Transit in Brisbane airport - can I stay at a hotel?

[MikeG]

Does Brisbane have hotels setup for transit use only? Or are people expected to sleep on the seats in the airport?

Considering a status run.

 

[AIRwin]

When and where?

Here is current info on the BNE website:

Passenger Information - Brisbane Airport

Find travel tips and information that will make your experience at Brisbane Airport as seamless as possible.

www.bne.com.au

 

[Mattg]

I'm not aware of any. Where are you flying to/from?

 

[MikeG]

I'm not aware of any. Where are you flying to/from?

Newcastle to Canberra... LOL

 

[Mattg]

Newcastle to Canberra... LOL

Are you allowed to transit via QLD?

(Genuine question - I have no idea but would have thought this is not possible at the moment.)

 

[rginoz]

Does Brisbane have hotels setup for transit use only? Or are people expected to sleep on the seats in the airport?

Considering a status run.

There's an Ibis Hotel and an adjacent Pullman Hotel on the land side of the Brisbane domestic terminal, about a five minute under-cover walk from the Domestic terminal building. I'm not sure if they rent rooms by the hour, but they are both ideal for an overnight stay if you have a late arrival or early departure. There is a good bistro/restaurant at the Ibis, too.

But you will probably not be able to enter Queensland for transiting purposes under the current border closure arrangements.

 

[Major]

I think this is the current situation

Passengers transferring to another flight to leave Queensland
Passengers arriving by air from interstate for the purpose of transferring to another flight are able to to do so HOWEVER; those who have been in any declared COVID Hotspot in the past 14 days will only be allowed to do so under the following conditions:

• Passengers are required to remain in the airport and follow the directions of Queensland Police and/or Health Officials until it is time to transfer to your onward flight.
• Passengers with extended transfer times may be required to enter quarantine at a Government-arranged hotel at your own cost. The cost of quarantine will be charged based on the duration of your stay. You will not be charged a fee if your transit time is less than 24 hours. Detailed information

All passengers transferring between flights will be required to show evidence of their onward flight and will need to complete a Queensland Border Declaration Pass

 

[Mattg]

I think this is the current situation

Passengers transferring to another flight to leave Queensland
Passengers arriving by air from interstate for the purpose of transferring to another flight are able to to do so HOWEVER; those who have been in any declared COVID Hotspot in the past 14 days will only be allowed to do so under the following conditions:

• Passengers are required to remain in the airport and follow the directions of Queensland Police and/or Health Officials until it is time to transfer to your onward flight.
• Passengers with extended transfer times may be required to enter quarantine at a Government-arranged hotel at your own cost. The cost of quarantine will be charged based on the duration of your stay. You will not be charged a fee if your transit time is less than 24 hours. Detailed information

All passengers transferring between flights will be required to show evidence of their onward flight and will need to complete a Queensland Border Declaration Pass

Hmm, so does that mean it would be possible to fly CBR-xBNE-DRW without having to do quarantine in QLD or NT (assuming you haven't been in Greater Sydney or any other hotspots declared by the NT in the previous fortnight)?

The ACT is not a declared hotspot for entering the NT, but as the only flights available from ACT/NSW to the NT are from SYD this makes it quite difficult for Canberrans to actually get there without having to enter a hotspot or quarantine somewhere along the way...

 

[Major]

I believe that routing is possible without a Qld quarantine.

The only exception is no transit at MEL...

Note: a person who has transited through Tullamarine Airport in Victoria will be required to quarantine –

 

[MikeG]

Hmm, so does that mean it would be possible to fly CBR-xBNE-DRW without having to do quarantine in QLD or NT (assuming you haven't been in Greater Sydney or any other hotspots declared by the NT in the previous fortnight)?

The ACT is not a declared hotspot for entering the NT, but as the only flights available from ACT/NSW to the NT are from SYD this makes it quite difficult for Canberrans to actually get there without having to enter a hotspot or quarantine somewhere along the way...

The ACT is actually virus free. It’s like the leper colony denying access to non infected people. wtf?

 

[Mattg]

The ACT is actually virus free. It’s like the leper colony denying access to non infected people. wtf?

Yep, it's bizarre. But QLD has still declared the ACT a hotspot.

 

[MikeG]

Small airlines are filling the gap of NTL-CBR flights but as I want to use my points this isn’t helpful . I wonder if I can transit via Wellington LOL

 

[MikeG]

Yep, it's bizarre. But QLD has still declared the ACT a hotspot.

I declare the qld chief medical officer a lunatic.

 

[love_the_life]

The ACT is actually virus free. It’s like the leper colony denying access to non infected people. wtf?

The issue occurred as I understand because some tu$d from Sydney flew to QLD from CBR to escape the ban. QLD decided it wouldn't take the risk of infection coming in via that route.
Piainful but that's what it is.

