- Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with Prenetics, a leading Covid-19 testing provider, begins offering customers easy and competitively priced at-home tests and packages, available in a single purchase and delivered to their door before departure.
- 'Green' and 'Amber' packages will include every test needed for customers' trips, based on the UK's new traffic light travel system requirements, effective 17 May, with additional tests available tailored to the destination they are flying to, including PCR and rapid antigen, with flexibility to change the bundle if the country's tier changes. Round-trip bundles are initially available for Israel, Nigeria and Grenada.
- With demand for rapid and convenient Covid-19 tests expected to grow quickly for foreign travel, Prenetics offers the scale, capacity and reliability to ensure travellers are not disappointed.
- Individual PCR tests will start from £55, with results within 24 hours of receipt at lab, and a 'Green list' package to include everything needed for travel to Israel and returning to the UK is £152.
LONDON, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Atlantic and Prenetics will help remove the guesswork from travel this summer by offering customers at-home Covid-19 testing solutions, which give them easy and convenient access to the necessary testing for Virgin Atlantic destinations, where at-home tests are accepted.
Expanding on Virgin Atlantic's existing testing partnerships, including an online lab locator tool and airport testing, Prenetics [EMEA Ltd] ('Prenetics'), a leading UK health and diagnostics business, will now be Virgin Atlantic's preferred at-home testing provider, with customers able to order a complete end-to-end travel testing bundle, tailored to their destination, via a dedicated micro-site a dedicated microsite or www.projectscreen.co.uk.
Each bundle is based on the UK Government's risk-based travel traffic light system for arrivals to England, starting from £152 for a 'green' country and £179 for an 'amber' country, based on current test requirements, which should be subject to regular review. Round-trip bundles are initially available for Israel, Nigeria and Grenada and as requirements ease, this list will likely expand. The bundles include all the tests customers require and include a convenient remote 'test to carry' rapid antigen test, which customers can easily administer before returning to the UK, meeting England's pre-departure testing requirements. The packages will also include UK Government approved arrival packages for Day 2 and/or 8 of self-isolation at home with an option to add a PCR test at day 5 for early release from quarantine, where this applies for amber countries. To offer customers peace of mind, the pre-purchased bundle can be easily changed if a destination changes from green to amber for example, with customers simply required to pay the difference or issued with a refund.
Customers receive clear and detailed step-by-step guidance on the Prenetics web pages. The results of the rapid antigen test are returned within 15 minutes and for PCR tests, customers send their sample via a return envelope to an accredited Prenetics lab and will receive their results within 24 hours of receipt at the laboratory via email or notification on the website. All customers receive a "Fit to Fly" test certificate, that can be presented digitally, used in the digital pass solutions Virgin Atlantic is trialling for a seamless journey, or in paper format as a backup.
From the Virgin Atlantic Covid-19 testing at home page, customers will be directed to the dedicated Virgin Atlantic and Prenetics microsite, especially developed for Virgin Atlantic's customers, where they simply select the country they are travelling to, and the tests will be packaged up into a single, innovative bundle. The easy purchase process removes any complexity from complying with travel testing regulations, at a competitive price and with the knowledge that Prenetics offers reliability, and fast turnaround times.
Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer, Virgin Atlantic:
"As the skies reopen we're ready to ensure that we protect public health and enable our customers to book and travel smoothly with confidence. Based on the UK Government's traffic light system, with Prenetics we have developed convenient and rapid at-home testing bundles, tailored to destination countries, including Israel which we'll increase to double-daily services later this summer, helping customers to easily navigate new testing requirements in one simple purchase, with an important offer of flexibility to give peace of mind if a country changes tier.
"We cannot have a prohibitively expensive testing system that puts businesses, individuals, and families off travelling, which is why we are pleased to have worked closely with Prenetics to offer competitive prices for our customers and will continue to review these regularly. With the UK's world-leading vaccine roll-out, the Government must also go further to expand the green list and significantly update the traffic light framework, enabling travel without testing and quarantine - for 'Green' countries and vaccinated passengers travelling to 'Amber' destinations."
