Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[MEL_Traveller]

It’s hard to break conditioning. People follow the herd naturally so it’s going to take a long time to undo this hysteria unfortunately.

I've had similar concerns raised with me for my upcoming trips... that it's 'brave' (or similar).

But that has nothing to do with how sick you might get from covid.

It's about the bureaucracy and red tape that comes along with that. You can't get back into Australia without a negative test. Extending a holiday for a week or two is going to cost $$. Yeah, insurance *may* cover some or all of those $$, but most pax are likely going to be out of pocket for at least some time before any claim gets paid (if it gets paid).

Then the airlines make it difficult... having to wait hours on the phone to speak to someone, and when you do, it's not a simple 'we'll move you for free', there's more $$$ as they charge the fare difference, which is now pretty high due to 'close in' travel.

The war in Ukraine has already impacted on travel plans. Insurances generally don't cover acts of war.

Then there's work and school which gets missed by the extra week or two you have to be away.

As for Australia's tourism industry rebounding... who would want to come here whe you have all of the problems outlined above? We need to get rid of the inbound test requirements!

 

[Pushka]

Just as in my Aus State, and so many of my colleagues and friends agree (even the specialist I saw last week) that with triple vaccination, none of us are worried about developing Covid but all of us are concerned about being caught by being a close contact and outed by bureaucratic processes. All of us agreed we would isolate if unwell and simply be aware of our environment, and mask up on planes and avoid others as much as practicable. And start to do what we would have done pre Covid. Which is travel. And visit my son who lives in UK. Will be almost two years now. But I would love for the PCR etc testing to be dropped.

 

[mviy]

At this point I'm triple vaxxed and I'd happily travel without a mask if that was allowed. I only put up with wearing one because it is mandated (however that view could change if a new variant comes along). We need to get on with life. If people have chosen not to protect themselves the rest of us shouldn't be made to wear masks indefinitely.

Having said that I would probably still limit my exposure to crowded places, but try to as much as possible have a travel experience like it would have been pre-COVID.

Holding out on making a decision about my next trip whilst I wait and see if QF does a DSC offer.

 

[Scarlett]

Fascinated to see what it's like, please.

I’m not a Bali regular so have no idea what’s normal but what I saw yesterday certainly implied a lot of current issues.

A couple of points to make:
- on arrival at DPS there was not a single international aircraft on the ramp. It looked very empty. There were two Lion 737s, a Wings ATR72 and our Citilink A320. I think that was it. A Garuda 737 arrived shortly after.

- traffic around the airport was what I’d guess was pretty normal for Indonesia but a lack of tour buses and associated tourist stuff.

- Hilton garden inn at the airport is not particularly busy. Rooms are going for just over $30 a night but don’t stay here, it’s rubbish.

- Went into what I guess was the main touristy area for dinner last night. Plenty of people along the beach area and probably a 50/50 mix of tourists and locals. However the 15 minute taxi ride revealed the city centre away from the beach strip to be pretty dark. Maybe 75% of shops shuttered or being refurbished.

- local warungs and other shops supporting routine local life were open.

- malls open but strict entry points checking vax status.

Only a few photos as it was raining during the evening.
Here’s an unusual view of the tarmac:


Dinner last night:

(I can’t orient the picture correctly…)
Enough traffic along the beachside road but not a standstill macet. Restaurants seemed fairly empty.

Now to hope this mornings rain clears for my game of golf at New Kuta.

 

[prozac]

...
Holding out on making a decision about my next trip whilst I wait and see if QF does a DSC offer.

DSC offer?

 

[mviy]

DSC offer?

Double Status Credits. It makes it easier to retain status, level up to a higher tier and push towards lifetime status. Whilst AFF is not representative of the broader community, DSC offers are a big incentive for many of us here to make bookings.

I am currently SG and would like to get back to WP. If the price is right and a DSC promo is offered I’d consider booking a return trip to the UK in J which would be more than enough to get me the remaining credits I need to get back to WP.

