Coronavirus (COVID-19) Respiratory illness - Effect on Travel

[Sabot]

Made it to PRC already I think View attachment 205017

No seal against face and membrane in contact with mouth?
Not gonna make it guys, Mad Max 3.0 here we come.

 

[amaroo]

So I read that United, AA , BA and many others have cancelled flights to mainland China. I assume an airline decision and not Govt one.
I therefore assume that QANTAS is too greedy and money hungry to make this type of decision ??
I also must assume they value profit ahead of the health and welfare of Australian citizens ????
All assumptions but no other conclusion really

Following that line of thought you would need to ban all airlines and countries that have open borders with China. The two sick people holed up in a Gold Coast hospital came into Australia from Singapore. Had nothing to do with Qantas flying to China.

 

[Pushka]

Pilots, flight attendants demand flights to China stop as virus fear mounts worldwide

Pilots and flight attendants are demanding airlines stop flights to China as health officials declare a global emergency over the rapidly spreading coronavirus, with American Airlines' pilots filing a lawsuit seeking an immediate halt.

www.reuters.com

 

[moa999]

Maybe we should listen more to the WHO and medical experts, than some random pilots and FAs.

The virus is already out of China, and with a 10-14 day incubation period, some of which the person can spread it while being asymptomatic, it's pointless now, other countries have a virus base already.

Thankfully it seems relatively difficult to spread (unlike say measles or the common flu) and the mortality rate is relatively low.

 

[Sabot]

Maybe we should listen more to the WHO and medical experts, than some random pilots and FAs.

The virus is already out of China, and with a 10-14 day incubation period, some of which the person can spread it while being asymptomatic, it's pointless now, other countries have a virus base already.

Thankfully it seems relatively difficult to spread (unlike say measles or the common flu) and the mortality rate is relatively low.

I guess now that it's broken out of China we shouldn't bother then.
Border should have been closed a week ago.

Stop the boats.

 

[Pushka]

USA just upped its warning to Do Not Travel to China. Insurance policies now have to provide full refunds where appropriate.

China Travel Advisory

travel.state.gov

 

[PineappleSkip]

So I read that United, AA , BA and many others have cancelled flights to mainland China. I assume an airline decision and not Govt one.
I therefore assume that QANTAS is too greedy and money hungry to make this type of decision ??

You can safely assume most airlines are businesses. Just looking at who has suspended what, it looks like many of the decisions to suspend or not suspend are commercial, and there are very many others alongside Qantas who haven’t suspended. Doubtless there are many leisure travellers, and some business ones, who see travel to china as a good thing to cancel. And in China many thinking any travel a bad idea.

Here’s a recent list of 43 airlines which have restricted flights. Challenging to keep up with all this, especially as the WHO declaration will result in more ad hoc responses from Governments as well as airlines.

Apart from Qantas, absences include all the middle East carriers, and some key African ones.

Be interesting to see how - and how quickly - the response out of Africa unfolds. ET off to a good start, putting out a statement denying reports it had cancelled flights to China after its call centre told Reuters they had cancelled China flights.

Cheers skip

 

[kamchatsky]

Or perhaps, the other airlines have seen a huge drop in bookings, and have had lots of people take them up on cancellation waivers, and have taken the pragmatic commercial decision to suspend flights?

QF is a commercial entity - it is not their decision to stop people entering Australia from China - that is a federal government responsibility. With the huge foreign student population in Australia - and the beginning of the university teaching year imminent - l most flights from Asia to Australia are very full at this time of the year. And this group are unlikely to cancel travel unless forced to. This is distinct from the northern hemisphere travel at this time of the year.

Post automatically merged: Jan 31, 2020

They still fly SYD-PVG. They are getting out of PEK.

Case in point, I flew QF118 HKG-SYD 3 nights ago, J was completely full. I didn't check Y but my assumption would be that is full as well.

 

[OATEK]

Case in point, I flew QF118 HKG-SYD 3 nights ago, J was completely full. I didn't check Y but my assumption would be that is full as well.

I understood that HKG was not being counted as Mainland China, and had not seen flights halted over the virus, although I expect cancellations over loads.

 

[kamchatsky]

I understood that HKG was not being counted as Mainland China, and had not seen flights halted over the virus, although I expect cancellations over loads.

HKG already had partial border closure with Mainland China. High Speed rail + Intercity rail are closed. A number of checkpoints are already closed. However airports, and some key border points (e.g Lohu) is still open.