Avi Lasarow, CEO of Prenetics UK and Europe, Middle East and Africa, said:
"Prenetics is delighted to partner with one of the world's most innovative and respected brands to make travel as easy as possible in a post pandemic world. The current travel testing environment is complicated, and can fill passengers with anxiety wondering if they have the correct test for destination or if they will receive their results in time for their journey. This partnership solves that problem. Now, for the first time, passengers will have a simple and convenient single package of tests at an affordable price to make their journey as smooth as possible. We look forward to developing further travel testing technology innovations with Virgin Atlantic this summer."
Notes to editors:
Example Prenetics testing prices for selected Virgin Atlantic destinations based on current green and amber lists, which will be subject to regular review by the UK Government.
Destination | Comprehensive Package | Outbound | UK Inbound | UK Post-Arrival |
Israel | PCR + Green Arrivals Bundle incl:
£152 | PCR Fit to Fly Test Kit, £55 | Lateral Flow Antigen, £26 | Day 2 Test, £85 |
Grenada (Caribbean) | PCR + Amber Arrivals Bundle incl:
£211 | PCR Fit to Fly Test Kit, £55 | Lateral Flow Antigen, £26 | Day 2 & 8 Test Package, £145 |
Nigeria | PCR + Amber Arrivals Bundle incl:
£211 | PCR Fit to Fly Test Kit, £55 | Lateral Flow Antigen, £26 | Day 2 & 8 Test Package, £145 |
United States | N/A. Bundles or pre-departure outbound tests currently not available for USA via Prenetics as the US requires in-person test or at-home test administered via video tutorial. Virgin Atlantic has other providers for this, prices vary. | Lateral Flow Antigen, £26 | Day 2 & 8 Test Package, £145 | |
- The dedicated partnership microsite is here: https://www.projectscreen.co.uk/virgin/
- For countries that do not accept at-home tests, further recommended testing providers are signposted on the Virgin Atlantic website and via a lab locator tool.
- Day 2 arrival PCR test pricing (£85) reflects the additional assay and viral genome sequencing required by the UK Government for the detection of varioants of concern. These additional tests are not required for the outbound-only Fit to Fly PCR test (£55).
- Please note, the traffic light system applies to arrivals to England. Customers must continue to check the requirements needed for other origin or destination countries before travel. The latest UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) foreign travel advice can be found here.
About Prenetics
Prenetics is a leading genetics and diagnostic health testing company, operational in 10 countries with a team of over 400. Prenetics, driven by a duty of social responsibility due to the global pandemic launched Project Screen, an initiative aimed at making COVID-19 testing easy, safe and accurate. Prenetics has to-date performed more than 2million RT-PCR tests in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, Prenetics was instrumental in the re-start of the English Premier League, performing the full testing across 20 clubs for all of their players and coaches, as well as introducing a digital health passport in stadiums. Prenetics also operates Covid-19 testing sites at airports globally, including London Heathrow and Hong Kong International Airport. For more information, visit https://prenetics.com
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2020, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain's only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the fourth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs 5,900 people worldwide, flying customers to 27 destinations across four continents. Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. On 3 February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers.
Sustainability remains central to the airline and since September 2019, Virgin Atlantic has welcomed seven brand new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, helping to transform the fleet into one of the youngest, quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky. By 2022, the airline will operate a streamlined fleet of 37 twin engine aircraft following the retirement of its B747-400s and A340-600s, making its simplified fleet 10% more efficient than before the Covid-19 crisis impacted.
For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com, www.virginholidays.co.uk or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic @virginholidays
For the latest information on the measures we are taking to ensure our customers fly safe and well with Virgin Atlantic, please visit https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/youre-in-safe-hands.html
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