What to expect arriving at Chania airport

[Lollie]

After way too many months away, we are due to arrive on Saturday, 25th July.

Has anybody any recent experience of what we may expect? I'm thinking of testing, delays, etc.

Many thanks.

[Phild]

Our neighbours arrived from Bristol into Chania last Sunday.

They filled in the Passenger Locator Form prior to departure, and on arriving at Chania...

...nothing happened - everything was completely normal apart from showing the PLF QR code.

No checks, no delays.

The travel advice at https://travel.gov.gr/#/ does seem to imply that checks might take place depending on the place of departure, but our neighbours had no changes to the normal arrival procedure.

[Kilkis]

If my understanding is correct the Greek government uses the information provided in the PLF to select people for testing in a targeted, random way. By that I mean that whether a particular person is selected is random but your probability of being selected will depend on the information on the PLF. Whether you are one of the people selected for testing is already determined in the system by the time that you arrive. Showing the QR code either gets you directed straight to baggage claim and exit or to a testing station. If you are directed to a testing station then I understand the process is pretty quick. If you are tested you are then supposed to stay at your declared destination address and not go out until you get the result of the test. If it is negative you can carry on with your holiday but if it is positive you are supposed to self isolate for 7 days, I think, but I have no idea why it was reduced from 14 days. I am not 100 % certain.

Warwick

[Joan]

Exactly the same for us, Lollie!

In particular we are wondering if everyone has to pile into a bus, as usual, to be driven a few yards from the plane to the terminal.

Joan

[mouche]

Exactly the same for us, Lollie!

In particular we are wondering if everyone has to pile into a bus, as usual, to be driven a few yards from the plane to the terminal.

Joan

From what I have read and heard no buses at the moment so you probably have to walk 100 yards or so.

[Joan]

That's reassuring - thank you, Mouche.

Joan

[Jean]

If you are tested you are then supposed to stay at your declared destination address and not go out until you get the result of the test.

I thought that you would only be contacted if you tested positive

[Kilkis]

...I thought that you would only be contacted if you tested positive

Having reread the guidelines that does appear to be the case, Jean:

Only in case they test positive, the authorities will contact them and proceed with the health protocol in place.

Earlier they state:

The test results are expected to become available within 24 hours. During that time, passengers who are tested are advised to practise social distancing according to local guidelines ...

This means that if a particular batch of tests take longer than 24 hours for some reason, and certainly many have in the UK, then everybody tested would start to circulate amongst other travellers and the local population even thought they might subsequently prove to be positive when the results eventually arrive.

Warwick

[Jean]

This means that if a particular batch of tests take longer than 24 hours for some reason, and certainly many have in the UK

But maybe not in Greece. So far they seem to have managed the Covid-19 crisis far better than the UK so they might have their act together on the testing of arrival passengers as well.

[chrissyg]

We were on the first plane to arrive in Heraklion from Birmingham. You were directed into either left or right channel. I was split up from my partner as iwas said to be one person from each household ( which they can see from the QR codes from EVERY prrson, even kids ). It was very quick with no delays apart from one or people hadnt filled in individual forms.We were told you did NOT have to quarantine until the result, you had to obey social distancing rules carefully that was all. You only hear from them if the result is positive. That was our experience anyway 9 days ago.

[Guy M]

We arrived last Sunday at Chania from Bristol. The n the plane the toilets are open (phew!) but there is no queuing in aisles for them. Mask wearing was strictly followed (unlike friends who came from Rotterdam on the dane day and cabin crew had to keep reminding passengers to keep them on.

You do have to get the bus from the plane to the terminal But the numbers per bus were limited to 20 by the cabin crew staff.

A flight had arrived just before us and there was a queue of maybe 30 people to passport control. Everyone wore masks but distancing was at 1 metre per family rather than 2 metres as was the case until recently in the UK.

When you go down the stairs from passport control someone checks your PLF and there is a testing area to tne right of the stairs in the baggage hall. I suspect the OLF has been reviewed and the Unique Identifier code lets the checker know whether you are to be tested or not - my PLF was looked at for about 5 seconds. I haven’t been anywhere for months and Gloucestershire is a low infection area - if I lived in Leicester or had been to USA I may have been tested.

[chrissyg]

Yes forgot to mention that the toilet at Heraklion airport was shut. Crazy!!! Quite a few desperate people who had avoided going on the plane i should imagine and then had to get a car and travel to their hotels.

[Lollie]

Thanks for all the replies.

I am ridiculously excited to be coming back.

Jean - if you're on the eight o'clock EasyJet flight I'll be easy to spot as the idiot with a permanent grin!

[Lollie]

Oops - the eight o'clock flight is in August. Presumably there is only the one 3.35pm flight tomorrow...

[Joan]

The 15:35 is the one. We'll be grinning too, behind our masks.

Adding to the info that we have on what to expect, I am (relatively) reliably informed that if you have a 1 in your QR code you will get tested, whereas if you have a 2 you will not. Whether that's just for family groups I don't know.

Tomorrow we'll know.

Joan