I'm hoping to travel to LAX in December. I'm traveling within the country for a couple of weeks and flying out of DC in late December. However, it's much cheaper to get a round-trip flight from LHR-LAX with the return flight in January. Normally I don't think it would be a problem to not use the 2nd leg of a round trip flight. But how do I manage the Day 2 test? I have to show it to the airline at LHR, right - and therefore alert them that I won't be taking the 2nd leg back (because of course the test will be in December)? Will they refuse to let me fly? Do I have to schedule the LAX flight to the same date as the DC flight and pay hundreds more?
As far as I'm aware, you don't need to book the Day 2 test until you are in the US and are about to fly back to the UK, so there shouldn't be an issue with not using the second leg. When travelling from the UK, the airline will presumably only check that you meet the Covid requirements to enter the US.
So, as far as I know you would do the following:
- fly to LAX, showing all the relevant Covid tests and vaccination paperwork to get into the US
- travel around the US on your trip
- a couple of days before you fly home in late December, you book your Day 2 test using your flight details from DC
- complete your Passenger Locator Form no more than 48 hours before your flight departs from DC (including your Day 2 test reference number)
- fly back to the UK from DC, showing your Passenger Locator Form (with Day 2 test booking reference on it) to the airline when you check in
