COVID 19 - Travel thru indirect route during flight ban.

[sujamana]

Friends - Hope this helps ..

Booked my ticket for return to YYZ on 5th June for 9th June.

Itinerary

9th June - BLR - DOH (QR)
9th June - DOH - AMS (NL)
11th June - AMS - YYZ

COVID requirements

In BLR airport - took 2 tests

1. RT PCR test - for 72 hours cutoff time from arrival time at AMS
2. Rapid Antigen test - for 24 hours before departure to AMS at DOH

In AMS airport - took 1 test

1. On 10th June booked appointment at 7.30 am to take the test
2. Results arrived within 12 hours but they always guarantee for 24 hours window

VISA in AMS

1. Not required for Transit in my case (as I am Canadian citizen). Please check
2. No issues to stay in Airport; friendly.
3. Saw good number of Indian and Chinese students in the airport.

Ticket type

1. It is a multi city booking to have transit @ AMS in my return ticket.
2. I avoided the check-in baggage, may result in go out of the transit area and return.

YYZ flight

1. Same checks and hassle free

@ YYZ

1. Immigration was smooth
2. COVID 19 test sample gave and got the negative result in Hotel.
3. Will checkout tomorrow to go home

Let me know, if you have any specific questions

Thanks
sujamana

 

[_Harry_]

Friends - Hope this helps ..

Booked my ticket for return to YYZ on 5th June for 9th June.

Itinerary

9th June - BLR - DOH (QR)
9th June - DOH - AMS (NL)
11th June - AMS - YYZ

COVID requirements

In BLR airport - took 2 tests

1. RT PCR test - for 72 hours cutoff time from arrival time at AMS
2. Rapid Antigen test - for 24 hours before departure to AMS at DOH

In AMS airport - took 1 test

1. On 10th June booked appointment at 7.30 am to take the test
2. Results arrived within 12 hours but they always guarantee for 24 hours window

VISA in AMS

1. Not required for Transit in my case (as I am Canadian citizen). Please check
2. No issues to stay in Airport; friendly.
3. Saw good number of Indian and Chinese students in the airport.

Ticket type

1. It is a multi city booking to have transit @ AMS in my return ticket.
2. I avoided the check-in baggage, may result in go out of the transit area and return.

YYZ flight

1. Same checks and hassle free

@ YYZ

1. Immigration was smooth
2. COVID 19 test sample gave and got the negative result in Hotel.
3. Will checkout tomorrow to go home

Let me know, if you have any specific questions

Thanks
sujamana

Few questions :

1. Can you please share the flights details, flight name and the stay at both DOH and AMS ?
2. Would be great if you also share the total expenses for the journey as well !
3. How was your journey plan from AMS to YYZ. I mean what things you kept in mind before booking the flight from AMZ to YYZ - Test booking and time to get the result back and then next flight departure.
4. For how much time I can transit at AMS?
5. I'm a PR holder, not citizen yet. Will there be any difference in the journey for me if I follow your foot steps?

Thank you in advance!

UPDATE :: So I called Qatar Airways and apparently, one can only stay at DOH airport for not more than 24 hours. There is facility to take RT-PCR test at DOH but the time to get the test back is > 24 hours. So even if one can take the test at DOH, it is still not feasible to get the results back and then take the next direct flight to Canada!

 

[Buletruck]

Few questions :

1. Did you buy any of the return ticket or were all tickets / itinerary were one way - From BLR to DOH then AMS and finally YYZ ?
2. Can you please share the flights details, flight name and the stay at both DOH and AMS ?
3. Would be great if you also share the total expenses for the journey as well !
4. Is there any RT-PCR facility available at DOH? What if I want to go directly to Canada after landing in DOH ? I can see there are direct flights from DOH to Canada as well.

Thank you in advance!

You missed the part about him being a Canadian citizen. No return tickets required.

 

[_Harry_]

You missed the part about him being a Canadian citizen. No return tickets required.

Ohh right! Thank you for pointing it out. So will the process be different for a PR holder?

 

[scylla]

UPDATE:: So I called Qatar Airways and apparently, one can only stay at DOH airport for 24 hours. There is facility to take RT-PCR test at DOH but the time to get the test back is > 24 hours. So even if one can take the test at DOH, it is still not feasible to get the results back and then take the next flight to Canada!

That's why the OP transited through AMS. Read through the itinerary again.

 

[_Harry_]

That's why the OP transited through AMS. Read through the itinerary again.

Yes. Thank you. I was confused why would one go to another transit when there are direct flights from DOH itself. So called Qatar Airlines to get my doubt cleared. So now only concern is which airline to book flight from AMS to YUL and how to the procedure to get RT-PCR done at AMS.

