Australian state border restrictions

[nutwood]

No, it would just be too much more work for airline staff, and it is not their responsibility anyway. When booking flights, there is a big banner advising to check requirements to travel where you are booking. At the airport there are continuous announcements advising it is your responsibility to have the right documentation. People flying now know what to do unless they’ve been living off grid in a cave. If passengers have the wrong paperwork, police at the other end will help sort it out.

The procedures are already in place. Confidence to travel has nothing to do with correct border entry permits, but whether borders will remain open by the time you travel (or return).

That's fine when they take you via the route you've booked. What if they re-route you and then a cancelled flight means an over-night stop? I can see some carrier responsibility there.

 

[oz_ally]

Well I just got through to the QLD COVID number and she confirmed that because I left the actual airport building I need the border declaration pass rather than the quick and easy one. But she gave me the Victoria number to call for advice. That bloke said that even though I’ve left the building to stay where I am and have not been in any red zones anywhere else I can apply for a Green Zone permit. The QLD one doesn’t refer to zones though. But it does ask specifically if I’ve transited via a hotspot and if I have I must apply for the border pass. This is so confusing. I’m contacting QLD COVID again before I try for the easy pass. I don’t want to be that person you all hear about on the radio who did the wrong thing and got named and shamed I never even got asked for my border pass when I landed here.

 

[Port Power]

That's fine when they take you via the route you've booked. What if they re-route you and then a cancelled flight means an over-night stop? I can see some carrier responsibility there.

Exactly that happened to me. I rang and the call centre agent was very helpful with rebooking. So the carrier did take some responsibility. I changed flights to avoid Sydney where I would be refused entry back into WA and instead flew via BNE with an overnight. I then applied for a new G2G. Sounds much like oz-ally, except my G2G was approved almost immediately. I also had to quarantine at home on arrival, which was not on the cards when I left home. Such are the risks of domestic travel.

The carriers change/cancel flights because cities are in lockdown and fewer flights are needed.

 

[MelMel]

Well I just got through to the QLD COVID number and she confirmed that because I left the actual airport building I need the border declaration pass rather than the quick and easy one. But she gave me the Victoria number to call for advice. That bloke said that even though I’ve left the building to stay where I am and have not been in any red zones anywhere else I can apply for a Green Zone permit. The QLD one doesn’t refer to zones though. But it does ask specifically if I’ve transited via a hotspot and if I have I must apply for the border pass. This is so confusing. I’m contacting QLD COVID again before I try for the easy pass. I don’t want to be that person you all hear about on the radio who did the wrong thing and got named and shamed I never even got asked for my border pass when I landed here.

I think the Victorian official is confused. They are advising you as if you were applying for a Victorian permit having come from the NT which is green. I would go by the advice relating to where you are going which is QLD. Good luck

 

[oz_ally]

Yes you are right. When I got through to QLD COVID again she said as much. Anyway I asked if I just caught my flight without the border pass arriving (as yet) would I be in trouble. She seems to think as long as I have my confirmation email that I applied I should be fine. I have to stay overnight in Brisbane anyway - unless I’m chucked into quarantine so they’ll know where I am. Not that the government ever don’t

 

[BNEFlyer]

Yes you are right. When I got through to QLD COVID again she said as much. Anyway I asked if I just caught my flight without the border pass arriving (as yet) would I be in trouble. She seems to think as long as I have my confirmation email that I applied I should be fine. I have to stay overnight in Brisbane anyway - unless I’m chucked into quarantine so they’ll know where I am. Not that the government ever don’t

Hopefully they put you up at the Westin at least!

 

[oz_ally]

Hopefully they put you up at the Westin at least!

Well that would be a step up from the budget Ibis that I’ve booked for myself. not that there’s anything wrong with this Melbourne airport one. Yes the room is a tad smaller than my balcony suite on Pacific Dawn (sans balcony). But it’s clean, free coffee machine thingo downstairs and the staff I’ve met have been lovely. Not sure if I mentioned in an earlier post that they gave me a free late checkout to 12 so gotta go soon. Ironically will be then hanging out with more people from who knows where than I’ve come across since get off the plane last night and walking here. Only seen 2 staff and 1 other guest passed me on the stairs.

 

[oz_ally]

Update: just sat down at Melbourne airport and connected to WiFi and checked my emails. Got my border pass I’m still a bit confused though. It says to stay within the confines of the airport and I know what that means now but the “or quarantine” not sure if that means the official one or I’m good to go directly to the motel. I think I will check with the powers that be once I get to Brisbane. This return trip may have been a headache but I have learned many lessons. Mainly to make sure I bring more of my meds than I think I will need thankfully I have the MedAdvisor app with all my scripts. Thank you so much to everyone here for your help, kind words and advice.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Fingers crossed that all works out at the border, but I have a feeling that if you're required to quarantine on arrival in QLD other than organised 'hotel quarantine', it can't be in a self-booked hotel - it has to be a private residence. From my reading of the rules, you also can't take a domestic connecting flight within QLD after entering at a QLD airport, so if you were wanting to self-quarantine in your circumstances, I think you'd need to fly into ROK directly from interstate to quarantine at home (to avoid government hotel quarantine).

Anyway, keep us posted with your BNE arrival - it'll be interesting to see what happens!

