Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[Must...Fly!]

Pressure is on big time. They've been caught off guard as @Ari Gold said but I have zero doubt Victoria will follow.

Although it's interesting they are now saying the Commonwealth controls the international border...that's a pretty big shift in terminology from the state. They are laying the ground work to rid themselves of the responsibility. Hallelujah!

 

[antycbr]

Pressure is on big time. They've been caught off guard as @Ari Gold said but I have zero doubt Victoria will follow.

Although it's interesting they are now saying the Commonwealth controls the international border...that's a pretty big shift in terminology from the state. They are laying the ground work to rid themselves of the responsibility. Hallelujah!

If you think today's NSW announcement was not precleared at the highest levels of the Commonwealth Government you're mistaken, despite what Ray Hadley might say.

The fact that QF have inventory available within an hour also means that Alan got a phone call.

 

[Must...Fly!]

If you think today's NSW announcement was not precleared at the highest levels of the Commonwealth Government you're mistaken.

The fact that QF have inventory available within an hour also means that Alan got a phone call.

I meant the Victorian state. I have no doubt the Commonwealth were in full lock step with Perottet over this. They have significant shared goals here. It puts a huge spotlight on to the Victorian response and a massive massive shadow over the rest of the country who have been playing stupid games for months now.

The night is darkest before the dawn. The sun is now peeking over the horizon.

 

[Batterytraveller]

From the VIC presser - they didn't know but aren't to worried about it

Reporter:

Would [knowing about the NSW international border announcement] change your decision now that you know?

Foley:

Not all. If anything it reinforces the decision. This is another series of common sense steps designed to make sure that, based on high levels of vaccinations and the delivery of reliable negative tests before you calm, it’s the same principle.
So we say good luck to New South Wales and we look forward to a closer integration of Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT based on a high vaccinated community increasingly moving around freely in a safe way that gets us back to the kind of lifestyle that we knew before the pandemic.

 

[mbell1510]

Seats very cheap from Sydney to London on November 1 (about $766) and the return leg is over $1700 with only flex fares left. Clearly our Aussie friends stuck in London have got up in the middle of night to book their trips home. How good is it to see NSW leading the way again and opening up.

 

[coyote25]

From ABC Website:

Changes to interstate travel from Wednesday​

Fully vaccinated people in New South Wales red zones will be able to enter Victoria without quarantining from 11:59pm October 19.

Previously, travel permits from red zones were only available to Victorian residents who were forced to quarantine for 14 days regardless of vaccination status.

Under the changes, fully vaccinated travellers from red zones will need a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours prior to entering Victoria.

They will then need to quarantine upon arrival, get tested, and remain in quarantine until they receive a negative result.
——
So you could fly into NSW from overseas and then travel to Victoria (with negative COVID test) and only quarantine at home while awaiting a second test.

This opens a door for people overseas who want to return home to VIC before international border is fully open here, not that I’m expecting VIC to be far behind NSW once they get to 80% around 1-4 November.

 

[antycbr]

From ABC Website:

Changes to interstate travel from Wednesday​

Fully vaccinated people in New South Wales red zones will be able to enter Victoria without quarantining from 11:59pm October 19.

Previously, travel permits from red zones were only available to Victorian residents who were forced to quarantine for 14 days regardless of vaccination status.

Under the changes, fully vaccinated travellers from red zones will need a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours prior to entering Victoria.

They will then need to quarantine upon arrival, get tested, and remain in quarantine until they receive a negative result.
——
So you could fly into NSW from overseas and then travel to Victoria (with negative COVID test) and only quarantine at home while awaiting a second test.

This opens a door for people overseas who want to return home to VIC before international border is fully open here, not that I’m expecting VIC to be far behind NSW once they get to 80% around 1-4 November.

Martin Foley was in shambles - completely caught off guard on this and people rightly going that this completely undermines Victoria's quarantine model.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Surely the Feds will initially kibosh tourists coming in from 1 November (which is what DP wants)? Can't see how that will work with internal border controls still in place.

