Qantas to Norfolk Island

[kpc]

Book your car asap! My accommodation provider for our trip starting Easter Monday rang this am in a bit of a panic asking if we needed a car as there were basically none left on the island for hire when we are there! (we booked ours through ALOHA last week)....he said "every man and his dog" is going to Norfolk Island (as we are allowed) esp with the Qf flights as people are trying to use their points to get there....expect to see lots of people there except the number of people will be capped by the plane seat numbers QF WPs can request release of classic awards btw

 

[SYD]

Book your car asap! My accommodation provider for our trip starting Easter Monday rang this am in a bit of a panic asking if we needed a car as there were basically none left on the island for hire when we are there! (we booked ours through ALOHA last week)....he said "every man and his dog" is going to Norfolk Island (as we are allowed) esp with the Qf flights as people are trying to use their points to get there....expect to see lots of people there except the number of people will be capped by the plane seat numbers QF WPs can request release of classic awards btw

Yes, I got that impression but fortunately not going at Easter! Later in May but still things are booking out.

Interestingly though the seat plans are showing pretty empty flights (even ones this week).

 

[henrus]

Interestingly though the seat plans are showing pretty empty flights (even ones this week).

A lot of people book trips to Norfolk Island via a travel agent and hence don't get their seats selected.

Likewise, many people on these Qantas flights (especially the ones in the next month or so) are on Air New Zealand tickets and so can't select a seat easily.

 

[Tiki]

Are they selling every seat on the plane? I was able to book a window and aisle and hoping for empty middle.

I called my hotel a few days ago but need to chase him up again about the car and birding tour.

 

[Tiki]

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This came up in my Google feed probably because I was Googling things about NI. We were already going to self cater breakfast and snacks. MIght bring some drinks as well- cordial, soft drinks, long life milk. When this ship gets unloaded I think the prces will still be high if they don't have a ready supply of groceries.

 

[SYD]

Are they selling every seat on the plane? I was able to book a window and aisle and hoping for empty middle.

Here’s tomorrow’s (Friday flight ex-SYD) - OLCI already opened and seats allocated for those who hadn’t been able to select seats prior? Reasonable load but looks like many pairs with 3 seats.

Meanwhile, next Friday (Good Friday and start of Easter LWE) is looking light! That's how my flights over and back in May look. Four of us in whY each way.

 

[henrus]

OLCI already opened and seats allocated for those who hadn’t been able to select seats prior?

I still don't think that's a fair way to judge it. Many of those traveling are still on the Air NZ tickets which means no online check in as they likely haven't been given a Qantas PNR (even though one would exist).

Below is today's QF183 BNE-NLK (after departure) which is quite full. It will be interesting to see if QF179 looks any different tomorrow.

 

[SYD]

I still don't think that's a fair way to judge it. Many of those traveling are still on the Air NZ tickets which means no online check in as they likely haven't been given a Qantas PNR (even though one would exist).

Yeah, I don't disagree. I guess there's an extra benefit for QFF and seat selection for the next few months.

 

[justin23]

Book your car asap! My accommodation provider for our trip starting Easter Monday rang this am in a bit of a panic asking if we needed a car as there were basically none left on the island for hire when we are there! (we booked ours through ALOHA last week)....he said "every man and his dog" is going to Norfolk Island (as we are allowed) esp with the Qf flights as people are trying to use their points to get there....expect to see lots of people there except the number of people will be capped by the plane seat numbers QF WPs can request release of classic awards btw

I literally booked accomodation today for June long weekend, and before I had a chance to arrange car hire, it was noted on my booking by the accomodation they have booked a car for me for $40 a day and to let them know if I didn't want it! Good service and cheap car hire rate. Sure the car won't be anything special, but on an island 8km by 5kms I don't need anything big.

 

[Hux]

Most accommodation will arrange a car for you as its pretty difficult to get around without one. Just ask them, they are all pretty helpful.
Remember though, cows have right of way and there are lots of them, especially the black ones you can't see at night.

Food wise, fresh is best, but in limited supply. Whatever is in the supermarket is all that is available, but many of the other local stores might have some fruit or vege in a box for sale as well. The local cafes are pretty good, as are the pubs (RSL, Leagues Club, Golf Club etc)
Best local bread around in my opinion, but I grew up on it, goes great with guava (porpei in Norfolk) jelly, a local delicacy.

