Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[HappyFlyerFamily]

The QF9/10 is frequently operating via PER as a tech stop.

The international area of T3 would work well as a sterile transit area - at least there is a lounge. In SIN the transit passengers are herded in a separate pen to wait their flights so wouldn't be much fun there either.

If that's the case then it would be down to passenger numbers and fuel costs, which way Qantas goes in the Perth v Darwin v elsewhere debate. But as things stand its clear a Perth covid-tech stop will be a less comfortable experience (unless they get some exemptions to allow mingling with Perth staff/shops).

On the other hand, I feel Singapore would not care about mingling, yes I've seen in the past a pen wait in Singapore. But the current designation of Australia by Singapore in the context of Singapore's current numbers and vaccination, I'd suspect Singapore would welcome an injection of Aussie currency in Changi

 

[jrfsp]

If that's the case then it would be down to passenger numbers and fuel costs, which way Qantas goes in the Perth v Darwin v elsewhere debate. But as things stand its clear a Perth covid-tech stop will be a less comfortable experience (unless they get some exemptions to allow mingling with Perth staff/shops).

On the other hand, I feel Singapore would not care about mingling, yes I've seen in the past a pen wait in Singapore. But the current designation of Australia by Singapore in the context of Singapore's current numbers and vaccination, I'd suspect Singapore would welcome an injection of Aussie currency in Changi

By the time QF starts a lot may change ..but currently these are the transit rules for SIN:

"All transit passengers will be welcomed by an usher.
If your transit time is less than 75 minutes, you will directly proceed in groups to your next boarding gate. If your transit time is more than 75 minutes, you will be ushered in groups to a designated transit holding area. Due to regulatory requirements, you will not be able to visit any shops, restrooms, or amenities en route to the next boarding gate or the designated transit holding area.
The transit holding area (THA) is separated into two zones due to safe management measures required by the authorities. Transit passengers who boarded from or transited through Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom or Vietnam will be brought to THA Zone A within the Transit Holding Area and other countries will be in THA Zone B."

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

By the time QF starts a lot may change ..but currently these are the transit rules for SIN:

"All transit passengers will be welcomed by an usher.
If your transit time is less than 75 minutes, you will directly proceed in groups to your next boarding gate. If your transit time is more than 75 minutes, you will be ushered in groups to a designated transit holding area. Due to regulatory requirements, you will not be able to visit any shops, restrooms, or amenities en route to the next boarding gate or the designated transit holding area.
The transit holding area (THA) is separated into two zones due to safe management measures required by the authorities. Transit passengers who boarded from or transited through Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom or Vietnam will be brought to THA Zone A within the Transit Holding Area and other countries will be in THA Zone B."

Wow thanks - that is informative for everyone making bookings - and not what I would have expected based on my previous Changi experiences.......

 

[Lynda2475]

With WA and Qld not wanting to open at 80% of 16+, i wonder if the planned BNE-ORD route that nver started due to Covid, might become SYD-ORD, would love that as prefer to avoid LAX.

 

[mviy]

With WA and Qld not wanting to open at 80% of 16+, i wonder if the planned BNE-ORD route that nver started due to Covid, might become SYD-ORD, would love that as prefer to avoid LAX.

That would be a longer distance than PER to LHR by about 350km, so the loads might not be able to be high enough to make that viable.

SYD to ORD is probably more likely to be a Project Sunrise flight, though obviously LHR and JFK would be higher priorities for that.

I think new routes are probably a while off. We need to open up and have sustained international flights first.

 

[drron]

Tasmania has basically now joined WA and QLD with Friday's presser suggesting their target is 90% of those 12+.

Tasmania's border might stay closed until COVID vaccination reaches 'closer to 90 per cent'

 

[louie-m]

Wow thanks - that is informative for everyone making bookings - and not what I would have expected based on my previous Changi experiences.......

It has changed since the latest outbreaks. From my research at the time, prior to that, flights from low-case states got released into the general concourse as used to be the case.

At least "If you are a PPS Club member, Suites, First Class, or Business Class passenger you can access the premium waiting area where complimentary WiFi, food and drinks are available".

 

[mviy]

Tasmania has basically now joined WA and QLD with Friday's presser suggesting their target is 90% of those 12+.

