US to Greece during Covid-19
I bought a ticket with Turkish Airlines during February for early-July to travel to Greece from the US. The booking has since been cancelled over 4 times and I have rescheduled it for a later date each one. With my flight now being less than a week away, I am getting anxious over the EU restrictions.
I understand that US citizens are banned from entering Greece but if my flight doesn't get cancelled before its date (15 of July), will I be allowed to enter? If not, how? Will I be sent back, detained, or allowed to stay under restrictions?
I do not wish to reschedule my booking for personal reasons, although I understand that I should. If you can offer any insight on the situation described above, please do.
Best Answer
It is not a matter of being allowed to enter. The airline will not allow you to board the flight in the first place, not even your US-TR flight. You must reschedule or cancel your trip.
Airline personnel do rudimentary document checks before you board, using a database called Timatic, which states directly
Passengers are not allowed to enter.
except EU nationals.
As you know, EU and Schengen countries, of which Greece is both, have banned entry from third-country nationals effective July 1, 2020, except for diplomats and other extremely narrow categories. You have not stated your citizenship, but if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of an EU country, or a spouse or child thereof, the airline will not take any chances.
As it happens, Turkey has re-opened to tourism, and has some comparable geography, climate, and classical sites, so you might consider that.
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