The locals have already asked the government to have total border closure with Mainland China for more than a week. The call for total closure will intensify now that WHO call this global epidemic.

 

[AisleSeat]

Necessity is the mother of invention - the BRAMASK

She won the Ignobel Prize for Public Health in 2009 for that invention

List of Ig Nobel Prize winners - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jase05]

Whilst using the QF app I just received this pop up message. Haven’t seen it before


Flights to and from mainland China
In response to the current coronavirus infection originating in Wuhan, China, Qantas is offering flexible options to customers booked to travel to/from/via mainland China between 24 January and 31 March 2020 (inclusive).
These options will also cover customers travelling to/originating from mainland China on another carrier who hold a separate Qantas ticket for travel within domestic Australia or trans-Tasman.
Customers with tickets issued on or before 24 January 2020 who no longer wish to travel currently have the option to rebook their flight, cancel their ticket and retain its value in credit, or cancel their flights for a full refund. Change and cancellation fees will not be charged to these customers. Please contact your original booking agent for assistance.
Qantas flights to China are currently operating as normal and we will continue to monitor the situation. If there are any changes to your flight you will be contacted directly. Please visit the Manage My Booking section of our website to ensure your contact details are up to date.
Please contact Qantas Customer Support or your travel agent for more details: Contact us | Qantas AU

 

[ozfflyer]

CX were already in trouble. Will they survive this ?

 

[p--and--t]

A bit off topic, but...

Given

• the a history of zero fatalities from these pandemics (like SARS, MERS) etc in Australia due to various factors including proactive action by governments and others
• current medical advice for 2019-nCov is basically fluids, rest, 14days self isolation at home
• 2019-nCov is just the latest variety of viral "flu".
• we have around 1,000 deaths per year in AU from very similar viral "flu's"

Why can't we as a nation take appropriate actions to significantly reduce the spread and mortality of the annual winter flu?

Just brainstorming - business/govt managers forcing staff to stay home for 14 days, sanitation of workplaces where someone has comedown with the flu, isolation of workmates who may have been infected.

Are we as a nation accepting 1,000 people can die a year because we don't want a productivity hit to the economy?

Just mulling over the reality of AU, as an off shoot from current pandemic.

[Admin: happy for you to move this if you don't like it being here]

 

[Must...Fly!]

It's not that easy. If my employer decided to tell me to stay away from the office for 14 days, I wouldn't be working from home - I'd be sitting at home being paid to do literally nothing. I can't do my job from home!

But that said if I felt in any way sick I would be seeking medical advice and probably self-quarantining off my own back. Because I work in close quarter environments with shared workstations, the chance for cross contamination is rather high.

 

[ozfflyer]

FJ reducing NAN/HKG

Fiji Airways to reduce Hong Kong flights

www.fbcnews.com.fj

 

[Must...Fly!]

Not sure if normal, but Chinese-originating aircraft (including China Airlines from Taipei) seem to be at remote stands at MEL

 

[ozfflyer]

It's not that easy. If my employer decided to tell me to stay away from the office for 14 days, I wouldn't be working from home - I'd be sitting at home being paid to do literally nothing. I can't do my job from home!

But that said if I felt in any way sick I would be seeking medical advice and probably self-quarantining off my own back. Because I work in close quarter environments with shared workstations, the chance for cross contamination is rather high.

I think you'd be using up your sick leave or as a number of employers do lately, you get sick, you leave.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I think you'd be using up your sick leave or as a number of employers do lately, you get sick, you leave.

Yes definitely, I would expect to use my sick leave (I think everyone else would too?). And if my sick leave wasn't enough to cover it I'd discuss leave without pay. Thankfully I am lucky to have a good employer.

 

[DC3]

Maybe it’s on AFF by now, somewhere, but on FT there’s a post about a QF flight SYD-HKG, departing SYD tonight (?), then onto WUH. Then, WUH-DRW.

A B747 aircraft SYD-HKG-WUH-DRW, then passengers transfer to another aircraft to Christmas Island:

Qantas special coronavirus charter - FlyerTalk Forums

Edit: Also a bit more here:

Qantas sending crew to Hong Kong in first step of Wuhan evacuation

Qantas will reportedly be sending a crew to Hong Kong tonight in the first step of the plan to evacuate Australians from Wuhan, China.

www.news.com.au