Tasmania's border might stay closed until COVID vaccination reaches 'closer to 90 per cent'

The key difference though is TAS is ahead of the national average so they may get well past 80%, perhaps even close to 90% before those other two reach 80%, so TAS aiming higher might not slow down international reopening nearly as much.

TAS is 45.35% fully vaccinated for 16+ as of Saturday's numbers that came out yesterday compared with VIC at 37.6%, QLD at 34.51% and WA at 34.2%.

To get to 90% first dose for 16+ in TAS would be only about 120,000 more people getting the jab. Not sure how many they'd need to do in 12-15 to do it for 12+.

 

[louie-m]

To get to 90% first dose in TAS would be only about 120,000 more people getting the jab.

12+ though. Or does your figure take that into account?

 

[mviy]

Edited my post. That calculation was for 16+.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

By the time QF starts a lot may change ..but currently these are the transit rules for SIN:

"All transit passengers will be welcomed by an usher.
If your transit time is less than 75 minutes, you will directly proceed in groups to your next boarding gate. If your transit time is more than 75 minutes, you will be ushered in groups to a designated transit holding area. Due to regulatory requirements, you will not be able to visit any shops, restrooms, or amenities en route to the next boarding gate or the designated transit holding area.
The transit holding area (THA) is separated into two zones due to safe management measures required by the authorities. Transit passengers who boarded from or transited through Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom or Vietnam will be brought to THA Zone A within the Transit Holding Area and other countries will be in THA Zone B."

just a bit more info as I looked it up too as my return on a trip that i'm hoping goes ahead will have a 5 hours wait in SIN
--------------------------------------------------
Rest and relax at your designated transit holding area
Facilities in the transit holding area include comfortable seating, complimentary WiFi and restrooms. All transit passengers will be able to order food from outlets in Changi Airport, which will be delivered to them. Food kiosks and vending machines are also available in Zone B.

Do note that you must stay within this designated transit holding area at all times, and remember to keep your face mask on unless you are eating, drinking, or smoking. For duty-free shopping, be sure to pre-order from KrisShop.com at least an hour before your Singapore Airlines flight departs from Singapore to have your purchases delivered to you in-flight.

If you are a PPS Club member, Suites, First Class, or Business Class passenger you can access the premium waiting area where complimentary WiFi, food and drinks are available.

Transit passengers may wish to note that Aerotel Singapore Transit Hotel, the transit hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 1, and Ambassador Transit Hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 3 are open for bookings . Passengers with a hotel booking will first be ushered to the airport’s transit holding area for verification checks. They will be guided to the transit hotel only after the checks have been completed. They must remain in the hotel throughout their stay. Upon checking out from the hotel, they will be ushered to the transit holding area before their connecting flight.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Tasmania has basically now joined WA and QLD with Friday's presser suggesting their target is 90% of those 12+.

Tasmania's border might stay closed until COVID vaccination reaches 'closer to 90 per cent'

Ugh more control of the people due to inept governance/planning

 

[jrfsp]

just a bit more info as I looked it up too as my return on a trip that i'm hoping goes ahead will have a 5 hours wait in SIN
--------------------------------------------------
Rest and relax at your designated transit holding area
Facilities in the transit holding area include comfortable seating, complimentary WiFi and restrooms. All transit passengers will be able to order food from outlets in Changi Airport, which will be delivered to them. Food kiosks and vending machines are also available in Zone B.

Do note that you must stay within this designated transit holding area at all times, and remember to keep your face mask on unless you are eating, drinking, or smoking. For duty-free shopping, be sure to pre-order from KrisShop.com at least an hour before your Singapore Airlines flight departs from Singapore to have your purchases delivered to you in-flight.

If you are a PPS Club member, Suites, First Class, or Business Class passenger you can access the premium waiting area where complimentary WiFi, food and drinks are available.

Transit passengers may wish to note that Aerotel Singapore Transit Hotel, the transit hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 1, and Ambassador Transit Hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 3 are open for bookings . Passengers with a hotel booking will first be ushered to the airport’s transit holding area for verification checks. They will be guided to the transit hotel only after the checks have been completed. They must remain in the hotel throughout their stay. Upon checking out from the hotel, they will be ushered to the transit holding area before their connecting flight.

