bibliotecaria71

Hello! My DH and I will be traveling to and from Madrid at the end of August from the US. We are fully vaccinated and are aware of the need to present a negative COVID antigen (or PCR) test taken within 72 hours of our return flight.

We would like to bring the new eMed medically supervised "at-home" antigen tests (FDA approved for reentry into the US) with us, but I am not finding a single snippet of information stating that Iberia would recognize them. If anyone has experience with Iberia and these tests, I would love to know!

I am about to make appointments at the Madrid Baraja airport for the day before our flight unless anyone has another suggestion. Our itinerary is simple:

• Fly into Madrid, rent a car, travel to San Sebastian, leave SS a day before our flight, passing near the airport to the parador for one night, and fly out the next day.

I would like to stop and do the antigen test the evening before we fly out and it seems like it is possible according to the travelcovidcenter.com site for the Barajas airport:

Quote:

Where can you find us?

Does anyone any experience with this? Or perhaps there is a testing center in SS that we could use? I'd love to not save this step for the final moments of the trip. Many thanks!

Christina

I don't really know how that works, to be honest. I don't know that it's exactly up to Iberia to decide anything, it's an issue of the place you land as to whether they let you in. I don't think it's a matter of Iberia accepting a test or not, but the airport where you land in the US. If they don't, not sure what happens, if they make you quarantine or what. Now I could be wrong on that, but I also thought eMed only partners with certain airlines, and Iberia is not one of them.

Iberia's own website gives testing options of various kinds, and they do have options for antigen testing befo0re flight, with some discount codes, I guess. There is one company that does have a site in San Sebastien for testing, it is this one
https://www.quironsalud.es/donostia

I hope you know Spanish? Because it looks to me like you can schedule an appt online.for an antigen test at that hospital (Hospital de Dia Quironsalud Donostia) which is on Alkolea Parkea, which isn't far from the center.

ok, first this is the info page on Iberia
https://www.iberia.com/es/en/covid-19/test-pcr-quiron/

Click Spain as country of origin, then pick Quironprevention for the test appt you get this
https://www.quironsalud.es/qp-iberia/es

click antigen (I presume you know what Pida ya cita.. means
then select the right province (Guipuzcoa) and the center you want in San Sebastian, they seem to list the hospital above and something called a clinic separately, but I don't understand that as it seems to be the same location and address, as it lists this as the address of the hospital: Parque Alcolea, 7 (Alto de Egia)

then you can make an appt in the bottom two boxes

mjs

We used the Binax EMED/ NAVICA system in June to fly Bilbao to Munich to SFO. Lufthansa/United. Used a iPhone and it was pretty easy. I believe American/ Iberia has a similar system through EMED/ VERIFLY. We used the tests three days before flying for three reasons. First one might be less likely to test positive as it takes some time after exposure to a positive test. Secondly if you test positive you have time to get a local PCR for what is hopefully a false positive test. Third you can start your quarantine time earlier if you must

bibliotecaria71

Thanks to you both!

MJS, I am glad to hear that the VERIFLY app (showing the eMed results) worked well. I think we are leaning in that direction. Here's the plan:

• Purchase the correct supervised at-home tests from eMed and bring 2 each.
• Install both the eMed/NAVICA and the VERIFLY apps in advance of leaving the US. We can install the VERIFLY app in a couple of days.
• Schedule the test for ~70 hours before the flight.
• I'm considering scheduling a test at the airport, just in case. I don't know yet...

Thank you!

bibliotecaria71

Quick update: I ultimately decided to purchase the Qured kits. They clearly stated that they are compatible with VeriFLY and will (supposedly) allow us to book the appointments when I receive the purchase confirmation email. (Just waiting on that...) They are also promising results in 2 hours, versus the 24 hour notice now on the eMed site.

I am happy to continue documenting this with the hope that it is helpful for others.

Christina

great, I think it is helpful.
I know it is to me as I'm considering trying to go to Europe this Fall and this is the main complication trying to figure out. I can't do those emed things as you need some cmputer or something which I don't have.

It's good you have a backup as even if you have some kind of computer (do they allow smartphones? I don't have one of those either, I do actually have a tablet), that can always go down or not work or you never know with internet connections.

