit points. Amsterdam currently allows all connecting passengers to transit airside, but requires everyone who does to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival, as well as also a rapid test within 24 hours of arrival.
Paris, France—barely 300 miles away—has no transit testing requirements. If your final destination requires a PCR or Antigen test, you’d still need one, of course. But if you’re traveling to a destination without any pre-travel testing requirements, you may want to pick Paris rather than Amsterdam as your connection point to avoid extra testing.
Of course, the above examples are subject to change. Rules for international travel are in flux, and changes often happen fast. (For example, yesterday Germany banned most travel from the UK. German citizens/residents will still be allowed to enter the country from Britain but will be required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. )
The best source of info on transit and final destination requirements is the IATA map. (More about using the IATA map here.)
Click on your transit and final destination countries to make sure you’ll be able to take your trip as planned and keep up on any testing requirements. (Note: It’s worth checking the map the days before and up to departure; the rules really are in flux.)
Twist’s Take: Remember when traveling internationally during Covid-19, your flight connection country may have different rules for entry or testing requirements than your final destination country. In some cases, you may not be eligible to transit at all.
