Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[mhouse165]

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!

Yes!! I'm in a similar situation and feel exactly the same way. Thank you to everyone

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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?

Geez it seems hard for the government to get a win. When the next pandemic hits and there's no Mickleham those 'stranded' overseas will be the first to complain that 'nothing was learned from covid in terms of handling quarantine'.

It's built now, at todays' prices, hopefully we'll never have to use it, but it's ready if we do.

 

[jase05]

Geez it seems hard for the government to get a win. When the next pandemic hits and there's no Mickleham those 'stranded' overseas will be the first to complain that 'nothing was learned from covid in terms of handling quarantine'.

It's built now, at todays' prices, hopefully we'll never have to use it, but it's ready if we do.

Unvaccinated international arrivals will be put into facilities like Mickleham for a while yet and I’d think some high risk countries might aswell

 

[serfty]

I should subscribe to EF again! Hasn’t been worth it for 18 months.

I had a year off E/F but fired it up again for the now defunct Tran-Tasman bubble.

Keep my grandfathered (half price) award wallet account.

 

[OATEK]

‘Where were you when Scomo closed the borders?’ This may become one of those questions like ‘where were you when they shot JFK?‘.

I was getting on a plane in BKK en route to SYD.

I was due to fly 19/3 when he announced they were closing. Had already re-routed to avoid some hotspots like HKG but in the end had to surrender.

I made a rule when Covid started that I would keep all my travel related subscriptions going to support them until things pick up. I also started supporting a travel youtuber (Josh Cahill) via Patreon until I could fly internationally again.

EF has actually been useful, especially back when domestic borders were open but flights were scarce. I've used it quite a bit.

Yes, I kept it going just to keep a connection to what was a valued service when flying.

Now that the border is about to reopen it is proving quite useful again.

 

[Telemachus]

I was due to fly 19/3 when he announced they were closing. Had already re-routed to avoid some hotspots like HKG but in the end had to surrender.

Yes, I kept it going just to keep a connection to what was a valued service when flying.

Now that the border is about to reopen it is proving quite useful again.

I was booked to leave SYD for UK that same day as you.

At the time EF was a tool of which I was vaguely aware but had never used. Started a subscription recently as the prospect of travel restarting became more likely: I've found it very useful indeed for forward planning. Still have my EF training wheels on but have picked up good tips on AFF.

 

[coyote25]

Just saw this on ABC News reporting on Aus Government announcement. Not sure if NZ has agreed for this to work the other way however:
——
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.

 

[antycbr]

Just saw this on ABC News reporting on Aus Government announcement. Not sure if NZ has agreed for this to work the other way however:
——
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.

It’s to get people home to Australia nothing about the other direction as NSW and VIC are endemic covid. You’d need a MIQ place in the opposite direction.

For NSW it’s really just bringing forward 1 November for NZ South Island.

Interestingly they are not allowing zero covid to zero covid areas… eg CHC-BNE and return. I predicted the Feds wouldn’t allow zero states access to bubbles.

 

[Berlin]

The travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand has been suspended a number of times, with outbreaks on both sides of the Tasman.

No way. Jacinda would never let Melbournites or Sydneysiders into the South Island while Covid is still so rampant there. I personally think it would be the right thing to do, provided there's testing and only allowing fully vaccinated pax but that's still a long while off here in NZ I'd think.

 

[Princess Fiona]

No way. Jacinda would never let Melbournites or Sydneysiders into the South Island while Covid is still so rampant there. I personally think it would be the right thing to do, provided there's testing and only allowing fully vaccinated pax but that's still a long while off here in NZ I'd think.

The vaccine rates are nowhere near high enough in NZ to let us travel free range over there.

 

[Berlin]

The vaccine rates are nowhere near high enough in NZ to let us travel free range over there.

Not far from the 70% anymore so it shouldn't be much longer- but I bet it will take until Christmas or even longer till the boarder opens up properly. Most Kiwis I know are only all too happy to remain autarkic for a little bit longer.