MFNYC

I had the same question. We are going to Spain in September. We will be returning to US from Malaga (changing in Lisbon). I was wondering how to deal with this. I will probably have more questions once I research some of the suggestions here. Thanks.

bibliotecaria71

Here is another quick update on the process:

I received emails immediately from Qured and was encouraged to create an account, activate our Qured tests online, and submit our names/passport numbers/DOB, etc. Here is the major glitch to be aware of: The birthday will appear to be off by a day -- until the form is submitted. We tried to "outsmart" the system by setting it a day ahead in the set-up process and, surprise!, it resolved itself when fully submitted. Great. Now the birthdate is not changeable. (Well, maybe it is, but not by us.) So... we ordered another test. Meh.

We had no problem booking appointments (10min) at the end of the month. We booked one hour apart, in case we need to use the same iPhone for some reason.

And a quick tip on traveling to Spain: Be sure to check out the Spain Travel Health site/app. I had no problem installing the app, but I figure it is pointless to add my information now, since I think it needs to be done 48 hours before traveling. Included on this page is a PDF that is updated weekly for "Risk" countries. At this time the US is not a risk country, but that could potentially change.
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/en/profesio.../nCov/spth.htm

I hope this is helpful to others!

bibliotecaria71

Another update:

• We received our COVID antigen test packages.
  • They are not branded as Qured tests.
• Our tele-health appointments are made for a couple of days before our return flight.
• We also made appointments at T4 of the Madrid airport for quick antigen tests as a back-up plan. (~$30)
  • The site is buggy and times out often, but eventually it worked.
• We are keeping an eye on the ever-changing list of "risk" countries.
  • People arriving from risk countries need to show proof of vaccination, so I'm not terribly worried about that.
• I downloaded the SpTH app and entered the general information, but it must be completed 48 hours before the trip.

Again, I hope this is helpful for others.

MFNYC

Thanks for all your info. I was very confused about the logistics of how to handle this. Just booked rapid Antigen test at Malaga airport before our return flight! Will also order the Binax test for travel. We booked TAP thru United and have a connection in LIS to EWR.

I have no idea how hard/easy it is to be tested in Spain, Here in NYC there are many walk-up places with no wait, but I'm sure that's not the case elsewhere. I plan on getting tested a few times between now and when we leave for Spain (early September) just to make sure all is good. We are fully vaccinated, but this Delta is a concern. I am pleased to see Spain cases dropping at a good pace, and their vaccination pace seems excellent. One of the best in the Europe.

bibliotecaria71

It does look like Spain is coming down quickly from their latest wave!

One last thing: We also purchased a couple of truly at-home (non-monitored) COVID tests to bring with us in the event that we have any questionable symptoms, or just want to test after the flight, etc. I picked up these non-app-dependent tests as CVS.

MFNYC, did you see a recent post about needing a negative COVID test when flying in transit through Portugal on your way elsewhere, like Malaga? Sorry, I haven't done the research myself, since I have a direct flight to MAD.

MFNYC

I was confused about Portugal situation so called the airline and was told since it's a connected flight where we just go to another gate, it should be like a normal transfer. But if they need proof, I'll have from both tests.

I can't say I'm not nervous in general, there's always a risk. I have 5 ply masks and plan on getting shields, for the airport and plane. For the trip, we'll be in small towns, on the coast, so mostly outdoors, staying in small hotels or rentals, with our own car, so no other public transportation.

MFNYC

I doubled checked again. I booked via United but am actually flying TAP. I called both airlines to be safe (both had about 30 minute waits but I did get through). When I connect to my 2nd flight in LIS I just have to show proof of my - test when I board (Antigen within 2 days, or PCR within 3), and fill out a Passenger Locator form (for contact tracing).

I have my fingers crossed that their current trend of declining cases and increasing vaccinations continues. The same can't be said for many other places.

bibliotecaria71

I hope you have a nice trip!

We are renting a car and traveling to San Sebastian. (This will be our fourth trip to the area.) What we love about Spain is the coast and outdoor living! But provided we fly home when expected, I'll have nearly another week off from work and will test again, as my primary concern would be transmitting anything. (Fully vaccinated, of course, but realize that it is possible to have asymptomatic or mild infection.)

