New Zealand Travel Bubble Announcement

[Mattg]

The bubble is gone. Australia will be open to the UK before NZ opens to us.

Is this your interpretation of what was said yesterday, or did the NZ government specifically say that the bubble is no more?

 

[Berlin]

Guys- can we just get back to topic? As much as I love to engage in some trans-Tasman banter, this is not the thread for it. And how about we all just get that damn jab as soon as we can, on both sides of the lake!

 

[jakeseven7]

Guys- can we just get back to topic? As much as I love to engage in some trans-Tasman banter, this is not the thread for it. And how about we all just get that damn jab as soon as we can, on both sides of the lake!

Calm down… There is no bubble to talk about anyway and the vaccination rates are integrally linked to it reopening in some way shape or form…

 

[henrus]

4 new cases today including a Auckland hospital worker

I would not be shocked if NZ to AU travel is suspended today meaning the bubble will be completely gone.

 

[Berlin]

I would not be shocked if NZ to AU travel is suspended today meaning the bubble will be completely gone.

I was meant to fly on Sunday but fear you might be right. Huge issue for me but it is what it is.

 

[henrus]

I was meant to fly on Sunday but fear you might be right. Huge issue for me but it is what it is.

Where are you traveling to (Sydney from memory) and can you bring it forward?

Australia has been shockingly slow to react. WA has listed NZ as low risk (means everyone allowed to enter but must quarantine for 14 days), NT will list NZ as a hotspot and TAS is only limiting those who've been at one of the contact tracing locations.

Last time NZ had cases AU cough the one way bubble for a few weeks so I'm surprised about the complete inaction. There are still daily flights to Sydney and no restrictions on entry at all.

 

[dajop]

AU cough the one way bubble

Typo or deliberate??

 

[Berlin]

Where are you traveling to (Sydney from memory) and can you bring it

I’ve changed it all to fly to Melbourne instead as luckily my new employer does not really mind where I will be based exactly and Victoria looks like a better chance to get out of this at the moment.

But I just read on the Victoria website that NZ is now a red zone so I guess that’s it for the time being.

 

[henrus]

Typo or deliberate??

Haha typo. Although it is true the bubble and both countries have gone to cough.

But I just read on the Victoria website that NZ is now a red zone so I guess that’s it for the time being.

Yep they marked the whole of NZ a red zone from 8pm.

"People who have been in this area after 8:00pm 18 August have been in a red zone. People who have been in this local government area after 12:00am 4 August but before 8:00pm 18 August have been in an orange zone"


I'm counting my lucky stars having flown from Auckland to Brisbane yesterday on what looks to be the last NZ to QLD quarantine free flight for a while.

 

[henrus]

Just got the following message from QLD health

You have been issued with a green Travel Declaration to enter Queensland. Your address indicates you have come from New Zealand. If you are still in QLD you are required to get a COVID-19 test and isolate at your residence until you receive a negative result. Testing centres can be found at www.qld.gov.au/covid19testing. Continue to monitor for symptoms until 14 days have passed since you were last in New Zealand.

 

[Berlin]

Book something now. Most of the Air NZ flights are still cheap as they haven't loaded the full post 30 July schedule yet.

Once they do if your flight is cancelled then you'll get rebooked anyway.

Unfortunately, this hasn't happened- AirNZ did exactly the same as Qantas had done two weeks ago: Canceling the flight and putting the money into credit rather than offering me to re-book to the next available date. With the one big difference that Qantas refunds you the actual money if you ask (after about 8 weeks wait) while AirNZ is refusing to do that.

I will book as soon as flights are available again anyway (because I have to!) but, convenient for AirNZ, this now means that I'll have to pay around $500 in fare difference as those prices have doubled since when I had originally booked.

 

[Mattg]

Jacinda Ardern was just asked about the trans-Tasman bubble at today's COVID briefing. She couldn't commit to reopening the bubble by Christmas, and said they're planning to review the arrangements in the second half of September. But it doesn't sound like they're planning to actually resume quarantine-free flights to New Zealand in September.

She also noted that the five Australian states & territories that recorded no cases themselves today would not welcome travellers from NZ at the moment due to the current NZ lockdown. (I don't think this is quite correct as WA currently lists NZ as "very low risk".)

 

[justinbrett]

(I don't think this is quite correct as WA currently lists NZ as "very low risk".)

No it doesn't, it says medium risk

COVID-19 coronavirus

Find information and advice on the COVID-19 coronavirus for the community and businesses in Western Australia.

www.wa.gov.au

She actually said 5 states/territories have an elimination strategy which is going to cause some trouble for them I'd say.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

My late June flights to NZ which I had rebooked to October have now been cancelled by QF without even the option of rebooking, just moved straight to a flight credit.

 

[aus_flyer]

(I don't think this is quite correct as WA currently lists NZ as "very low risk".)

No, NZ is "medium risk" - effectively a hard border.

 

[justinbrett]

My late June flights to NZ which I had rebooked to October have now been cancelled by QF without even the option of rebooking, just moved straight to a flight credit.

The only chance of the bubble returning (the original topic of this thread) is if Australia returns to a covid zero goal.

Otherwise, we will need to wait for Australia and New Zealand to emerge out the other side of accepting vaccinated travellers with community covid circulating.

I'm on record for predicting we'll be able to fly to London or Los Angeles before Auckland.

 

[aus_flyer]

My late June flights to NZ which I had rebooked to October have now been cancelled by QF without even the option of rebooking, just moved straight to a flight credit.

If you quickly ring up you can revive the booking and select new dates

 

[Mattg]

No it doesn't, it says medium risk

COVID-19 coronavirus

Find information and advice on the COVID-19 coronavirus for the community and businesses in Western Australia.

www.wa.gov.au

Sorry, you are correct. It was reported on the news here in NZ the other night that WA had changed their classification for NZ to "very low risk", not sure what that was about - they must have gotten it wrong.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

I'm on record for predicting we'll be able to fly to London or Los Angeles before Auckland.

I think you are right. The number of ICU beds they have in the whole country limits their ability to "let it rip".

If you quickly ring up you can revive the booking and select new dates

Thanks for the tip, good to know. However, I have given up making ANY flight bookings until there is some certainty about the ability to travel on the flights I book. And with NZ that doesn't appear to be any time soon.

 

[justinbrett]

I think you are right. The number of ICU beds they have in the whole country limits their ability to "let it rip".

I don't think they've done much research.

They accused Australia of "plucking" 70%/80% in the Doherty modelling - despite that being a body of work that took 20+ expert modellers over three months to put together.

It's just politics.