Quote:
Originally Posted by jonbxx
So we have just come back from two weeks in Turkey and here are some thoughts about COVID security during the journey...
Before we left, EasyJet pointed us in the direction of their website to print out and complete health declaration forms for Turkey. The forms were simple to complete. The airline also told us about cabin luggage size restrictions for flying to Turkey. Not quite sure why you can only take small hand luggage but it made the flight a lot easier when boarding and leaving the plane!
At Gatwick, almost everyone wore masks, only removing them when in retaurants/bars.
On the flight out, the mask compliance wasn’t great with lots of people not wearing them or wearing them under their noses or under chins. The cabin crew repeatedly reminded people to wear masks and finally the Captain got on the PA and said we would divert if people refused to wear masks!
On arrival at Antalya, the mask compliance was excellent. Everyone got temperature scanned using a camera on the way to passport control. Our taxi driver for the transfer was masked for the while journey too and there was hand sanitiser in the taxi along with guidelines for COVID protection (nothing new but a good reminder)
The hotel was excellent. All the staff wore masks even when working outside in 35°C heat. All guests were asked to wear masks in the lifts and interestingly, Turkish guests were asked to wear masks throughout when indoors (signs only in Turkish, not in English, German or Russian) There was sanitiser everywhere, non stop cleaning of surfaces and we were temperature scanned before entering the restaurant. Normally the restaurant should have a buffet service but this was adapted with big shields up and the staff served you so you ended up with a lot of plates!
We ventured out a couple of nights to the local town and though the rules say you should wear masks indoors and out, outdoor mask compliance was low. We wore masks simply because, as tourists, we are probably more likely to be fined �� When you sit down at a restaurant, the waiters bought hand sanitiser first before passing out menus.
The journey back was much like the journey there. We completed the online form for entry to the UK which is terribly designed. I can complete one form for me and my kids but not for my wife so she had to do a separate declaration. It also asked you for your home address but then asked where you would be staying a few pages down the line with no option to say ‘at home’ but we got there in the end.
Mask compliance was much better on the flight back interestingly with easily 90% of people wearing masks. I’m sure the demographics would be similar each way so maybe people got institutionalised in Turkey on mask wearing. Maybe sanitiser wipes on the plane would have been nice must possibly fire regulations prevent this.
On arrival in the UK, there were no checks of the forms sent to you by email (there are QR codes on the pdfs you are sent) Maybe there is a link between your passport scan and the forms but that seems very joined up for a UK government IT project.
All in all I felt that the COVID security in Turkey was equal to or slightly more comprehensive than the UK
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Excellent information thank you. SWMBO & I are due to fly out on Saturday to nr Alanya (Flying into Antalya)
A few if questions if possible?
1) Did you partake in the insurance available at airports to cover medical or quarantine bills?
2) How do they deal with luggage collection? Antalya (like most airports) it's normally a huge crowd around the baggage belt
3) Are masks required on the beach? (I'm presuming not)
4) Have restaurants etc jacked the prices up to gather as much lost income back as possible?
5) Did you do any of the day trips? Jeep Safari, Boat trips etc. We normally do a couple just to break the holiday up, wondering how they operate.
Thanks again for the info. (cant wait to feel the heat of when the exit doors open in the airport!!!)