Travelling to Australia During COVID-19 (Discussion)

[levelnine]

Does that feed into making it easier to get flights or at least to not get bumped once you do get flights? If so, how?

If you have an exemption from the travel caps, you will not get bumped from the flight (unless, of course, you test positive to COVID-19 prior to the flight).

As for getting a flight earlier, speak to a travel agent (eg madrooster!).

 

[louie-m]

transit from London in Singapore seems allowed (especially if LHR-SIN is on SQ).

My understanding is that "transit" means on one ticket in this context. See https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/media-centre/news-alert/?id=kataac8r which says:

"Booking a Flight - Single Tickets and Complying with Entry Requirements

Customers should book the full journey on one ticket, instead of splitting it up into separate tickets, to comply with regulatory requirements during this period."

That would rule out BA, but I don't know if you can book SQ -> Scoot on one ticket.

 

[louie-m]

If you have an exemption from the travel caps, you will not get bumped from the flight (unless, of course, you test positive to COVID-19 prior to the flight).

As for getting a flight earlier, speak to a travel agent (eg madrooster!).

Out of interest, how would the airline know you had an exemption? What is the process for informing them?

And would it be likely that an airline would make additional seats available which are not shown as available to Joe Public if the passenger had an exemption?

Useful things to have on this thread for others in this situation I think.

 

[manarh]

Out of interest, how would the airline know you had an exemption? What is the process for informing them?

And would it be likely that an airline would make additional seats available which are not shown as available to Joe Public if the passenger had an exemption?

Useful things to have on this thread for others in this situation I think.

this is exactly what I was wondering. It's not like the plans don't have the seats...

 

[manarh]

My understanding is that "transit" means on one ticket in this context. See https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/media-centre/news-alert/?id=kataac8r which says:

"Booking a Flight - Single Tickets and Complying with Entry Requirements

Customers should book the full journey on one ticket, instead of splitting it up into separate tickets, to comply with regulatory requirements during this period."

That would rule out BA, but I don't know if you can book SQ -> Scoot on one ticket.

Ouch, that sounds pretty clear cut (though the pedant in me used to MUST/SHOULD/COULD/WOULD terminology notes that should isn't must). I'll try and confirm for sure though as the equivalent page for Scoot doesn't mention that: Transiting through Singapore Changi Airport | COVID-19

Alas https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/gb/plan-travel/partner-airlines/scoot/ also seems unclear. On the one hand it says:

"If you’re connecting to your final destination on Scoot via any Singapore Airlines flight, you’ll enjoy:

• A single ticket itinerary"

On the other hand it doesn't let you ticket to SYD via scoot and it also talks about the 30 Scoot destinations that aren't in the SQ network....

 

[Seat0B]

If you have an exemption from the travel caps, you will not get bumped from the flight (unless, of course, you test positive to COVID-19 prior to the flight).

As for getting a flight earlier, speak to a travel agent (eg madrooster!).

Getting bumped is one issue, taken care of by being above the cap. Airlines just outright cancelling flights, as happened to Seat Son, is a completely different issue that brings risks for intending travellers.

 

[levelnine]

Out of interest, how would the airline know you had an exemption? What is the process for informing them?

And would it be likely that an airline would make additional seats available which are not shown as available to Joe Public if the passenger had an exemption?

Useful things to have on this thread for others in this situation I think.

The airline applies for the exemption on your behalf. You need to ask the airline to apply to Home Affairs for the exemption on your behalf.

There is very little public information about the process for obvious reasons (ie the government does not want hundreds of applications for exemptions for travel above the caps).

Your best bet is to speak with a travel agent with experience on the matter, though you also try it yourself by calling the airline directly. Some call centre airline representatives will know about the process, most will not.

Post automatically merged: Aug 24, 2021

Getting bumped is one issue, taken care of by being above the cap. Airlines just outright cancelling flights, as happened to Seat Son, is a completely different issue that brings risks for intending travellers.

The airline would only apply for an exemption for you if you were on a flight that was going to be carrying passengers.

 

[Flashback]

Looks like the SA trial is using technology to help - will be interesting to watch and could be a bit nicer than an ankle bracelet.

SA govt trials home quarantine app with facial recognition, GPS tracking

Built in-house in less than three months.

www.itnews.com.au

 

[PineappleSkip]

Not sure if it would work for ancients like me. When I'm not out. my phone is in a kitchen drawer. Maybe if it had a very loud alarm

Cheers skip.

 

[manarh]

The airline applies for the exemption on your behalf. You need to ask the airline to apply to Home Affairs for the exemption on your behalf.

There is very little public information about the process for obvious reasons (ie the government does not want hundreds of applications for exemptions for travel above the caps).

Your best bet is to speak with a travel agent with experience on the matter, though you also try it yourself by calling the airline directly. Some call centre airline representatives will know about the process, most will not.

Post automatically merged: Aug 24, 2021

The airline would only apply for an exemption for you if you were on a flight that was going to be carrying passengers.

Amazing, thanks for the info. My sense from my nephew was that John Hunter Newcastle would arrange the quarantine and so I assumed the cap exemption but as you noted, it all seems very opaque. Hoping @madrooster can help (just waiting on a DM reply) as they definitely sound like "a travel agent with experience on the matter"


The immediate thing I'm struggling with is SQ and Scoot coordinating. SQ reservations said they can't book the scoot segment themselves but were happy to ask permission to merge a Scoot SIN-SYD segment into an LHR-SIN segment with it all on one ticket (two PRNs on one e-ticket I assume). I assume that also means baggage would interline but I should ask that actually.

I pushed SQ to get the "put onto one ticket" permission now, and after a short while on hold they said they've done that and noted it on a held reservation but I'm not super confident it'll happen in the end. Probably, but didn't feel certain.

