Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[N860CR]

Fiji opening to fully vaccinated Australians from Dec 1 (after wisely using our AZ we couldn’t be bothered using). No quarantine. So Dec 1 seems to ring a bell for international flights resuming…. Wonder what our return quarantine will be? Hopefully test and release, max?

——

Fiji to open to Australian tourists from December 1 after hitting 80 per cent vaccination target​

Australians will be able to visit Fiji from December after the Pacific island nation hit its target of vaccinating 80 per cent of its eligible population.

Visitors will still need to meet several COVID-19 safety requirements, including being fully vaccinated and providing a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure, but there will be no quarantine required.

Fiji Airways will launch twice-daily flights from Sydney to Fiji on December 1, with daily flights from Melbourne and Brisbane. Jetstar will have five flights a week from Sydney to Fiji starting on December 17, with Qantas flying the same route four times a week from December 19. The airlines have indicated frequency will increase if demand is high.

Fiji to open to Australian tourists from December 1 after hitting 80 per cent vaccination target

Australians will be able to visit Fiji from December after the Pacific island nation hit its target of vaccinating 80 per cent of its eligible population.

www.traveller.com.au

It’s certainly getting people interested. I’ve had my travel company in hibernation for the better part of 18 months while I’ve been back in health. Business partner did a bit of marketing today for some Fiji packages in December (which are dirt cheap… I’d say the Fijian gov are subsidizing FJs fares) and we’ve sold a heap already (that’s even assuming 7 days quarantine at home).

Regardless of what Queensland does with it border for Xmas, I think they may have missed with boat.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I dropped off this thread just when it was getting interesting… My outbound travel exemption bobbed up as I was catching up, and I expect this will be the last.

Seven days' quarantine is a dealbreaker for me, personally.

I live in Qld. Seven days home quarantine is the holy grail for me, personally.

In order to be considered “suitable” a home quarantine trial candidate must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, be prepared to travel after October 11, must fly into Brisbane, and live in one of eight southeast Queensland council areas.

Those are, Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast, and the Redlands excluding its adjoining islands.

I live one hour ten minutes from BNE, but five k over the border into Somerset. Of course the trial didn’t apply to international anyway. I am truly over Qld and its idiotic rules.

Anyway I never expected home quarantine and budgeted for another 14 days furiously pedalling my exercise bike in a tiny room. I expect to get the bill sometime in mid 2022. Swings and roundabouts, I’d rather wait forever for a bill than wait forever for permission to cross the border and come home.

I've been wondering about travel insurance for international travel, what protections might be available, hasn't been too much coverage but saw this today

Several of the Australian insurers have notes up to say ‘we’re working on it, real soon now’.

I took out a Heymondo policy myself, which has been very popular among exempt outbound travellers. The wording around ‘do not travel’ bans is a bit vague but I have an email confirmation that their COVID cover applies despite the general travel ban.

Cheers skip

 

[Seat0B]

It’s certainly getting people interested. I’ve had my travel company in hibernation for the better part of 18 months while I’ve been back in health. Business partner did a bit of marketing today for some Fiji packages in December (which are dirt cheap… I’d say the Fijian gov are subsidizing FJs fares) and we’ve sold a heap already (that’s even assuming 7 days quarantine at home).

Regardless of what Queensland does with it border for Xmas, I think they may have missed with boat.

'Fiji instead of Queensland': Aussies are opting for tropical holidays overseas

With Fiji welcoming tourists from a select number of countries, including Australia, the US and New Zealand from November 11, Sydney mother Lisa Thwaite wasted no time in booking an international family vacation, instead of risking interstate border closures with a domestic holiday.

www.abc.net.au

It's a thing for sure.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

'Fiji instead of Queensland': Aussies are opting for tropical holidays overseas

With Fiji welcoming tourists from a select number of countries, including Australia, the US and New Zealand from November 11, Sydney mother Lisa Thwaite wasted no time in booking an international family vacation, instead of risking interstate border closures with a domestic holiday.

www.abc.net.au

It's a thing for sure.

Congrats WA and QLD you have officially become Memes

 

[N860CR]

It's a thing for sure.

Im not a Fiji fan at all… but even im considering it. Week at the Hilton and flights for less than $1000 is a hell of a motivator!

 

[tallboy]

I dropped off this thread just when it was getting interesting… My outbound travel exemption bobbed up as I was catching up, and I expect this will be the last.

I live in Qld. Seven days home quarantine is the holy grail for me, personally.


I live one hour ten minutes from BNE, but five k over the border into Somerset. Of course the trial didn’t apply to international anyway. I am truly over Qld and its idiotic rules.

Anyway I never expected home quarantine and budgeted for another 14 days furiously pedalling my exercise bike in a tiny room. I expect to get the bill sometime in mid 2022. Swings and roundabouts, I’d rather wait forever for a bill than wait forever for permission to cross the border and come home.


