Australia to Reduce Incoming Int. Passenger Capacity from July 2021

[mviy]

We don’t have the systems in place to verify overseas vaccination status yet. I expect when home quarantine is rolled out more broadly vaccination in some places (e.g. UK, Singapore) may well be accepted.

 

[Pushka]

We don’t have the systems in place to verify overseas vaccination status yet. I expect when home quarantine is rolled out more broadly vaccination in some places (e.g. UK, Singapore) may well be accepted.

Certainly those two places who have good recording systems.

 

[amclod]

I am supposed to be flying out of Sydney on 17 July to France on Singapore Airlines - compassionate grounds for which an exemption was quickly granted. Return is Y class arriving 06 August.

I was already anxious about securing my seat on return but Singapore Airlines convinced me that unless the government changed the rules I’d be safe. The class/cost of the ticket didn’t matter.

With the 50% cap reduction, Singapore Airlines are now unable to guarantee anything and it’s not viable for me to risk waiting another three weeks minimum to get a return seat (I assume there will be a 3000+ backlog by 06 Aug just with direct SQ flights into Sydney). So I see myself cancelling the whole trip next week unless I’ve misread the situation. Have I?

And isn’t it surreal that as a fully vaccinated Australian I can enter France unconditionally, but not get home…

 

[dajop]

We don’t have the systems in place to verify overseas vaccination status yet. I expect when home quarantine is rolled out more broadly vaccination in some places (e.g. UK, Singapore) may well be accepted.

An interim system might not be that difficult at a time of non-mass travel …. On arrival have a separate queue after the health checks for those who claim to have been vaccinated in country A, B or C with an Australian approved Vaccine and in that queue have someone verify the apps showing the vaccination status.

 

[mviy]

I am supposed to be flying out of Sydney on 17 July to France on Singapore Airlines - compassionate grounds for which an exemption was quickly granted. Return is Y class arriving 06 August.

Unless the trip is important enough to you to risk being stuck overseas for months, I would probably be reconsidering it.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I am supposed to be flying out of Sydney on 17 July to France on Singapore Airlines - compassionate grounds for which an exemption was quickly granted. Return is Y class arriving 06 August.

I was already anxious about securing my seat on return but Singapore Airlines convinced me that unless the government changed the rules I’d be safe. The class/cost of the ticket didn’t matter.

With the 50% cap reduction, Singapore Airlines are now unable to guarantee anything and it’s not viable for me to risk waiting another three weeks minimum to get a return seat (I assume there will be a 3000+ backlog by 06 Aug just with direct SQ flights into Sydney). So I see myself cancelling the whole trip next week unless I’ve misread the situation. Have I?

And isn’t it surreal that as a fully vaccinated Australian I can enter France unconditionally, but not get home…

I have been told that JAL and ANA are pretty safe - if you can get a seat with them they will honour it - maybe consider that. Also think about using Madrooster to book for you as I would trust his advice.

 

[amclod]

Thanks. I’m inclined to cancel.
The benefit of Singapore Airlines is that they go to many Australian ports and options become available if the situation changes. JAL I believe is only going to Sydney once a day (old research, may be different now)

Post automatically merged: Jul 10, 2021

Unless the trip is important enough to you to risk being stuck overseas for months, I would probably be reconsidering it.

Yes, I think I will.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am supposed to be flying out of Sydney on 17 July to France on Singapore Airlines - compassionate grounds for which an exemption was quickly granted. Return is Y class arriving 06 August.

I was already anxious about securing my seat on return but Singapore Airlines convinced me that unless the government changed the rules I’d be safe. The class/cost of the ticket didn’t matter.

With the 50% cap reduction, Singapore Airlines are now unable to guarantee anything and it’s not viable for me to risk waiting another three weeks minimum to get a return seat (I assume there will be a 3000+ backlog by 06 Aug just with direct SQ flights into Sydney). So I see myself cancelling the whole trip next week unless I’ve misread the situation. Have I?

And isn’t it surreal that as a fully vaccinated Australian I can enter France unconditionally, but not get home…

I wonder if the situation changes if the airlines has already flown you to your destination? (compared to others who might be originating in Europe?) Perhaps easier for an airline to bump the latter rather than the former? But I think you'd need to ask their policy.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Thanks. I’m inclined to cancel.
The benefit of Singapore Airlines is that they go to many Australian ports and options become available if the situation changes. JAL I believe is only going to Sydney once a day (old research, may be different now)

Post automatically merged: Jul 10, 2021

Yes, I think I will.