 

[Seat0B]

Not really anything we don't know but confirmation of what will be hard for some when it comes to families in other states.
States will keep their borders closed to NSW for ‘much of the rest of this year’

Trying to work out whether my work in Adelaide rescheduled for the third time from Mar 2020, to Aug 2020 to September - October 2021 will go ahead. SA currently excludes everyone from ACT except essential travellers, and I’m not one of those. I can vouch for the viewpoint that it is impossible to run a business right now, even a small and simple one like mine . Guess all I can do is wait a bit longer. It would have been 5 x 1 week trips. At this point I have nothing booked - no flights, no hotels, no venues, no catering. All those businesses miss out, as well as my business, and also the client who is still waiting to train their staff.

 

[jrfsp]

The Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina Shire local government areas will go into lockdown at 6:00pm today.

Can see the QLD border bubble bursting

 

[eastwest101]

Trying to work out whether my work in Adelaide rescheduled for the third time from Mar 2020, to Aug 2020 to September - October 2021 will go ahead. SA currently excludes everyone from ACT except essential travellers, and I’m not one of those. I can vouch for the viewpoint that it is impossible to run a business right now, even a small and simple one like mine . Guess all I can do is wait a bit longer. It would have been 5 x 1 week trips. At this point I have nothing booked - no flights, no hotels, no venues, no catering. All those businesses miss out, as well as my business, and also the client who is still waiting to train their staff.

I am still flying for work, but am not booking flights until the very last minute, I book everything one-way and avoiding any unnecessary overnights anywhere if possible. If one flight schedule change is notified (especially a change in transit airport) its automatically unacceptable and I cancel all bookings for a full refund and go back to square one and look at all other options and airlines. I haven't needed it yet but HLO and 3 changes of clothes and basics available in case some overenthusiastic state official locks you up overnight or for any unexpected 14 day quarantine. All hotels fully refundable too as others have mentioned.

I have pretty understanding clients, I hope you do as well.

 

[Seat0B]

I am still flying for work, but am not booking flights until the very last minute, I book everything one-way and avoiding any unnecessary overnights anywhere if possible. If one flight schedule change is notified I cancel all bookings for a full refund and go back to square one and look at all other options and airlines. I haven't needed it yet but HLO and 3 changes of clothes and basics available in case some overenthusiastic state official locks you up overnight or for any unexpected 14 day quarantine. All hotels fully refundable too as others have mentioned.

I have pretty understanding clients, I hope you do as well.

Yes my client has been totally amazing. They are a large global aerospace company, and I’m a tiny specialist firm, and they could have crushed me, but they have been nothing short of amazing to deal with.

 

[eastwest101]

Update: just sat down at Melbourne airport and connected to WiFi and checked my emails. Got my border pass I’m still a bit confused though. It says to stay within the confines of the airport and I know what that means now but the “or quarantine” not sure if that means the official one or I’m good to go directly to the motel. I think I will check with the powers that be once I get to Brisbane. This return trip may have been a headache but I have learned many lessons. Mainly to make sure I bring more of my meds than I think I will need thankfully I have the MedAdvisor app with all my scripts. Thank you so much to everyone here for your help, kind words and advice.

Yeah - please keep us all advised as to what happens in Brisbane, particularly if sanity prevails and you are allowed to fly MEL-BNE-ROK and if you are allowed to home quarantine in ROK, or if they quarantine you in BNE. Good luck.

I just checked the ROK airport website and there is no other way into ROK not via BNE except if you had mangaged to jag a same day DRW-TSV-ROK or even DRW-CNS-TSV-ROK which would have cost a bomb on Qantas/Air North codeshare....

 

[Pushka]

Yes my client has been totally amazing. They are a large global aerospace company, and I’m a tiny specialist firm, and they could have crushed me, but they have been nothing short of amazing to deal with.

Hmmmm. Similar client base then. Projecting for the next month, likely five interstate trips now shelved.

 

[sjk]

I’m surprised SEQ has stayed out of lockdown for so long…

 

[drron]

Well the Tasmanian CHO must have slept in this morning.Nearly 1000 before residents of Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs were banned but still banned on the Sunshine Coast even though not 1 Tier 1 exposure site on the Coast.

 

[nutwood]

The carriers change/cancel flights because cities are in lockdown and fewer flights are needed.

I'm not sure this is entirely correct. It's more the case that freight is less demanding.
I was surprised last year, at the height of lock-down fever, to find myself on an A330 from Melbourne to Sydney. I was fairly sure I was the only person in J and the rest of the plane was quite empty as well. Enquiry revealed that the passengers were just a bonus, reality was 20 tonnes of freight.
Freight doesn't mind an overnight stop. It sits on pallets and really doesn't stress about being slammed in fourteen days HQ for no rational reason.

 

[jakeseven7]

The Byron Shire, Richmond Valley, Lismore and Ballina Shire local government areas will go into lockdown at 6:00pm today.

Can see the QLD border bubble bursting

It is certainly marching further and further north to the border….

 

[PineappleSkip]

I have a feeling that if you're required to quarantine on arrival in QLD other than organised 'hotel quarantine', it can't be in a self-booked hotel - it has to be a private residence. From my reading of the rules, you also can't take a domestic connecting flight within QLD after entering at a QLD airport

I agree unfortunately. Just looking at the home quarantine rules for travellers from SA hotspots (not operative yet I think) I'd reckon it has to be a private residence less than two hours from the airport, with no facilities shared with other residences, and you must be driven in a private vehicle by someone who knows you.

It is certainly marching further and further north to the border….

Like cane toads in reverse!