New Zealand Travel Bubble Announcement

[henrus]

 

[Luklaus]

Forgive the ignorance. I'm in the US and looking at ways to get home in early November. Presumably the LAX-AKL-SYD that they're selling aren't actually possible due transit restrictions?

Transit passengers

Transit through New Zealand

 

[encryptededdy]

Forgive the ignorance. I'm in the US and looking at ways to get home in early November. Presumably the LAX-AKL-SYD that they're selling aren't actually possible due transit restrictions?

Transit passengers

Transit through New Zealand

I am under the impression that those websites contain old wording for when the one or two way travel bubble was still in place, since they assume there are no red zone flights.

 

[Mattg]

Forgive the ignorance. I'm in the US and looking at ways to get home in early November. Presumably the LAX-AKL-SYD that they're selling aren't actually possible due transit restrictions?

Transit passengers

Transit through New Zealand

LAX-AKL-SYD will actually be possible from November, when using an NZ7xx flight from Auckland.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Should be a lot of flights now into Sydney with no more quarantine

But with limitations on travel AU to NZ (~MIQ) will be few passengers on the return. Hence I expect Air NZ (and QF JQ if they fly) to price accordingly.
Air Auckland have announced a few more flights, but none from other NZ international airports. In the next week or so may get more options NZ to SYD.

 

[Must...Fly!]

From ABC

We're going to leave NSW there and take a quick look back at the federal health update from before, where it was announced that quarantine-free travel between the South Island of New Zealand and NSW and Victoria will restart from Tuesday.
The travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand has been suspended a number of times, with outbreaks on both sides of the Tasman.
Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said cases in New Zealand were confined to the country's North Island, meaning some travel can restart without the requirement for people to quarantine upon arrival in Australia.
"There is very good work being done to stop people from the North Island going to the South Island. So that is not a risk. So, yesterday we have reopened quarantine-free travel from the South Island of New Zealand from Tuesday midnight."

'We're absolutely powering through': Victoria to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated around Melbourne Cup day — as it happened

Victorian CHO Brett Sutton says they're predicting the state will reach the milestone in weeks but "a lot of people will get exposed" to the virus in coming months.

www.abc.net.au

If anyone happens to be stranded in the south...

 

[Mattg]

From ABC

'We're absolutely powering through': Victoria to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated around Melbourne Cup day — as it happened

Victorian CHO Brett Sutton says they're predicting the state will reach the milestone in weeks but "a lot of people will get exposed" to the virus in coming months.

www.abc.net.au

If anyone happens to be stranded in the south...

This should have happened 1.5 months ago. But good news for those in the South Island.

 

[DC3]

This should have happened 1.5 months ago. But good news for those in the South Island.

Tasmania?

 

[Berlin]

Now that I’m booked for November 5th- do we know whether NSW requires a pre-departure test or not?

And if so, any recommendations where to get one in Central Auckland- does it have to be a super expensive special one or can I just see my GP?

 

[antycbr]

This should have happened 1.5 months ago. But good news for those in the South Island.

Really it should include WLG.

 

[Berlin]

Really it should include WLG.

I'm not entirely sure about this- there's fairly heavy truck and delivery traffic throughout the North Island, making it much more likely to spread the virus from Auckland to Wello than it is, say, from Auckland to Christchurch (and we had truckies as a culprit several times both over here and in Australia).

Saying that- in general, it's my personal opinion that it's now time for NZ as a whole to stop this nonsense and follow the rest of the world (sans Tasmania, WA, Queensland and North Korea) to open up, period. We tried the zero case policy with Delta, it didn't work (though I still think 2 more weeks at level 4 would have potentially done it- why lock Auckland in for weeks and then give up right at the moment where it was almost under control again?) as it didn't work over in AU either.

 

[antycbr]

I'm not entirely sure about this- there's fairly heavy truck and delivery traffic throughout the North Island, making it much more likely to spread the virus from Auckland to Wello than it is, say, from Auckland to Christchurch (and we had truckies as a culprit several times both over here and in Australia).

Saying that- in general, it's my personal opinion that it's now time for NZ as a whole to stop this nonsense and follow the rest of the world (sans Tasmania, WA, Queensland and North Korea) to open up, period. We tried the zero case policy with Delta, it didn't work (though I still think 2 more weeks at level 4 would have potentially done it- why lock Auckland in for weeks and then give up right at the moment where it was almost under control again?) as it didn't work over in AU either.

My point being that people coming from NZ back to SYD and MEL are going into a covid-endemic location so what difference does a one way flight make?

After 1 November it's going to be moot anyway for SYD.

Couldn't agree with you more on your second paragraph. The team of 5 million in splendid isolation won't work for NZ's economy. And you've got covid anyway.

 

[henrus]

Now that I’m booked for November 5th- do we know whether NSW requires a pre-departure test or not?

Yes all flight into Australia now requires a pre-departure test. What is unclear is if this extends to the South Island -> NSW/VIC flights that will occur under the existing travel bubble framework.