MFNYC

Our last vacation before pandemic was Basque Country. Loved it, and so picturesque. This trip I was looking for outdoors, good weather, and beach a plus. We’re doing Andalusian coast between Cadiz and Malaga. Based on covid stats, Spain may be the perfect pick in this timeframe. Their vaccine rollout is impressive and still going strong. I know their covid numbers were not good in July but huge turnaround now which I think in part is because of good vaccine pace.

halfapair

Yes, please continue to document your experiences with getting tested to come home. DH & I are traveling to Spain in December, so I would love to hear what happened, lessons learned, etc.

bibliotecaria71

Minor update: I was able to complete "My Trip" information in the SpTH app now that I am within 48 hours of landing. It asks for very specific information, like your flight, seat number, address of the hotel, etc.

Tip: The app is a bit buggy. You also need to know the region (and sub-region) names in Spanish, as well as postal codes, etc. If you get to the end of a form and cannot proceed to the next page, tap in an entry box towards the top of the page to have access to the "continue" button at the bottom.

I also installed the Verifly app to (hopefully) connect my antigen tests to it.

We will be spending the final night at a parador about 30 minutes from the Madrid airport. We received an email asking us to make dinner reservations in advance. (We'll definitely do that. The food is typically really good!)

Again, I hope this helps answer some questions!

MFNYC

I pretty much followed your lead, and also checked with the airlines to confirm everything. We're doing the eMed/Navica Binax home antigen test, and also scheduled appointment at Malaga airport before our departure, so we have 2 testing scenarios. I also bought the non-eMed version of the Binax test (sold at CVS and other drug stores) to use in advance, so we're very prepared for our telehealth tests.

We are vaccinated, but plan on taking a PCR test within 3 days of leaving the US. At the moment it's not required, but that can change. Also, if either of us tested positive, we'd have to cancel the entire trip. We made it this far, I hope we can make it through our vacation Covid-free.

Spain cases per capita numbers now comparable to NY state and continuing to trend down which is encouraging. The vaccine %s are looking even better. I've noticed that other parts of Europe which have lower cases per capita, are trending up, their vaccine %s are not as strong as Spain. Looks like this timing for Spain, may be pretty good at the moment, and their vaccine pace is impressive.

bibliotecaria71

Sorry in advance for typos or other weirdness as I write this on my phone.

We arrived to Logan about four hours early (we didn’t know what to expect) and walked right up to the nearly empty TSA screening. We flew Iberia in business (we’re swimming in points right now) and learned that the BA lounge was closed. We headed to the Air France lounge with the Priority pass. It was all generally normal service.

While we checked in to our flight online, we could not get e-tickets. At the gate they checked our passports, our paper tickets and made sure we had the QR code in the SpTH app.

We chose to skip dinner and drinks for a decent amount of sleep, but it smelled good! By the way, unlike our domestic flight on Delta, masks came off and stayed off during meals.

In case anyone is wondering, the front washroom is still reserved for crew use only.

Arrival felt pretty normal. Passport control only took us a few minutes and the health screening was simply a scan of the QR code.

Tip: The SpTH app seems to require internet access. Grab a screenshot to store in your photos in case you have connectivity issues.

Our only snag so far was leaving the airport in the rental car. We’ve rented there a number of times, but this time was interesting. We left the car rental with a paper with barcode. The barcode would not scan to leave the garage. Eventually we were buzzed through. Then another few hundred yards later we needed a parking ticket to leave and enter the highway. We got some assistance from a local woman (thank goodness!) who advised us to wave the paper at the camera and keep pressing the help button. Somehow it all worked. I’m not sure if the rental guy forgot to give us a ticket or what.

And unlike US rental companies, there were a lot of vehicles sitting in the lot.

That is the adventure so far! We both got a pretty good amount of sleep and we are driving to SS.

MFNYC

Glad to hear your experience so far has been pretty smooth. I just heard from someone who was just in Portugal that Covid tests, approved for travel, were actually readily available at most local pharmacies. Not sure if that's the case in Spain. I had emailed my hotel in Malaga (where we fly home from), and asked about tests. They never responded, but I've since made other arrangements (following you leads).

We travel with a portable mifi device so should have internet access at all times, but screen printing codes is always a good idea. I do that with other things all the time.