Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[MEL_Traveller]

I just did dummy booking May-June return SQ J in/out MXP 10800AUD per pax w 260AUD cancellation fee
Good to dream beyond 15km from the front door !

That seems a little on the high side... you can get combination First class for less... SQ F to SIN followed by Swiss F for around $10.5k. Also BA F for $10.8K, and combinations with CX J to HKG followed by Swiss of Lufthansa F for around $10.5K.

 

[ayushamity]

I did a dummy run for Singapore Airlines out of curiosity and although iit gave the warning a fair few times that you can only fly if you are vaccinated, there was nothing stopping you from making a booking.

I called up Singapore Airlines and they said they need more clarity from the government on how they will divide unvaccinated caps between airlines on a weekly basis.

I wonder if they will clarify before November? Bit unfair that an unvaccinated person is allowed to enter Australia but cannot find an airline to travel on.

I also wonder how airlines will handle at airport check in. Its not like a visa system where no visa = no boarding the plane. Because unvaccinated still have the right to come into Australia.

 

[mviy]

I've been looking for points seats for MEL-LHR return and not finding seats. Hopefully some seats become available once a reopening date is announced.

 

[Berlin]

I'd be very tempted to book a trip to Singapore over Christmas, just two months after finally coming home from New Zealand (I lived in Singapore for about a third of my life and have lots of friends there still so its like a third or forth home to me). And 4k return each in Business is not too shabby just that short after the whole two year holiday suspension.

But Aussies are not yet welcome and while I could use my German passport, my partner who only got an Aussie one would not be allowed. So this has to wait another year, unfortunately. Christmas with the in-laws in country NSW it is.

 

[glasszon]

I did a dummy run for Singapore Airlines out of curiosity and although iit gave the warning a fair few times that you can only fly if you are vaccinated, there was nothing stopping you from making a booking.

I called up Singapore Airlines and they said they need more clarity from the government on how they will divide unvaccinated caps between airlines on a weekly basis.

I wonder if they will clarify before November? Bit unfair that an unvaccinated person is allowed to enter Australia but cannot find an airline to travel on.

I also wonder how airlines will handle at airport check in. Its not like a visa system where no visa = no boarding the plane. Because unvaccinated still have the right to come into Australia.

Your last sentence highlights the issue at hand. The right to enter Australia only matters once you present yourself at immigration (ie. immigration cannot turn away a citizen at the border), but there's nothing that stops the government from putting in rules that denies you boarding.

If the right to enter was absolute, then the government couldn't have put in the weekly caps in the first place.

 

[ayushamity]

If the right to enter was absolute, then the government couldn't have put in the weekly caps in the first place.

Point is that person 1 to 210 in the week can enter Australia but not person 211 onwards (210/week cap for unvaccinated).

Now unvaccinated people are booking from Nov 1 on each airline website and they will all show up at the airport. And airlines do not coordinate and have a single booking system which will stop person 211 from booking.

So they will all show up at the check in desk and airlines will not know if they are the 150th person that week to fly (meaning they can enter) or 211st person so they cannot enter,

Its a messy situation because unvaxxed can still book online.

I am guessing the other airlines are waiting on the same clarification that Singapore Airlines is waiting on before they release even their uncapped vaccinated seats.

If an unvaxxed person is stopped from boarding, they could just say 'Well I was allowed to book so I naturally assumed I was under the 210/week cap at the time of booking'. And airlines will have to refund the whole fee or get into an argument.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'd be very tempted to book a trip to Singapore over Christmas, just two months after finally coming home from New Zealand (I lived in Singapore for about a third of my life and have lots of friends there still so its like a third or forth home to me). And 4k return each in Business is not too shabby just that short after the whole two year holiday suspension.

But Aussies are not yet welcome and while I could use my German passport, my partner who only got an Aussie one would not be allowed. So this has to wait another year, unfortunately. Christmas with the in-laws in country NSW it is.

There’s plenty of reports online suggesting that VTL will be sorted between Australia and SIN soon. Don’t know if it’s Xmas soon though but fingers crossed. NSW seems to have no issue allowing anyone who wants to arrive without quarantine.

Given that the average person in NSW is more likely to contract Covid from an unvaccinated random acquaintance at a house party than a fully vaccinated, negative PCR traveller at the pub.

 

[drron]

Though if someone was to travel in economy on their own and the other 2 seats are an unvaccinated under 12 and their double vaxxed .65 grand dad you are actually more likely to get covid from grand dad.

 

[dajop]

But Aussies are not yet welcome and while I could use my German passport, my partner who only got an Aussie one would not be allowed. So this has to wait another year, unfortunately. Christmas with the in-laws in country NSW it is.