In NZ easiest way is to just ask your GP for a covid test for travel. They should be able to do it but otherwise they can point you in the right direction however I know of a few cases where their GP charged extra because the test was for travel.

 

[Berlin]

My point being that people coming from NZ back to SYD and MEL are going into a covid-endemic location so what difference does a one way flight make?

After 1 November it's going to be moot anyway for SYD.

Fair enough, that point was true for weeks already: In my desperation, I had tried to get one of those few red flights a few weeks back and didn't have any luck (or luck rather, as I can now freely come back without the need for quarantine...). This would have meant coming from a place with maybe a dozen or so cases (back when Auckland was still at level 4) to a place with over a thousand daily cases but still needing to pay thousands of Dollars (and a big chunk of mental wellbeing) for 'hotel quarantine' which is just insane.

And still- those few seats sold out while I was entering my credit card details into the booking so there are obviously many even more desperate people out there. Stuck here in NZ, to be precise.

 

[antycbr]

Fair enough, that point was true for weeks already: In my desperation, I had tried to get one of those few red flights a few weeks back and didn't have any luck (or luck rather, as I can now freely come back without the need for quarantine...). This would have meant coming from a place with maybe a dozen or so cases (back when Auckland was still at level 4) to a place with over a thousand daily cases but still needing to pay thousands of Dollars (and a big chunk of mental wellbeing) for 'hotel quarantine' which is just insane.

And still- those few seats sold out while I was entering my credit card details into the booking so there are obviously many even more desperate people out there. Stuck here in NZ, to be precise.

Yes, it's been terrible, including people from Queensland stuck in NSW, Victoria stuck in NSW, ACT stuck in Victoria, on and on it goes...

Utilitarianism has it's limitations...

 

[justinbrett]

From ABC

'We're absolutely powering through': Victoria to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated around Melbourne Cup day — as it happened

Victorian CHO Brett Sutton says they're predicting the state will reach the milestone in weeks but "a lot of people will get exposed" to the virus in coming months.

www.abc.net.au

If anyone happens to be stranded in the south...

Doesn't seem the airlines are that keen, no flights scheduled yet out of CHC

 

[Mattg]

Doesn't seem the airlines are that keen, no flights scheduled yet out of CHC

It was reported on the news here in NZ last night that Air New Zealand is "in discussions" with the Australian government about how exactly this arrangement is supposed to work.

 

[henrus]

It was reported on the news here in NZ last night that Air New Zealand is "in discussions" with the Australian government about how exactly this arrangement is supposed to work.

I'm curious why discussions would need to be made. Isn't this simply the one way green zone flights resuming but only from the South Island and only people who've been in the South Island in the last 14 days can be onboard?

I wonder if Air NZ is delaying because of crewing issues? Perhaps the crew must have also spent the last 14 days only in the South Island and whilst there are South Island based A320 crews some may have operated to WLG.

Or maybe they're trying to get approval to use 787's with AKL based crew? That way some of the daily 787 AKL-SYD/MEL cargo flights can go AKL-CHC-SYD/MEL instead.

 

[Mwenenzi]

<snip>
If anyone happens to be stranded in the south...

That's me

Au Govt link on TT bubble green flights. With NSW changes, the others states need to play ball and allow flights in from the mainland of NZ

Flights to resume from the South Island of New Zealand; continued pause to green zone flights from the North Island

A statement from Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly about New Zealand green zone flights from the South Island of New Zealand to Australia

www.health.gov.au

The Australian Government has approved the recommencement of green zone travel from the South Island of New Zealand from 11:59 pm (AEST) on Tuesday 19 October 2021, subject to the following recommended pre-departure measures:

• a pre-departure PCR test (within 72 hours of the departure flight time to Australia)
• evidence of full vaccination against COVID-19 for those eligible, consistent with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation definition of fully vaccinated, and with a Therapeutic Goods Administration approved or recognised vaccine
• all persons travelling to Australia from New Zealand and all green zone travellers are to declare prior to travel to Australia that they have:
  • returned a negative PCR test result for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the departure flight time to Australia
  • have not been in the North Island of New Zealand for any period during the last 14 days.

At this time, green zone travel to Australia is not extended for persons that have been in the North Island of New Zealand and/or a New Zealand Ministry of Health COVID-19 Contact Tracing Location of Interest for any period of time in the past 14 days.

 

[encryptededdy]

That's me

Au Govt link on TT bubble green flights. With NSW changes, the others states need to play ball and allow flights in from the mainland of NZ

Flights to resume from the South Island of New Zealand; continued pause to green zone flights from the North Island

A statement from Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly about New Zealand green zone flights from the South Island of New Zealand to Australia

www.health.gov.au

So this means the only real practical difference between these flights and the soon-to-start flights to Sydney are

1. These seem to not be subject to the restrictions who can come (Australian Citizens/PRs only)
2. The Quarantine-free flights to Sydney don't mention anything about not being to a NZ location of interest
3. These flights might go to Victoria?

Seems odd to announce these now.