Qantas to Norfolk Island

[kpc]

I don't believe there is currently a lounge available in the international terminal at SYD (or BNE for that matter).

How about the Amex lounge? edit closed! American Express Lounge Sydney - Melbourne | AMEX Australia

 

[motef]

How about the Amex lounge?

 

[henrus]

I believe the only lounge in any Australian international terminal that has been open in the last ~10 months is the Marhaba Lounge in Melbourne. Some carriers like Emirates have actually switched to make this their contract lounge.

Mind you in Brisbane when these flights depart there is sometimes just the Norfolk flight departing. When I went to Norfolk in late November last year only a handful of things were open, a single cafe before security and then after security the duty free, subway, a cafe, one newsagent and a handful of shops. In total it was more than I was expecting, in Brisbane the duty free doesn't open for the inbound so you need to preorder if wanting to pick something up on the way back.

 

[SYD]

As per earlier comment - what’s happening with the NZ flights?

If they’re still running, then that’s double the odds for points seats!

 

[Mattg]

As per earlier comment - what’s happening with the NZ flights?

If they’re still running, then that’s double the odds for points seats!

Yeah, it's weird because Air New Zealand is still selling seats to Norfolk Isand while the Qantas services are due to run! I expect these will be cancelled, but we've so far heard nothing from Air NZ.

 

[justinbrett]

Even if lounges were open they can't be letting domestic/green zone pax mix with international/red zone.

 

[henrus]

Even if lounges were open they can't be letting domestic/green zone pax mix with international/red zone.

In all Australian international terminals, the departure area is considered a green zone and those transiting are unable to access the transit area. Instead, they supposed to be kept in a special separate transit area until it's time for their onward flight to board.

This occurs in a number of airports across the region including Auckland and Singapore.

 

[drron]

Technically speaking the QF press release is inaccurate.These are not new flights as we flew to NLK on QF in 1971.

 

[SYD]

Yeah, it's weird because Air New Zealand is still selling seats to Norfolk Isand while the Qantas services are due to run! I expect these will be cancelled, but we've so far heard nothing from Air NZ.

I was looking at award availability on QF ex-SYD and apart from heading out on Monday back Wednesday next week I couldn’t see any classic reward return options. Plenty of outbound seats but not inbound. Nothing at all ex-BNE but maybe these are being loaded up still?

Best I could do was about $500 + 12000 pts pp return - including the $125 surcharge on award seats

Anyway, I guess it could be high risk trying to book one way with QF on points and back on NZ with points as alternative...?

 

[samh004]

I’m interested in these. Sound like something different for not much in points if you can get an award flight... however I’m actually a little uneasy about going through the international terminal simply because there’s an element of risk on the return and perhaps also of being forced into quarantine. For the level of risk I’d rather go all out to an actual different country

 

[henrus]

Anyway, I guess it could be high risk trying to book one way with QF on points and back on NZ with points as alternative...?

At this stage, I'd say it's safe to assume that whilst the Qantas flights are operating the Air NZ flights won't be.

however I’m actually a little uneasy about going through the international terminal simply because there’s an element of risk on the return and perhaps also of being forced into quarantine

This has never been the case, these are domestic flights so unless a state closes their domestic border to Norfolk Island then you'll always be allowed back in. In the case of NSW they never shut their domestic borders (except to VIC) so flights from Norfolk have been able to operate without any restrictions over the past 12 months. In the case of QLD when they opened their domestic borders Norfolk Island was included and the border has never been shut to Norfolk since then (they treat it as if you're arriving from a different state not a country).

The only reason why anyone from Norfolk would ever be forced into quarantine is if there is a major outbreak on the island which is highly unlikely remember the island hasn't had a single case of confirmed covid-19 ever. Amazingly they also have testing capabilities on the island so can process test results quite quickly.

 

[Scarlett]

Based on QF pricing to LDH and initial reports that their fares to NLK are more expensive than NZ, QFF award seats will be highly prized.
Although maybe the economics of using the B737 will allow something less extortionate than charged for the Dash8-200 to LDH.
Naaah, who am I kidding, if it's QF with a monopoly on the route...

 

[drron]

Add to the facts about there being little risk of having to quarantine on return from NLK AP is negotiating to take over control from NSW in possibly June but definitely by year's end.

NSW walks away from Norfolk Island services, Queensland poised to take control

NSW's association with Norfolk Island appears likely to end, after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed her Government was in talks about taking over a service contract on the tiny external territory.

www.abc.net.au

So for us Queenslanders really no risk.