Meanwhile, Scoot tickets are not refundable and so far have only promised to look at the specifics and consider a refund if SQ fail to make the single ticket magic happen. We're a bit loath to spend an ominous 6660 AUD on the SIN-SYD segment without Scoot committing to give a refund if we called back a few hours after booking to say SQ were unable to merge it.

 

[mhouse165]

I don't know if we are trying to do the impossible here, but I am wanting to book a flight from Canada to Sydney for my husband (Canadian citizen), myself (Aus citizen) and our 2 and 3 year old children (dual citizens). We want to transit through the USA and with American Airlines suspending their services to Australia, I realise our options are extremely limited. My mum is scheduled to have extensive surgery later in the year, following treatment for cancer, and her last surgery recovery did not go well with weeks of infections, in and out of hospital etc etc. We really need to be there to help care for her and my 15 year old sister. Looking to fly September, October or November. Is this even possible without spending $20K per person? Or should we wait and see if the caps are raised in the next month or so? I'm desperate to get something booked in but then am terrified of getting bumped off later if we do go ahead and book

 

[mviy]

The current caps will definitely remain in place in September and probably till at least the end of October. When we reach the 70% target the plan is to double the caps back to what they were previously, and then later when we reach 80% hopefully there will be significant further easing.

 

[Seat0B]

I don't know if we are trying to do the impossible here, but I am wanting to book a flight from Canada to Sydney for my husband (Canadian citizen), myself (Aus citizen) and our 2 and 3 year old children (dual citizens). We want to transit through the USA and with American Airlines suspending their services to Australia, I realise our options are extremely limited. My mum is scheduled to have extensive surgery later in the year, following treatment for cancer, and her last surgery recovery did not go well with weeks of infections, in and out of hospital etc etc. We really need to be there to help care for her and my 15 year old sister. Looking to fly September, October or November. Is this even possible without spending $20K per person? Or should we wait and see if the caps are raised in the next month or so? I'm desperate to get something booked in but then am terrified of getting bumped off later if we do go ahead and book

Good luck @mhouse165 and welcome to posting on AFF. There are some really helpful people on here.

Based on my recent experience with Seat Son's flight being cancelled, (which is different to the flight operating and him being bumped for someone on a higher fare), and the restrictive caps being in place until the end of October, I would think you have a better chance if you aim for November or December = flight less likely to be cancelled at that time. You will also have a better chance if you take premium cabin flights ($$$) as less chance of being bumped.

I would suggest maybe using the services of a travel agent. @madrooster has done a great job for lots of people. You can start a private conversation with him by using the little envelope icon at the top right.

Let us know how you go.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Is this even possible without spending $20K per person?

I don’t know about flights from the US but I’m still looking at flights to central asia (ongoing stuffing around at that end), however since the cap cut extension I can’t find seats back in any cabin, on any airline, until November. Never seen so few options. Even the ghost flights have dried up.

 

[map]

I read the latest QLD pause on arrivals as applying to interstate travellers only, not international:

Queensland Covid update: two-week ban on people moving from interstate as hotel quarantine overwhelmed

‘Queensland is being loved to death,’ says Annastacia Palaszczuk, as authorities say they hope border with NSW reopens within 10 weeks

www.theguardian.com

Anyone else agree / disagree? If I’m wrong then it’s effectively going to see all overseas flights to Brisbane cancelled for next two weeks, and probably extended thereafter.

 

[levelnine]

Only applies to interstate arrivals. Qld is accepting so few international arrivals that they barely make a dent in their hotel quarantine numbers.

 

[drron]

On the news tonight there was one woman complaing because she is relocating from Sydney to Tasmania but was coming to QLD for 2 weeks of HQ so she could get to Tassie.Sorry no sympathy.

 

[mhouse165]

Good luck @mhouse165 and welcome to posting on AFF. There are some really helpful people on here.

Based on my recent experience with Seat Son's flight being cancelled, (which is different to the flight operating and him being bumped for someone on a higher fare), and the restrictive caps being in place until the end of October, I would think you have a better chance if you aim for November or December = flight less likely to be cancelled at that time. You will also have a better chance if you take premium cabin flights ($$$) as less chance of being bumped.

I would suggest maybe using the services of a travel agent. @madrooster has done a great job for lots of people. You can start a private conversation with him by using the little envelope icon at the top right.

Let us know how you go.

Thank you! I am thinking it will probably be best at this stage to wait (and wait and wait like we have been the past 6 months) I just wasn't sure if there might have been someone that has had experience recently with travelling from the USA.
We will definitely also be using a travel agent, I think we will wait and see what happens in the next month or so regarding caps, quarantine etc before we contact @madrooster. He is probably tired of people asking him to do the impossible LOL!
And yes AFF is an amazing resource, so grateful to all the supportive helpful people on here and very thankful to have something to read that isn't just media sensationalism.
I realise that we are in a privileged position of having a safe place to live while we wait, unlike so many other stranded Aussies, so I won't complain too much!

 

[PineappleSkip]

Only applies to interstate arrivals. Qld is accepting so few international arrivals that they barely make a dent in their hotel quarantine numbers.

You could say that about any state. Qld’s cap is the same as the larger Vic, equal second behind NSW, which is till the heavy lifter, and just shy of twice the reduced caps in WA and SA.

With the reduced cap, international arrivals are just over 1/3 of the quarantinees on the numbers mentioned yesterday.

cheers skip

 

[map]

Received a Qantas email regarding repatriation flights from London to Darwin 8 & 21 September. I noticed the email 10 minutes after it hit my inbox and immediately accessed the link to book flights, they were already sold out in those few minutes (all classes).

Fingers crossed our Singapore Airlines flights for 24 Sept go ahead.