COVID Rapid Antigen Test accepted as proof of COVID negative status at Melbourne Airport?

[mika_duffer]

Long time fan of AFF, first time poster!

I'm flying Melbourne to Paris (via Doha) on Qatar Airways in 2 weeks. According to their website

• "All travellers aged 12 and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present upon boarding a certificate for a negative PCR or an antigen test taken within 48 hours prior to their flight."

Has anyone done the antigen test option and how did you "certify" it? I'm guessing you didn't just waltz up to the check-in counter brandishing your snot filled rapid antigen home kit.

I have tried calling Melbourne Airport: the guy there, when I quoted the above said "I don't know about the rapid antigen just go to the HistoPath lab here at the airport to get a PCR done". This is at the Histopath lab at Terminal 1 and costs $75 and the website says to come 4-5 hours before check-in to ensure your result comes back in time.....
I have tried calling Qatar Airways. They said "It depends on the country you are flying into but the result has to come from ""a lab"" for both PCR and rapid antigen tests." Can you even do rapid antigen tests at path labs???

TL;DR FFS, there MUST be thousands of people out there who have travelled from Melbourne to France every day, is there a better way of getting proof of COVID negative status to board the plan than queueing up at the airport for 5 hours BEFORE check-in at Histopath Terminal 1 and paying $75 to some bloody lab who have lucked out and are raking it in because of the lack of organisation and communication. Is there an official certification form my GP can sign to say I have tested negative on a lateral flow test/rapid antigen!?

 

[asterix]

Long time fan of AFF, first time poster!

I'm flying Melbourne to Paris (via Doha) on Qatar Airways in 2 weeks. According to their website

• "All travellers aged 12 and older, regardless of vaccination status, must present upon boarding a certificate for a negative PCR or an antigen test taken within 48 hours prior to their flight."

Has anyone done the antigen test option and how did you "certify" it? I'm guessing you didn't just waltz up to the check-in counter brandishing your snot filled rapid antigen home kit.

I have tried calling Melbourne Airport: the guy there, when I quoted the above said "I don't know about the rapid antigen just go to the HistoPath lab here at the airport to get a PCR done". This is at the Histopath lab at Terminal 1 and costs $75 and the website says to come 4-5 hours before check-in to ensure your result comes back in time.....
I have tried calling Qatar Airways. They said "It depends on the country you are flying into but the result has to come from ""a lab"" for both PCR and rapid antigen tests." Can you even do rapid antigen tests at path labs???

TL;DR FFS, there MUST be thousands of people out there who have travelled from Melbourne to France every day, is there a better way of getting proof of COVID negative status to board the plan than queueing up at the airport for 5 hours BEFORE check-in at Histopath Terminal 1 and paying $75 to some bloody lab who have lucked out and are raking it in because of the lack of organisation and communication. Is there an official certification form my GP can sign to say I have tested negative on a lateral flow test/rapid antigen!?

I think this applies to places like the UK where you could do a lateral flow swab and send it in to the lab and get the results. This doesn't apply to self administered tests.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I think the US also allow lab-monitored RAT to gain entry. Give Histopath a call (or go to the site earlier to ask) about what's involved to do a RAT-monitored at the airport - it might be free if you obtain your own RAT.

As you also have 48 hours, you can always try to time it in a quiet period in the 24 hours beforehand

 

[Lynda2475]

Histopath at MEL/SYD/BNE offer both a RAT $59 and PCR $79 option. You can go anytime 24hrs before your flight,so go the night before so you dont need to rush if you havea morning flight.

 

[pn1]

Histopath at MEL/SYD/BNE offer both a RAT $59 and PCR $79 option. You can go anytime 24hrs before your flight,so go the night before so you dont need to rush if you havea morning flight.

We are booked on UA from Sydney departing 1400 on Monday 28 February. We are thinking of rebooking our domestic connecting flight from Melbourne to Sydney on the Sunday and staying overnight in Sydney. Do you think it is feasible to get the Histopath test in Sydney sometime after 1400 on the Sunday and be accepted for the flight on the Monday?

 

[Scarlett]

@mika_duffer
We got a RAT done at MEL a few evenings ago and it was quick.
As posted up thread it was $50something.
At about 2200 there was a steady stream of customers but only about a 10 minute wait to get swabbed, then another 20 minutes for the result.
Your timings might vary…

Results were printed out adjacent to the testing room, giving the official copy the airline needed for check in.

 

[Lynda2475]

Do you think it is feasible to get the Histopath test in Sydney sometime after 1400 on the Sunday and be accepted for the flight on the Monday?

Should be, and you can register/book so that will help.

 

[mika_duffer]

@mika_duffer
We got a RAT done at MEL a few evenings ago and it was quick.
As posted up thread it was $50something.
At about 2200 there was a steady stream of customers but only about a 10 minute wait to get swabbed, then another 20 minutes for the result.
Your timings might vary…

Results were printed out adjacent to the testing room, giving the official copy the airline needed for check in.

Amazing!
Thank you so much, and thanks to everyone. Wow! What a community this place is!