 

[Mattg]

The issue occurred as I understand because some tu$d from Sydney flew to QLD from CBR to escape the ban. QLD decided it wouldn't take the risk of infection coming in via that route.
Piainful but that's what it is.

Couldn't they just check to see if people coming from CBR have an ACT address/driver's licence?

 

[ChrisMars]

@Mattg @MikeG I have a Qantas booking CBR -> BNE -> DRW return mid September, with an overnight stay in Brisbane. Well, there was a single day option with a 45 min transfer, but the transfer time shrunk to 20 min when they downgraded a jet to a dash-8 on CBR->BNE flight with their updated schedule a week ago. I did my research about this overnight stay in Brisbane:

As quoted above, the "Queensland Border restrictions Direction No.12" indicates passengers with a long transfer at the airport will be escorted to a hotel for quarantine, until their departure.

This is also confirmed here Quarantine — coronavirus (COVID-19)

I have a flight stop-over in Queensland, will I be charged the quarantine fee?
If you are entering Queensland by air in order to transfer to another flight, you may be required to go into government arranged accommodation at the airport. If you are required to be accommodated for over 24-hours an invoice will be calculated based on the time spent.
You will not be charged a fee if you are in transit for less than 24 hours.

And on the Brisbane airport website: Travel update: COVID-19 Coronavirus - Brisbane Airport

Passengers transferring to another flight to leave Queensland
Passengers arriving by air from interstate for the purpose of transferring to another flight are able to to do so HOWEVER; those who have been in any declared COVID Hotspot in the past 14 days will only be allowed to do so under the following conditions:

• Passengers are required to remain in the airport and follow the directions of Queensland Police and/or Health Officials until it is time to transfer to your onward flight.
• Passengers with extended transfer times may be required to enter quarantine at a Government-arranged hotel at your own cost. The cost of quarantine will be charged based on the duration of your stay. You will not be charged a fee if your transit time is less than 24 hours. Detailed information

All passengers transferring between flights will be required to show evidence of their onward flight and will need to complete a Queensland Border Declaration Pass

Finally, I called the QLD COVID-19 line, they confirmed that should be the arrangement: met by police on arrival, escorted to Quarantine hotel for overnight stay, escorted back to airport. They say I shouldn't book my accomodation. I will call again closer to departure, to make sure.

In term of hotel I guess the Novotel Brisbane airport is the one used for those short stay. They don't seem to take any booking at the moment, which is what happens when a hotel becomes a "quarantine hotel".


Arriving to NT is easier. NT maintains a google-map view of their current hotspots. NT is more ... let's say discerning... than QLD, in terms of hotspots. so ACT is in the green for the moment. Brisbane was a hotspot for about a week, back early August, but it's green again.

When is your trip @MikeG ? I'll be happy to report my experience, also I would feel more comfortable if I hear some feedback first If anyone has some feedback to share, please do so!

 

[NZflygirl]

I think airport Novotel & Pullman Brisbane are being used for quarantine hotels. They’re not bookable. Only Ibis in that immediate airport region.

You can actually drive from CBR/regional NSW to SYD then fly to DRW from there. There are very specific guidelines on the NT website about what constitutes having “stopped in the hotspot area” and what doesn’t. There are definitely people in the NT from regional NSW that are spending a couple of weeks here before traveling into QLD.

I’ll be overnighting in Brisbane but going to follow the NT guidelines even though I don’t have to YET. Basically I’ll walk to the Ibis, I have to stay in my room and get room service then will Uber back to international the next day. I won’t go to the bar or restaurant etc. Basically if you re enter the NT and they declare your departure place a hotspot you’re still required to isolate, potentially get tested for the remaining 14 days.

NT have been GREAT at revoking hotspot status. I think Newcastle and Batemans bay were hotspots but been revoked. Brisbane etc was for a week when the 2 teens flew from VIC but they revoked hotspot status after a week. They haven’t actually put Brisbane back on the hotspot list yet.

Anyway, good luck with it.

p.s. will you get points for paying for your hotel stay?

 

[ChrisMars]

When arriving in Brisbane for your overnight stay, will you come from a hotspot as declared by QLD @NZflygirl Or I guess you arrive from NZ?

 

[NZflygirl]

No I’m coming in from DRW but I may return earlier. We were given a handout at DRW airport about what happens if a place you’ve been to is subsequently declared a hotspot. I figure if I follow some rules it leaves my options open and these days you want to be flexible. One night in a hotel room is easy. Did 2 on the way through Melbourne earlier in the year.

 

[Seat0B]

The ACT is not a declared hotspot for entering the NT, but as the only flights available from ACT/NSW to the NT are from SYD this makes it quite difficult for Canberrans to actually get there without having to enter a hotspot or quarantine somewhere along the way...

I'll be following with interest to see if there is any way I can arrange a family meet up in another state for family members "trapped" in Qld at the moment. The idea has been simmering in my mind since @Pushka first suggested SA as a possibility a little while ago.