 

[prozac]

Double Status Credits. It makes it easier to retain status, level up to a higher tier and push towards lifetime status. Whilst AFF is not representative of the broader community, DSC offers are a big incentive for many of us here to make bookings.

I am currently SG and would like to get back to WP. If the price is right and a DSC promo is offered I’d consider booking a return trip to the UK in J which would be more than enough to get me the remaining credits I need to get back to WP.

Thanks for the concise explanation.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Hilton garden inn at the airport is not particularly busy. Rooms are going for just over $30 a night but don’t stay here, it’s rubbish.

Really? What was wrong with it? I stayed a couple of years ago and it was fine.

 

[dajop]

Really? What was wrong with it? I stayed a couple of years ago and it was fine.

Agree, it wasn’t my whole stay but we arrived at 10pm and walked there. Perfectly adequate I thought. Didn’t want to waste a whole stack of points at the Conrad for the first night as we would have arrived very late.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It’s hard to break conditioning. People follow the herd naturally so it’s going to take a long time to undo this hysteria unfortunately.

True. One just has to go with one's own risk assessment.

I backpacked through the Middle East with my wife and three daughters then aged 5, 8 and 11 the Christmas immediately after 9/11 and was thought quite mad and irresponsible by most. There were very few westerners there and we had a great time. ie On the day we visited the Valley of The Kings we were the only tourists there. It was the best family holiday that my wife have and I have had with our three girls.

Drove a 4WD 5000km from Nairobi to Victoria during the Ebola Outbreak. No risk at all due to where it was occurring and how it was caught. All the game parks were very quiet visitor wise.

Vietnam with the bird flu.

Hiked to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal to celebrate turning 55 despite the recent earthquake and the then current fuel embargo by India on Nepal.

 

[N860CR]

I've had similar concerns raised with me for my upcoming trips... that it's 'brave' (or similar).

But that has nothing to do with how sick you might get from covid.

It's about the bureaucracy and red tape that comes along with that. You can't get back into Australia without a negative test. Extending a holiday for a week or two is going to cost $$. Yeah, insurance *may* cover some or all of those $$, but most pax are likely going to be out of pocket for at least some time before any claim gets paid (if it gets paid).

Then the airlines make it difficult... having to wait hours on the phone to speak to someone, and when you do, it's not a simple 'we'll move you for free', there's more $$$ as they charge the fare difference, which is now pretty high due to 'close in' travel.

The war in Ukraine has already impacted on travel plans. Insurances generally don't cover acts of war.

Then there's work and school which gets missed by the extra week or two you have to be away.

As for Australia's tourism industry rebounding... who would want to come here whe you have all of the problems outlined above? We need to get rid of the inbound test requirements!

Definitely a level of risk, but it’s just about managing it.

I’m going back to South Africa shortly (second time this year). I’ll get a PCR a week before I’m due to fly back. If it’s positive, there’s no need to isolate in SA anymore (if asymptomatic) and then I’ll be fine to get my scheduled flight. I’ll then get another at 72 hours to meet the Australian requirement and if it happens to be positive, well yes it’ll be annoying but only a 4 day delay.

That said, I’m one person so the costs are manageable. I can see why families wouldn’t bother unless they’re desperate.

 

[OATEK]

I was waiting in line at SYD 2/3 to have my paperwork checked. For us, going to the UK it was painless. The fellow in front was going to Paraguay via US, and was told his test on 28/2 was not valid, he needed one date 1/3 or later. Was told he still had time if he rushed to the test centre in the airport. Tale of two trips!

 

[Lynda2475]

The fellow in front was going to Paraguay via US, and was told his test on 28/2 was not valid, he needed one date 1/3 or later.

Obviously didnt bother to read the US entry requirments which are test no more than 24 hours before departure (so always need to test day before or day of travel), has been such for a while now.