It’s not the type of passport you have that prevents you visiting Singapore, so your German passport wouldn’t help any more than your Australian one. It’s your vaccination status and where you’ve spent your previous two weeks. Someone who’d spent 2 weeks in a Vaccination Travel Lane country could enter Singapore. So 2 weeks in US, then to Singapore would be OK.

 

[glasszon]

Point is that person 1 to 210 in the week can enter Australia but not person 211 onwards (210/week cap for unvaccinated).

Now unvaccinated people are booking from Nov 1 on each airline website and they will all show up at the airport. And airlines do not coordinate and have a single booking system which will stop person 211 from booking.

So they will all show up at the check in desk and airlines will not know if they are the 150th person that week to fly (meaning they can enter) or 211st person so they cannot enter,

Its a messy situation because unvaxxed can still book online.

I am guessing the other airlines are waiting on the same clarification that Singapore Airlines is waiting on before they release even their uncapped vaccinated seats.

If an unvaxxed person is stopped from boarding, they could just say 'Well I was allowed to book so I naturally assumed I was under the 210/week cap at the time of booking'. And airlines will have to refund the whole fee or get into an argument.

That's why SQ only allows vaccinated passengers on flights to Australia from 1st of Nov, I would imagine other airlines would do the same thing until they get further clarification from the government:

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/entry-into-australia/

 

[dajop]

That's why SQ only allows vaccinated passengers on flights to Australia from 1st of Nov, I would imagine other airlines would do the same thing until they get further clarification from the government:

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/entry-into-australia/

Not quite correct. Only to Sydney. They will continue to take (for now) any unvaccinated passengers who have (or can) secure seats into other Australians ports.

Seems to be a common mistake and you are in esteemed company (mistaking Sydney for Australia), including the highest office holder in the land.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I'd be very tempted to book a trip to Singapore over Christmas, just two months after finally coming home from New Zealand (I lived in Singapore for about a third of my life and have lots of friends there still so its like a third or forth home to me). And 4k return each in Business is not too shabby just that short after the whole two year holiday suspension.

But Aussies are not yet welcome and while I could use my German passport, my partner who only got an Aussie one would not be allowed. So this has to wait another year, unfortunately. Christmas with the in-laws in country NSW it is.

Lets hope that SQ will do a bit more KF miles expensions, as to extending their KF miles long into 2022.

 

[bulldog88]

There’s plenty of reports online suggesting that VTL will be sorted between Australia and SIN soon.

Until Australia is VTL , about half of all SQ flights from Europe are off limits.

SQ is pretty strict about VTL in Europe - they are listing individual EU countries and requiring an official EU vaccine certificate issued by a VTL country.

E.g. you can't visit Belgium during the 14 days before a VTL flight from Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt - because Belgium isn't on the VTL list.

 

[jakeseven7]

Until Australia is VTL , about half of all SQ flights from Europe are off limits.

SQ is pretty strict about VTL in Europe - they are listing individual EU countries and requiring an official EU vaccine certificate issued by a VTL country.

E.g. you can't visit Belgium during the 14 days before a VTL flight from Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt - because Belgium isn't on the VTL list.

How do they even police that anyway…

 

[ayushamity]

I would imagine other airlines would do the same thing until they get further clarification from the government:

Thai Airways does not have the vaxxed only condition and they are opening up seats from middle of November.

 

[Tiki]

They could set up a system like NZ has where you have to book a HQ spot in advance for unvaxxed. They are given a permit number and once 210 are given, no more for that day.

 

[Must...Fly!]

They could set up a system like NZ has where you have to book a HQ spot in advance for unvaxxed. They are given a permit number and once 210 are given, no more for that day.

Yes this seems the most sensible approach. Make unvaxxed cap of 200/week. Maybe Victoria can take them all in to the white elephant of Mickleham, on release then they should be free to travel to NSW?

 

[ayushamity]

They could set up a system like NZ has where you have to book a HQ spot in advance for unvaxxed. They are given a permit number and once 210 are given, no more for that day.

Yea seems the best idea. But it would take them like 2 months to implement it.

Bit of a kick in the guts for all those non recognized vaxxed who have been waiting for Nov 1 and have to wait longer.

 

[Tiki]

Yea seems the best idea. But it would take them like 2 months to implement it.

Bit of a kick in the guts for all those non recognized vaxxed who have been waiting for Nov 1 and have to wait longer.

Can they get one of the approved vaxxes elsewhere? I heard that UAE is selling them to tourists. Not sure where else.

 

[Kimpos]

I'd like to sincerely thank the members of this thread. As an expat in the US who hasn't seen my family in 2 years, I have had multiple flights cancelled and been generally despondent at the situation and this forum has been a lifeline of hope from like-minded Australians, so thank you all!