Tui offers £20 cut-price PCR test to travellers

BRITAIN’S biggest tour operator has slashed the price of PCR tests to £20 – more than half the cost of the cheapest kits on offer to date.

Tui is to offer holidaymakers travelling to green list destinations a £20 deal for two tests – a lateral flow to be used before the flight home and a gold-standard PCR test for when they arrive back in Britain.

It is also offering passengers travelling to amber list destinations a £50 package for one pre-departure lateral flow test and two inbound PCR tests for day two and day eight of their ten-day home quarantine.

The offer, in partnership with government-authorised provider Chronomics, comes as ministers are today set to announce the list of green and amber countries that Britons will be able to visit from May 17.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has been pushing for companies to bring down the cost of tests, which have previously averaged more than £100 in the UK – and in some cases risen to £300.

Many test providers have since cut costs to about £60 with the cheapest previously being just under £45.

Andrew Flintham, Tui’s managing director, said: “We have always believed that cost-effective testing solutions, as well as maximum flexibility, will make travel a possibility this summer and beyond.”

Mr Shapps is shortly expected to unveil an updated Government website making it easier for travellers to find the cheapest authorised test deals.