 

[Flashback]

I'm in the same boat - heading to Europe in 2 weeks and all the fear mongers, work mates and even my boss think I'm brave to plan such a big trip. I do plan to go to Lithuania which I'm seeing what happens ....

Have been in Eastern Poland the last few days and other than some anti Putin sentiment (protests, rallies and lots of graffiti saying cough* PUTIN) it's all pretty normal here.

 

[dajop]

Obviously didnt bother to read the US entry requirments which are test no more than 24 hours before departure (so always need to test day before or day of travel), has been such for a while now.

Or simply forgot that transiting US = entering the US.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Obviously didnt bother to read the US entry requirments which are test no more than 24 hours before departure (so always need to test day before or day of travel), has been such for a while now.

This is where it can get confusing. I’ve triple checked the CDC rules which state that the PCR test must be no more than *1 day* before departure. They give a worked example that a 1pm departure on Friday means you can take the test anytime on the Thursday prior.

I note the ABC in their ‘world covid travel guide’ state no more than *24 hours* for the USA.

I can see where pax and airline staff get confused. ‘1 day’ vs ‘24 hours’ is a huge difference.

 

[Lynda2475]

I can see where pax and airline staff get confused. ‘1 day’ vs ‘24 hours’ is a huge difference.

Although not in the case above, because 1 day can put it no more than anytime on the day before depature. PErson was flying out on 2-Mar, so the day before (whetehr that means 24 hours or the whole day) was always oinf to be 1/3. Whichever definition you use 28/2 was never the day before nor 24 hours before,

 

[justinbrett]

US is definitely day before, not 24 hours. If you're on QF11 at 2200, that's up to 46 hours before the flight you can get tested.

 

[Pushka]

This is where it can get confusing. I’ve triple checked the CDC rules which state that the PCR test must be no more than *1 day* before departure. They give a worked example that a 1pm departure on Friday means you can take the test anytime on the Thursday prior.

I note the ABC in their ‘world covid travel guide’ state no more than *24 hours* for the USA.

I can see where pax and airline staff get confused. ‘1 day’ vs ‘24 hours’ is a huge difference.

I was talking with my hairdresser last week who is US citizen returning to US in 3 weeks. She departs 6am on a Friday. She has to take the test at 8am Thursday in order to receive negative test result before departure in Adelaide. If she doesn't have result by midnight she has been given a 24 hour number to call. She's so stressed that a client will test positive and take her out as a close contact. She had Covid in the US about 18 months ago, pre vaccination, presumably Alpha. She was unwell for three days but flu like. I'm avoiding Covid as MrP is having sinus surgery tomorrow and needs to have a RAT tomorrow Arvo. Both hairdresser and I had drinks but we both realised they wouldn't be consumed as neither one of us wanted to remove our masks. The person who was supposed to cut my hair was in isolation having tested positive. She was fine. But having to take 10 days leave without pay. It's the isolation and testing protocols that are the issue now, not the virus.

 

[N860CR]

I was talking with my hairdresser last week who is US citizen returning to US in 3 weeks. She departs 6am on a Friday. She has to take the test at 8am Thursday in order to receive negative test result before departure in Adelaide. If she doesn't have result by midnight she has been given a 24 hour number to call. She's so stressed that a client will test positive and take her out as a close contact. She had Covid in the US about 18 months ago, pre vaccination, presumably Alpha. She was unwell for three days but flu like. I'm avoiding Covid as MrP is having sinus surgery tomorrow and needs to have a RAT tomorrow Arvo. Both hairdresser and I had drinks but we both realised they wouldn't be consumed as neither one of us wanted to remove our masks. The person who was supposed to cut my hair was in isolation having tested positive. She was fine. But having to take 10 days leave without pay. It's the isolation and testing protocols that are the issue now, not the virus.

Would a close contact take her out? If she does her test, it’s negative, isn’t she good to go?