Several of the Australian insurers have notes up to say ‘we’re working on it, real soon now’.

I took out a Heymondo policy myself, which has been very popular among exempt outbound travellers. The wording around ‘do not travel’ bans is a bit vague but I have an email confirmation that their COVID cover applies despite the general travel ban.

Cheers skip

Hello Skip,
Thanks for the tip about Heymondo, which looks like decent and relatively affordable cover.
Have you had or heard about any experience with making claims?
Thanks,
tb

 

[ayushamity]

I been checking out Vietnam to Sydney routes for a few days and just noticed that there is an option to transit through Bangkok into Sydney via Thai Airways.

Did not know Thai Airways were restarting flights to Sydney. Could this be the start of selling additional seats ?

 

[N860CR]

I been checking out Vietnam to Sydney routes for a few days and just noticed that there is an option to transit through Bangkok into Sydney via Thai Airways.

Did not know Thai Airways were restarting flights to Sydney. Could this be the start of selling additional seats ?

They seem to have been pretty consistently coming in for the last few weeks. Saw a 777 fly over my place this afternoon. Assuming no passengers yet, but it’s not so hard to turn that tap on.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Have you had or heard about any experience with making claims?

None at all, nothing on ProductReview, but there are reviews on Trustpilot.

cheers skip

 

[coyote25]

The lifting of the 19-month ban at the land borders will not only reconnect the United States to its neighbors, but is one of the last steps to opening the country’s borders to vaccinated travelers throughout the world. After more than a year of cutting off the country from international tourism, the administration has now turned the country into a welcome destination for the vaccinated — while making clear that all foreigners who choose to not get a shot will face stringent restrictions to enter the United States. Unvaccinated travelers will continue to be barred from crossing the borders with Mexico or Canada.

So USA Border is fully reopening to vaccinated travellers.

 

[jrfsp]

View attachment 261957

The lifting of the 19-month ban at the land borders will not only reconnect the United States to its neighbors, but is one of the last steps to opening the country’s borders to vaccinated travelers throughout the world. After more than a year of cutting off the country from international tourism, the administration has now turned the country into a welcome destination for the vaccinated — while making clear that all foreigners who choose to not get a shot will face stringent restrictions to enter the United States. Unvaccinated travelers will continue to be barred from crossing the borders with Mexico or Canada.

So USA Border is fully reopening to vaccinated travellers.

Crazy it took so long! Still nothing concrete for European travel though

 

[tallboy]

For those interested, my TA is reporting new availability for flights BKK-SYD on TG in early December, some dates in November

 

[somebol]

Hopefully we get full details of how International travel will work in the next couple of days.
Can't wait for airlines to start increasing inventory, need to book my return flights

 

[ayushamity]

I hear the NSW cabinet is meeting tomorrow to decide on home quarantine and also bringing forward the 80% roadmap to start from Monday next week. Presser expected Friday.

Maybe they will announce home quarantine on Friday?

 

[Peter78]

Hopefully we get full details of how International travel will work in the next couple of days.
Can't wait for airlines to start increasing inventory, need to book my return flights

I am in the same boat, we left Australia - on a travel exemption for three months or longer - in August and we only booked one way flights. Life is perfectly normal in Europe, we spent time in Austria, Italy and the Netherlands, right now we are in Portugal, before returning to Germany (we are dual citizens), our kids will go to school there after the holidays finish.

Being based in NSW, we hope home quarantine/ the removal of caps will be officially announced soon, enabling us to book reasonably priced flights. Thai is 823 Euro each for the one way, we are waiting a bit, though we are mindful that December 27/ 28/ 29 will be expensive.

 

[coyote25]

Pressure growing on QLD & WA Governments

The pressure is growing on Queensland and WA to explain what living with COVID-19 will look like

 

[Jousams]

Pressure growing on QLD & WA Governments

The pressure is growing on Queensland and WA to explain what living with COVID-19 will look like

Queensland government response Will probably ramble about how awful India is and how great the footy is and move on. Brisbane 2032 Woo.

 

[Grimace1]

Pressure growing on QLD & WA Governments

The pressure is growing on Queensland and WA to explain what living with COVID-19 will look like

Maybe there is hope QLD will open before Christmas based on this tweet tonight by Annastacia

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1448191808475779075

 

[jakeseven7]

Maybe there is hope QLD will open before Christmas based on this tweet tonight by Annastacia

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1448191808475779075

This is an admission of complete failure. What a disaster. Although to be fair a lot of the blame rests on the retiring CHO as well.

 

[coyote25]

$5,000 return: sky-high ticket prices hit Australians’ holiday hopes as airlines prepare for takeoff

Industry experts say it could ‘take a full year’ for international air travel to return to pre-Covid pandemic pricing

www.theguardian.com