 

[Batterytraveller]

Some airline quotes here

Hobart entering lockdown; NSW to reopen international borders; international travel ban to lift 1 November – as it happened

All the day’s news as it happened

www.theguardian.com

 

[MARTINE]

Wonder what this means for the Australian Open? Dan will surely sign up to fix the AO. Doesn't help with Djokovic tho who is an antivaxer.

Will have implications for things such as the Ashes too.

Havg been to several AO finals involving that player with flares lit, screamed at and vile anti-vax booing earlier this year by people holding his flag/name - IMHO - and it’s only mine - certain absent players will not be a loss for me

 

[Must...Fly!]

Surely the Feds will initially kibosh tourists coming in from 1 November (which is what DP wants)? Can't see how that will work with internal border controls still in place.

I think they'll probably bow to the request of the states?

Whatever allows the federal government to wrest control of this silly narrative in the long term will presumably be the result.

 

[mbell1510]

Wonder what this means for the Australian Open? Dan will surely sign up to fix the AO. Doesn't help with Djokovic tho who is an antivaxer.

Will have implications for things such as the Ashes too.

Maybe Sydney will poach the Australian Open haha. Barmy Army will be booking their tickets to the test matches in Sydney and Melbourne by the sounds of it. I wonder if Cricket Australia will take tests off Perth and Brisbane. Perhaps the schedule will be Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart.

 

[justinbrett]

I assume there will be a federal press conference this afternoon to list the caveats and conditions.

They can't let this go unanswered.

 

[Batterytraveller]

more airline quotes - discussions on a single flight a week for the 210 unvaxxed

Hobart entering lockdown; NSW to reopen international borders; international travel ban to lift 1 November – as it happened

All the day’s news as it happened

www.theguardian.com

 

[ayushamity]

An airline source has told Guardian Australia that over the coming 48 hours, 6,000 seats per week will become available to book across all of the airlines currently operating flights into Sydney.

GO GO GO!!!

 

[antycbr]

An airline source has told Guardian Australia that over the coming 48 hours, 6,000 seats per week will become available to book across all of the airlines currently operating flights into Sydney.

GO GO GO!!!

I assume there will be a federal press conference this afternoon to list the caveats and conditions.

They can't let this go unanswered.

Events are rapidly overtaking the PM. It'll be hard to undo this, which may well be Dom's intention.

 

[OATEK]

Events are rapidly overtaking the PM. It'll be hard to undo this, which may well be Dom's intention.

You might remember the PM was reluctant to head to Glasgow because of the 2 weeks quarantine on return - well that is gone. So I think he was actually waiting for this to occur, and won't be at all concerned to see he can return without having to do 2 weeks in Kirribilli House on his own again.

 

[ayushamity]

discussions on a single flight a week for the 210 unvaxxed

There would be a LOT of people who are vaxxed with non TGA vaccines overseas who want to come to Australia. Far excess of 210/week I would think. So for these guys even though they have done the right thing, there will a massive waiting list.

Also its 210/week across ALL airlines. So is each airline going to have one flight per week for unvaxxed? And how do the airlines coordinate so that across all airlines, they do not book more than 210?

This will be a massive headache for the airlines.

One hopes the airlines do not just give up and say TGA approved vaccines onboard only.

 

[antycbr]

There would be a LOT of people who are vaxxed with non TGA vaccines overseas who want to come to Australia. Far excess of 210/week I would think. So for these guys even though they have done the right thing, there will a massive waiting list.

Also its 210/week across ALL airlines. So is each airline going to have one flight per week for unvaxxed? And how do the airlines coordinate so that across all airlines, they do not book more than 210?

This will be a massive headache for the airlines.

One hopes the airlines do not just give up and say TGA approved vaccines onboard only.

The only one that's not really approved is Sputnik and I'd think that's an outlier surely.

 

[Must...Fly!]

One hopes the airlines do not just give up and say TGA approved vaccines onboard only.

Feels inevitable that they will, and the government will probably end up funding a single flight a week...from...somewhere....?

Or perhaps people can pre-register a bit like NZ MIQ. That would be the most sensible solution.