 

[justinbrett]

Add to the facts about there being little risk of having to quarantine on return from NLK AP is negotiating to take over control from NSW in possibly June but definitely by year's end.

NSW walks away from Norfolk Island services, Queensland poised to take control

NSW's association with Norfolk Island appears likely to end, after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed her Government was in talks about taking over a service contract on the tiny external territory.

www.abc.net.au

So for us Queenslanders really no risk.

It’s a contract to run their health and education services - nothing more. It doesn’t make it part of queensland or under the control of queensland - it’s certainly not part of NSW now. The residents vote as part of the ACT.

That story was a total media beat up. It is and will remain an external territory, it isn’t joining a state like Lord Howe is part of NSW.

 

[jakeseven7]

I’m interested in these. Sound like something different for not much in points if you can get an award flight... however I’m actually a little uneasy about going through the international terminal simply because there’s an element of risk on the return and perhaps also of being forced into quarantine. For the level of risk I’d rather go all out to an actual different country

Why would you be forced into quarantine from returning from NI?

Do you think you would accidentally get on the HQ bus instead of the car park bus?

 

[drron]

Yes they may vote in the ACT but Anastacia wants to put one over Gladys and she is not going to do things to upset that plan.Just politics.

 

[Ken1]

This morning I've booked for 2 of us to fly SYD-NLK retuen in Y for 12,000 points + $125 each, each way, departing SYD on Sun April 18 and returning on Mon April 26. It showed "Seats nearly gone" when I was booking the SYD-NLK leg and I see now that there are no Y classic reward seats left on that flight. There are still seats showing for the return flight we have booked with it now showing "Seats nearly gone" so it appears that there may be 4 Y seats per flight. There are J seats showing for SYD-NLK on 18 April with it showing "Seats nearly gone" so there must be at least 2 still available. We decided that it wasn't worth booking J since there is no lounge access and it's not a long flight.

 

[kpc]

I booked 2 return J awards Syd-Nlk today, outbound 5 April, inbound 11 April (so 6 nights and possibly too long but anyway....) for 55200 QF pts +$250 taxes per person. Quite excited and have reread @drron 's recent Nov report for ideas etc. Probably not a great use of points flying J but could be our only "overseas" trip this year and I have plenty of points to burn...

 

[kpc]

This morning I've booked for 2 of us to fly SYD-NLK retuen in Y for 12,000 points + $125 each, departing SYD on Sun April 18 and returning on Mon April 26.

That would be one sector, return would be double that

 

[henrus]

Do you think you would accidentally get on the HQ bus instead of the car park bus?

Funny story about that...

Before COVID I'd pass through the international terminal very regularly and coming back into Brisbane was the first off the plane, no checked luggage so directly through to the final quarantine check before the exit. After being okayed to go I immediately started walking for the normal exit door but then got chased by someone saying Norfolk and now NZ flights use a side door out of the baggage claim area. If you're familiar with the Brisbane baggage claim area the door was behind the baggage assistance desks and spat you out on the roadside on level 2 so you never really entered the level 2 public arrival area. From there you could walk back along and take the lift down to the carpark or rideshare/taxi pickup area. Mind you in Brisbane the Norfolk flights don't arrive at the same time as any other international flights so it's not a problem.

In Sydney I believe things are a bit different as those familiar with Sydney international would know there are two baggage claim halls/passport control area and one is dedicated to the Norfolk/NZ green flights. Because of these two separate areas, there is no mixing possible.

I've also passed through Perth international (back in December last year) coming off a flight from Christmas Island (same sort of arrangement as Norfolk Island) and upon the descent, the pilot was very happy to announce that there were no other international flights at the same time as ours. Apparently, if there are any other international flights arriving into Perth at the same time as the IOT flights then all those coming off the 'clean' IOT flight have to sit on the plane and wait for all other international flights to be processed and the terminal to be cleaned first. Luckily that wasn't the case for us however a slightly funny experience was someone from WA health coming on board to make an announcement in head to toe PPE, they made a generic announcement... "welcome to Australia... you may be subject to 14 days hotel quarantine unless eligible for an exemption", the pilot/crew was standing there laughing their heads off as clearly this person from WA health hadn't got the memo that our flight had come from Australia. That same stupid person also handed out A4 information pages (they explained you were about to be quarantined) to everyone getting off but only had about 50 pages (flight was full ~160 people), I guess he assumed that there was a cap and that we were an international flight but needless to say, no one on the flight was quarantined in WA as the Australian external territories are fine.