 

[WLGFlyer]

Booked a trip as well, thanks for all the information. Does anyone have any recent experience with TRS claims in SYD, are they even open?

 

[Tiki]

LOL I did a dummy paid booking on my flight out. 3 seats are booked. First 4 rows and last 3 rows of economy are blocked. And this flight is outside of Easter but still within school holidays. I was in such a hurry to grab seats for Avios and avoid the rainy season I didn't notice there was school holidays! But I would have assumed families with kids would have already made plans long before this and are not the last minute types?

 

[SYD]

It will be interesting to see if QF179 looks any different tomorrow.

ex-SYD ended up being pretty full! I’m flying on a Monday - hopefully not as popular!

 

[Mattg]

I'm looking into a short trip to NLK. It looks like many of the accommodation providers have a 3-night minimum?

 

[SYD]

I'm looking into a short trip to NLK. It looks like many of the accommodation providers have a 3-night minimum?

I can see shorter stays on Expedia - so I assume other platforms probably have options also.

BTW, I did find that cancellation policies are not very friendly.

 

[kpc]

BTW, I did find that cancellation policies are not very frfriendly.

Because all travel insurance policies will not cover costs due to cancellations related to Covid, I booked accommodation with the shortest non refundable period, which was 4 days prior to arrival. A lot of accommodation places become non refundable 2 weeks out. Feel very sorry for the Brisbanites who booked to go to NLK for Easter

 

[henrus]

Feel very sorry for the Brisbanites who booked to go to NLK for Easter

I hate to say it but that's just the risk of traveling right now. I've been lucky to date but I know many people who've been caught out and also others who refuse to travel out of their own suburb right now for a fear of being locked out.

Whilst I'm really looking forward to a travel bubble with NZ, people will need to realise it could pop at any time and you could be stuck on a side you don't want to be on for weeks.

 

[Mattg]

I can see shorter stays on Expedia - so I assume other platforms probably have options also.

BTW, I did find that cancellation policies are not very friendly.

Yeah, I did notice that you could book a shorter stay with some properties which advertised 3-night minimums via various OTAs. I wonder if those bookings would be honoured, however?

And yes, many of the cancellation policies require 30 days or 14 days' notice.

With the ongoing risk of border closures, I'm starting to think it's not worth going unless booking at the last minute - although then you risk not getting a hire car.

 

[Tiki]

Today's flight BNE-NLK is delayed by 1.5 hours so probably weather and not Covid. I am not sure how it is operating if people booked on it are not allowed to go to the airport. Scary thought, this was one of the dates I was trying to find availability on when I was searching for dates.

Does anyone remember what happened last lockdown in January? 3 days and then travel was back to normal? Did Norfolk impose any quarantines? I still think this is a ridiculous over-reaction. 2.5 million people locked down because of 7 cases? I know it's now 12-13 but all close contacts/family members.

 

[henrus]

I am not sure how it is operating if people booked on it are not allowed to go to the airport.

You can go to the airport to catch a flight if it's for essential reasons, people who live in greater Brisbane this can be for work, if you normally live on the island you can travel home or if you live outside of greater Brisbane you can travel directly from outside greater Brisbane to catch a flight at Brisbane airport.

There was a slight change last night, originally they said anyone already on the island from Brisbane didn't have to isolate for 3 day but now they do (this is now in line with the rest of the country). See the 9:30pm update at the top of this page : COVID-19 Advice for Norfolk Island | Norfolk Island Regional Council

Does anyone remember what happened last lockdown in January? 3 days and then travel was back to normal? Did Norfolk impose any quarantines?

Last time was exactly the same as this time, those who'd been in Brisbane from the date the QLD gov specified but were now on the island had to isolate in their accommodation for 3 days (if you had a flight you could leave).

Last time, when the 3 day lockdown ended in Brisbane those on the island could leave isolation and travel from Brisbane to Norfolk resumed as per normal. I guess we'll have to wait and see but in all fairness these requirements were the exact same that NSW applied on travel so it was no different if you'd been in Brisbane and were now in Sydney or on Norfolk.