 

[armoured]

Yes. Thank you. I was confused why would one go to another transit when there are direct flights from DOH itself. So called Qatar Airlines to get my doubt cleared. So now only concern is which airline to book flight from DOH to AMS and how to the procedure to get RT-PCR done at AMS.

Do you have visa or passport to enter the EU?

 

[_Harry_]

Do you have visa or passport to enter the EU?

No. I don't.

 

[sujamana]

Few points to add..

Qatar Airways till AMS
KLM from AMS

When i was going thru maximum hours allowed at AMS airport is 48 hrs as long as you have a onward ticket to show the Immigration offices, during their routine checks during night time.

The reason i choose this flight for the following reasons

1. Only one stop in Europe to avoid multiple Schengen Area transits, would complicate the travel
2. Canada wants the RT PCR to be done from the place you board the Canada flight

Test slots available only in the morning time until 11.00 am in AMS airport transit area. You may check in the KLM website and strictly by appointment. They told me to keep 24 hours window for my onward flight after giving test sample

In my case

QR landed on 9th, 2.00 pm local time
Test scheduled on 7.30 am on 10th
Test result available around 8 pm local time same day
YYZ flight was at 11.00 am on 11th

Regarding the Indian Passports, i have seen some people have Indian passports, while verifying their passports with Immigration officers at AMS airport.

As long as you are in the transit area with onward ticket you may be fine. Please check with your first flight from India if they allow.

One important thing, in my case i decided to come by myself and avoided my family to stay back there. As a group this might complicate things

Regarding the fare details, you may send PM to me. I will share.

Thanks
sujamana

 

[armoured]

No. I don't.

Then it's a question of whether Amsterdam will allow you to enter and stay long enough to get the test and whether it is available in the airport transit area.

This seems to be the problem with most routes, test not available in transit area hence one needs to enter the country (go through passport control) to do it.

Warning that this point is critical - doesn't matter if the test facility is at the airport but whether in the transit area. (Or if the country will allow entry for purpose of the test)

 

[steaky]

Then it's a question of whether Amsterdam will allow you to enter and stay long enough to get the test and whether it is available in the airport transit area.

This seems to be the problem with most routes, test not available in transit area hence one needs to enter the country (go through passport control) to do it.

Warning that this point is critical - doesn't matter if the test facility is at the airport but whether in the transit area. (Or if the country will allow entry for purpose of the test)

As the OP pointed out, the test is available in the AMS transit by appointment only. So the question is whether Amsterdam will the allow the poster to stay there for the same 48 hrs max in the airport transit area.

 

[armoured]

As the OP pointed out, the test is available in the AMS transit by appointment only. So the question is whether Amsterdam will the allow the poster to stay there for the same 48 hrs max in the airport transit area.

Thank you, missed that, mea culpa.

 

[sujamana]

you may check the information about the transit hours permitted in AMS airport in KLM webiste.

 

[softwaretesting]

Friends - Hope this helps ..

Booked my ticket for return to YYZ on 5th June for 9th June.

Itinerary

9th June - BLR - DOH (QR)
9th June - DOH - AMS (NL)
11th June - AMS - YYZ

COVID requirements

In BLR airport - took 2 tests

1. RT PCR test - for 72 hours cutoff time from arrival time at AMS
2. Rapid Antigen test - for 24 hours before departure to AMS at DOH

In AMS airport - took 1 test

1. On 10th June booked appointment at 7.30 am to take the test
2. Results arrived within 12 hours but they always guarantee for 24 hours window

VISA in AMS

1. Not required for Transit in my case (as I am Canadian citizen). Please check
2. No issues to stay in Airport; friendly.
3. Saw good number of Indian and Chinese students in the airport.

Ticket type

1. It is a multi city booking to have transit @ AMS in my return ticket.
2. I avoided the check-in baggage, may result in go out of the transit area and return.

YYZ flight

1. Same checks and hassle free

@ YYZ

1. Immigration was smooth
2. COVID 19 test sample gave and got the negative result in Hotel.
3. Will checkout tomorrow to go home

Let me know, if you have any specific questions

Thanks
sujamana

Thanks Sujamana.

Was your halt in Doha optional? I mean I can directly travel from Delhi / Mumbai to AMS & get the test done there? Are there any other options apart from AMS suitable for this, that you are aware of?

Note: I am PR & yet to receive Canadian citizenship.

 

[steaky]

Thanks Sujamana.

Was your halt in Doha optional? I mean I can directly travel from Delhi / Mumbai to AMS & get the test done there? Are there any other options apart from AMS suitable for this, that you are aware of?

Note: I am PR & yet to receive Canadian citizenship.

Would you itinerary have a maximum time window of 48 hours in AMS? If not, you can consider to halt in Doha.