A week ago on Thursday afternoon I got a call that stated quite simply to get on the next flight to the UK and get to my mother. I wrapped up at work and went home to pack and book a flight.
I am double jabbed, so I got myself a 24 hour covid test and thought myself well prepped.
I found a flight from Munich at 17:00 the next day and paid online.
Another call suggested to come earlier if possible and indeed there was another flight at 10 in the morning. I called and asked if I could change my flight. Yes it was possible if I paid 350 Euros.... The ticket I had bought had only, or "only" cost 270 Euros. I told the bugger what I thought of such gouging and simply bought a new ticket for 250 Euros. All flights of course, one way!
I got to the airport and silly me went to the queue for EU-Bűrger only to get my ass kicked over to the foreigner riff raff. I had tried to think about everything but I had forgotten my residents permit, and got detained until my credentials could be verified.
I did mention to the drone behind the glass that I have lived longer in Germany than he has, but these buggers simply don't have a sense of humour.
An hour before the flight was ready the Lufthansa deskdrone went round checking papers. I had my yellow booklet and a valid test, so I was confident. Only to be asked where my locator form was, I told her that I have never heard of it and where could I get one. She just said: "Online!" And with that moved on, I asked if she could help me but there was no help coming from her. I told her the situation and literally begged for some assistance, nothing.
luckily some other passengers came to help. You can't get the locator until you have registered with the two day test which is sent to your destination address. Only then do you get the code needed to complete the locator form. Thing is you have to pay 75 quid, only I don't have a credit card and the British system won't accept my German debit card. And you have to register two days in advance. l called mothers carer and got her credit card details and paid, I called Tests123.co.uk and they agreed to waiver the two days. It took... time! But in the end I got everything. The 10:00 flight was long gone by then and I needed to get the ticket changed. Lufthansa at the airport was helpful and for just another 150 Euros I could change the ticket.
Never have I been so happy to have bought two tickets.
All what remained was to get a "flight" covid test. For that I had to go throug passport controll out of the terminal to an office. "Where is your resident card?" That cost me another half hour and finally I got the flight covid test, which is just a normal covid test but it costs 55 Euros.
Back through passport controll and the question as to the whereabouts of my resident permit. By this time I was tired and distraught and sweaty and very, very cranky.
Anyway I got on the flight and arrived just in time. Half an hour later she slipped into a coma and passed on just yesterday.
In the meantime I am bombarded with emails from NHStracing wanting me to fill out forms and telling me that I have been in contact with somebody infected an threatening with fines if I do not self isolate for 10 days. Just now as I am writing this I get a call on my DE mobile by some Jussouf guy telling me to self isolate and wanting details. I told him about the emails and to bugger off, with him trying to convince me that he is legit and not to click on the links in the emails. I told him that they and anything he is going to send is dumped into spam. He told me that I really have to self isolate and I told him that it 'ain't gonna happen. I am after all double jabbed. Totally surreal because he then told me that in this case I don't have to isolate. I then asked if he has all the details in the file, including the copy of my certificate. "Yes!" So why the hell was he ringing on a Sunday afternoon?

I am going to complain to Lufthansa about their callous and cold hearted treatment and now I just have to get back to DE.

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Back in Bavaria, god´s own belly button.

Wow, that all sounds very stressful! Glad that you made it to see your mother, just in time. Condolences. And I hope you can get back into Germany properly.

Perhaps someone could collect your German residence permit from your flat and send you a photo, in case anyone claims you need that to board a plane from the UK. Plus, you might ask someone to bring the original to meet you at the German airport, so that if you're stopped at immigration you could tell them that your permit is just on the other side of the barrier. Especially if you have a photo of it, they might allow you to have it collected from within the airport.

Thanks but not possible. I'll manage.

If NHS track and trace are calling you about isolation, it will be because someone near you on your flight has now tested positive - not because of where you have travelled from.

I really am so very sorry to hear your awful stressful story, but more so to hear of your mother's death. I could imagine myself being in that situation too. Your story may help others to get themselves prepared in case of a similar emergency. I am glad for you, at least, that you were able to take a final farewell.

customer service doesnt exist in central europe, not surprised.

My condolences, Slammer. I am so sorry.

What a whirlwind of stress, emotions and now grief. My condolences

I'm glad you made it after all and I'm sorry for your loss

By not using paragraphs you got the stress of it all across perfectly

What I didn't get, who is the infected person you got in touch with? Someone on the plane?

What's a paragraph?
Who it was? No idea,they would not say.

By the way, twas written on a cellphone.

A thing that splits text in bits for easy read. Surprised you ask as you must know this in English and in German.
Anyway, I found it totally suitable the way you wrote it. I was not complaining.

I didn't mean who as in George Sample.

In a new twist, you now have to self isolate for 10 days if you are cross vaccinated.

Whelp, back in Germany since yesterday. Did the travel registration in the UK, filled in the forms. Went to the airport and actually got through the first time round. I have to tell you though that flying has become one of the worst means of transport, especially if you are flying from Manchester. 5 quid just to drop you off and such a maize of corridors and stairs, broken lifts and corners and checks and, and and.

Not having my residence card on my person came back to bite me in the behind...: Uniformed chick behind the desk and a long story short witha lot of bickering. "How did you fly out?" "From Munich!" "Why is there no stamp?" "What stamp?" I can´t let you in without a residence permit, or you get a stamp in your passport...!" Discussion back and forth..."FFS, stamp the bloody thing...!" I was very annoyed at this point. STAMP! "Now you have to leave the country again after 90 days" "Not going to happen!" Did not want to give the chick hassle as it´s not her fault... like all uniformed Germans, she is just following orders! But I would like to throat punch a brexiteer.

Back home and checking mails, found out that I have to go into quarantine for ten days.

GRRRanditty this in chocolate...

(Hmm! Did not think the filters would catch my carefully worded four letter expletive-laden end sentence, so I´ll try again: "GRRRandfornicatefornicatittyfornicate in chocolate...!")

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Back in Bavaria, god´s own belly button.

So ... "Don't fly from Münich"? Btw, the trick to get around filters is to use letters that look similar from another alphabet. E.g. υ instead of u



Sorry for your loss.