To be honest that’s pre pandemic thinking. You are better off finding an airline that doesn’t overbook and doesn’t boot people off, than to worry about things like options and schedules!

Post automatically merged: Jul 10, 2021

I wonder if the situation changes if the airlines has already flown you to your destination? (compared to others who might be originating in Europe?) Perhaps easier for an airline to bump the latter rather than the former? But I think you'd need to ask their policy.

Policy is easy - who gives me the most revenue……

 

[amclod]

To be honest that’s pre pandemic thinking. You are better off finding an airline that doesn’t overbook and doesn’t boot people off, than to worry about things like options and schedules!

Post automatically merged: Jul 10, 2021

Policy is easy - who gives me the most revenue……

I don’t think Singapore Airlines had overbooked at the time I made the reservation. But they were booking to cap numbers that were valid until the 50% reduction takes effect. My problem is how they will adjust their numbers to accommodate the new cap. By whether you’re a holder of a return ticket, by ticket value, by last-booked first-bumped, or … who knows? Singapore Airlines couldn’t tell me yet.

 

[RAM]

And just like that:

"A landmark national trial to allow fully Covid-19 vaccinated travellers to serve mandatory quarantine at home is due to launch in South Australia next month.

National cabinet on Friday said SA would pilot the scheme, which will involve small groups of Australian Defence Force personnel and returning Paralympians from Japan.

There was at least one case of an ADF officer breaking hotel quarantine in Sydney last year - by having another hotel guest (non-quarantine) join him in his room.

ADF officer fined $1000 for sneaking female guest into hotel quarantine room

Details have emerged of how a 53-year-old woman ended up in the room of an ADF soldier undertaking hotel quarantine, with the woman now admitting it was a “mistake” to visit and she “didn’t need to be there”.

www.news.com.au

Human nature, and "I'm not infected" +/or perhaps "I won't be caught" is guaranteed to happen with home quarantine. Just as has been happening in Sydney for the last few weeks.

Does anybody else suspect that this 'flying the flag' routine about home quarantine (which will be totally State responsbility) is designed to take the focus off the lack of any Federal dedicated quarantine facilities?

As currently there is not one Federal facility anymore as Howard Springs was made NT's 100% responsibility & all previous Federal staff are (to be? Not sure if all gone) replaced.

This plus the Federal Govt decision not to prioritise Australian citizens return seems destined to ensure overseas travel & returning remains a future hope not a near term certainty.

No queue, no quarantine facilities & no actual plan.

 

[PineappleSkip]

We don’t have the systems in place to verify overseas vaccination status yet. I expect when home quarantine is rolled out more broadly vaccination in some places (e.g. UK, Singapore) may well be accepted.

The PM mentioned the interim system at yesterday’s media conference

We also have the Australian Travel Declaration, which will be from the 16th of July, we'll be including information on inbound arrivals vaccination status. That will be done through what is called attestation. This is not linked up to other international databases at this stage. This would be requiring people to attest, whether they have received a vaccination, the vaccination that they have received, the date of that vaccination and the jurisdiction in which they receive that vaccination. That will provide information, particularly to the states who will be in a position then, potentially to look at how they're managing quarantine operations in their state, as the Commonwealth can with the Northern Territory Government at Howard Springs to look at ways that vaccinated and non-vaccinated travellers can be treated in the quarantine programme.

In other words, for the moment there will be additional questions on the yellow arrivals card.

And isn’t it surreal that as a fully vaccinated Australian I can enter France unconditionally, but not get home…

That was the case yesterday. But now I see light at the end of the tunnel (?). Vaccination status will, it seem, be a consideration for outbound travel.

Obviously, those who are vaccinated have a much lower risk of infection than those who are not vaccinated… on outbound, it will be our strong preference for those who are who are given an exemption… there are very clear and limited reasons why people are able to travel outbound presently. And that is our strong preference that people will be vaccinated if they're travelling overseas. Now, for those who are unable for medical reasons to receive a vaccination or at this point in the cycle, they may not have access to that vaccination, well they are obviously issues that will be taken into account by the Border Force Commissioner in considering those arrangements. Now, those last points that I make about outbound travel, facilitated commercial flights, the Australian Travel Declaration, they are all decisions that the Commonwealth Government and they were noted today by the National Cabinet.