 

[jakeseven7]

Not far from the 70% anymore so it shouldn't be much longer- but I bet it will take until Christmas or even longer till the boarder opens up properly. Most Kiwis I know are only all too happy to remain autarkic for a little bit longer.

Most kiwis I know have family stranded in Aus (or vice versa) who they are desperately hoping to see for Xmas and want NZ fully open prior to Xmas!

 

[PineappleSkip]

Geez it seems hard for the government to get a win. When the next pandemic hits and there's no Mickleham those 'stranded' overseas will be the first to complain that 'nothing was learned from covid in terms of handling quarantine'.

It's built now, at todays' prices, hopefully we'll never have to use it, but it's ready if we do.

Probably, but the next pandemic on this scale could also hit in 100 years time. Plenty of time to quietly repurpose Mickleham, Pinkenba and the WA one.
cheers skip

 

[Berlin]

Most kiwis I know have family stranded in Aus (or vice versa) who they are desperately hoping to see for Xmas and want NZ fully open prior to Xmas!

Well- the ones who do probably really want this to happen. But I know a lot who don't and who revel in that idea of being a self-reliant closed off Island. I'm not saying everyone thinks this way but it seems to be quite a popular philosophy over here.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Well- the ones who do probably really want this to happen. But I know a lot who don't and who revel in that idea of being a self-reliant closed off Island. I'm not saying everyone thinks this way but it seems to be quite a popular philosophy over here.

I feel it'll be a slow domino effect. Most people can't relate to the fact that COVID is not people dropping dead in the street unlike for example MERS or Ebola. Because they have been fed doom and gloom by the media and their elected (& unelected) representatives for 18+ months.

As the reality starts to dawn on both the experience of living with COVID and the financial side, opinions will slowly shift. I expect SA & QLD will be first to understand this in Australia as a result of the recognition in VIC and NSW

 

[jakeseven7]

I feel it'll be a slow domino effect. Most people can't relate to the fact that COVID is not people dropping dead in the street unlike for example MERS or Ebola. Because they have been fed doom and gloom by the media and their elected (& unelected) representatives for 18+ months.

As the reality starts to dawn on both the experience of living with COVID and the financial side, opinions will slowly shift. I expect SA & QLD will be first to understand this in Australia as a result of the recognition in VIC and NSW

Agree and it’s an an enourmous number of Kiwis with family stranded in Aus (and vice versa) - hundreds of thousands so this will be a massive number of people feeling this increasingly especially with such high vaccination rates so they won’t be scared anymore that they will instantly drop dead when someone coughs next to them in Farmers

 

[oznflfan]

Thinking of being an early adopter of the travel ban lifting. Flying to London, then immediate transfer to Gdansk for a week, then fly Paris for Normandy beaches for a week and a half, then back to London for flight home.

Thinking Nov 18 fly direct ASP - DRW - LHR. 51,200 QFF points and $270 outbound part to LHR.

Need:

A) Return flights to be economic, either cash or open up comparable QFF points, AND

B) Gunner to come out (expected in next 2 weeks) with home quarantine directions for international return. He initially stated 9 days ago that direct DRW - LHR effective Nov 15, and if used, FOURTEEN days in Centre for National Resiliance and a $2,500 fee, BUT changes incl home quarantine on the way ASAP. He can't bring the benefit of these premier international LHR flights and not back it up for Territorians to use them.

 

[OATEK]

Agree and it’s an an enourmous number of Kiwis with family stranded in Aus (and vice versa) - hundreds of thousands so this will be a massive number of people feeling this increasingly especially with such high vaccination rates so they won’t be scared anymore that they will instantly drop dead when someone coughs next to them in Farmers

A kiwi friend and former colleague passed away recently, and because of the border closures none of her family could attend the funeral. So many events missed by some many people during the time of covid.

 

[DC3]

Some of the wild guesses in this thread have been interesting to follow. I hope that they will keep flowing.

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[Pom-DownUnder]

They said it couldnt be done

https://twitter.com/x/status/1449599929626742786