Must be more ushers in SIN than a royal wedding

 

[roogirl]

Must be more ushers in SIN than a royal wedding

A friend of mine flew out via SIN last week, she said the transit area is just a part of the terminal theyve sort of roped off. Lounge was just a separate bit. Not as good as the usual SIA experience but all very doable and the usual attentive Singaporean service.

 

[hb13]

This is what travel for the fully vaccinated should look like, really. Without having read the article, if entering a place with covid in the community anyway, isolate until negative should be all that is required. Not that I've ever had a COVID test...

I disagree. This is definitely not how travel for the vaccinated should look like. This process is so difficult and arduous:
Four PCR tests in 2 weeks (at 150 each)
Only allowed onto one flight operated by one of two airlines
You have to apply to fly well in advance and get approval

Singapore came out months ago and made this massive hoopla about "living with the virus" when they hit 80%. They've hit 80% weeks ago and continue to vaccinate, which is great, however, as expected, they're not really living with the virus. They've picked one or two countries to form this bubble with, made it hard and expensive and will probably remain like this for months to "test the trial".

If you have a population that is over 80% vaccinated, allow fully jabbed to come and go freely (maybe with one test on arrival). These vaccines are far more effective than almost any other vaccine out there. They don't stop transmission, but do reduce it heavily. They do however reduce your chances of being very ill by over 80-90%.

If you're population is all jabbed (or have all been offered the jab), why the hell are you continuing to restrict travel for fully vaccinated people? Unless you're still aiming for COVID-0. And I think Singapore, Australia and NZ, amongst many others still believe they can achieve that. They're living in a fantasy land - and no matter what they have said, that's their aim. If it wasn't, there would be many more freedoms for fully jabbed - clearly Singapore is fooling itself by saying they want to live with the virus.

 

[hb13]

If we accept that Covid will be 'out there' once we ease off on the current restrictions, why does the fact that a fully vaccinated person has just arrived from UK/US/Singapore mean that they should be handled differently to say another fully vacc'd person who may have spent the past few days exposed to the virus in the community? Especially as they are likely to have taken a pre-departure test just to get on the flight.

Spot on. Once your population has all had a chance to get jabbed, why should there be any restrictions at all on vaccinated travellers? It makes no sense unless you still want Covid-0.

Singapore hasn't done anything here that is even remotely showing they are planning to "live with the virus". It's all BS.

 

[Beasley]

Tasmania has basically now joined WA and QLD with Friday's presser suggesting their target is 90% of those 12+.

Tasmania's border might stay closed until COVID vaccination reaches 'closer to 90 per cent'

The Premier returned to work today and has overruled those statements made by the Public HealthDirector and State Commander last Friday. He reemphasised that Tasmania is committed to the national plan.

 

[jakeseven7]

The Premier returned to work today and has overruled those statements made by the Public HealthDirector and State Commander last Friday. He reemphasised that Tasmania is committed to the national plan.

Yes that was pleasing to see those nasty little public servants put back in their boxes. We have a few of those nasty pests in QLD too

 

[jrfsp]

I disagree. This is definitely not how travel for the vaccinated should look like. This process is so difficult and arduous:
Four PCR tests in 2 weeks (at 150 each)
Only allowed onto one flight operated by one of two airlines
You have to apply to fly well in advance and get approval

Indeed, they'll be lucky to get 5-10% of pre-covid capacity with those measures. 1 or 2 RAG test should be enough.

 

[drron]

The Premier returned to work today and has overruled those statements made by the Public HealthDirector and State Commander last Friday. He reemphasised that Tasmania is committed to the national plan.

Not what I heard him say.This report was what I saw on the evening news.
Yes I agree to the National plan but.....

Mr Gutwein described the plan, in which restrictions are eased when vaccination rates hit 70 and 80 per cent, as sensible based on modelling and advice.
However, he said Tasmania would not “cede our responsibilities to the Commonwealth or to anyone else” during the pandemic response.
“It is no one’s intention that what we’re going to do simply to at 80 per cent is open up to cross-border travel … and allow plane loads of people with COVID to fly in to Tasmania,” he told an estimates hearing on Monday.

Tasmania cautious on travel under virus plan

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has indicated his state will maintain its hard border if needed, counter to the federal government's reopening plan.

thenewdaily.com.au