I had been waiting a week and a half for an outbound approval, and I had mentioned I’ll be fully vaccinated at the time of travel, even though it wasn’t a criterion at the time.

My outbound travel exemption arrived this morning.

cheers skip

 

[levelnine]

@madrooster has posted in FB groups about Singapore Airlines cancellations and he has said there's no apparent pattern to who they are cancelling -- not necessarily Y pax, not necessarily last booked, etc etc.

It is a huge, huge gamble to fly overseas for a short-term trip at the moment. Anyone that looks at the relevant FB groups will see there are stories of utter misery appearing on a daily basis.

 

[mviy]

In other words, for the moment there will be additional questions on the yellow arrivals card.

That will help them to see if there's a correlation between vaccination status and testing positive in hotel quarantine for virus caught overseas, which would help with determining the viability of home quarantine.

But now I see light at the end of the tunnel (?). Vaccination status will, it seem, be a consideration for outbound travel.

I had been waiting a week and a half for an outbound approval, and I had mentioned I’ll be fully vaccinated at the time if travel, even though it wasn’t a criterion at the time.

My outbound travel exemption arrived this morning.

That is good to hear. My problem is that I won't be fully vaccinated till late September and I am not currently in a position to travel for 3+ months and my reason to travel wouldn't yet be seen as compelling enough for a shorter trip.

I think there's a decent chance they will soon move to only allow outbound travel for unvaccinated people for limited exceptions such as compassionate reasons or for medical exceptions. Once there is plenty of Pfizer and Moderna around they may decide to no longer allow people to travel unvaccinated unless there are strong medical reasons for why that person shouldn't be vaccinated and exceptional reasons for the person to travel.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I don’t think Singapore Airlines had overbooked at the time I made the reservation. But they were booking to cap numbers that were valid until the 50% reduction takes effect. My problem is how they will adjust their numbers to accommodate the new cap. By whether you’re a holder of a return ticket, by ticket value, by last-booked first-bumped, or … who knows? Singapore Airlines couldn’t tell me yet.

I am afraid my daughter’s experience with Singapore Air in December/January rather soured me. Not that it was their fault that Aus reduced caps, or that Singapore stopped transits. However their handling from then on was very rude and uncaring. My daughter was booked in business and her booking was made months before but they just didn’t give a stuff about anything. If she hadn’t decided to book with Qatar she would have been left stranded when they cancelled at the last minute. Not everyone has the ability to pay for multiple business class flights though.

not that they are the only one - it’s very difficult and someone might have an easy trip with Singapore while someone else runs into problems - all a nightmare.

 

[bcworld]

I can only say this. I have a friend who works in reservations for SQ in London. They, on a weekly basis have to deal with some heartbreaking situations. Their work life is miserable and has been for well over a year now as you can imagine. In situations like the current one, sudden cap reduction, they're completely powerless.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I can only say this. I have a friend who works in reservations for SQ in London. They, on a weekly basis have to deal with some heartbreaking situations. Their work life is miserable and has been for well over a year now as you can imagine. In situations like the current one, sudden cap reduction, they're completely powerless.

Yes you have to feel sorry for frontline staff. Decisions as to who flies, who gets booted and what flights are cancelled are completely out of their hands. They have to field the enquires but probably know no more about what is going to happen than the person enquiring….

 

[nancypants]

I thought it was stage 1? I just hope that after the ADF and Olympians the Govts just don't give themselves a hearty Pat on the back and then we don't hear any more for months while "we review".

As currently there is not one Federal facility anymore as Howard Springs was made NT's 100% responsibility & all previous Federal staff are (to be? Not sure if all gone) replaced

Post automatically merged: Jul 10, 2021

SA trial is phase one, any further roll out will be phase 2

indeed the “centre for national resilience” is now entirely NT staffed and operated

 

[mviy]

Yes you have to feel sorry for frontline staff. Decisions as to who flies, who gets booted and what flights are cancelled are completely out of their hands. They have to field the enquires but probably know no more about what is going to happen than the person enquiring….

At least they are doing better than flight crew that have been stood down for 18 months to still have work.

 

[mviy]

Dan Tehan is hopeful that home quarantine could be an option for many in the lead up to Christmas: Australia will soon trial home quarantine for vaccinated travellers. Here's what it could mean for future travel