Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

All this constructive waffle fails to identify the "vetolaphant" (new word) in the room… insurance.
If we cannot buy insurance cover , most of us are not leaving Australia.
Big corporates with clout may force policies , or self insure.. everyday happy campers at all $$ levels will be stuffed.
 
All this constructive waffle fails to identify the "vetolaphant" (new word) in the room… insurance.
If we cannot buy insurance cover , most of us are not leaving Australia.
Big corporates with clout may force policies , or self insure.. everyday happy campers at all $$ levels will be stuffed.
It won't preclude me however it will limit my choices and ideas
The reciprocal agreement countries may be more likely to be visited than perhaps somewhere like USA
 
All this constructive waffle fails to identify the "vetolaphant" (new word) in the room… insurance.
If we cannot buy insurance cover , most of us are not leaving Australia.
Big corporates with clout may force policies , or self insure.. everyday happy campers at all $$ levels will be stuffed.

One of the benefits of the UK still being "in" the EU, if Travel Insurance won't cover medical expenses then there's at least the EHCI card and reciprocal agreements. I dream.......
 
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All this constructive waffle fails to identify the "vetolaphant" (new word) in the room… insurance.
If we cannot buy insurance cover , most of us are not leaving Australia.
Big corporates with clout may force policies , or self insure.. everyday happy campers at all $$ levels will be stuffed.

But isn't that dependent on the AU govt? If the AU govt lower the travel alert for countries within the AU travel bubble, then the insurance should be good as long as there's no exclusion for pandemic?
 

We may be able to go to some less affected European countries before 2021.

I wonder why Asian countries are not included in First Movers?

Asian countries controlled the virus very well, and where Australia is closest to Asia, they should open to countries such as Hong Kong before Israel and Europe.
 
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But isn't that dependent on the AU govt? If the AU govt lower the travel alert for countries within the AU travel bubble, then the insurance should be good as long as there's no exclusion for pandemic?
There's a couple of issues at play...

AU govt lower the travel alert for countries within the AU travel bubble

Yes, this is the first step. If you are talking about point-to-point travel between here and NZ say, then a market for travel insurance will likely emerge relatively quickly.

But it will get very complicated very quickly if you start talking about countries that bilaterally open to us that also bilaterally open to others that we are not open to. For example, if hypothetically Australia decides that it's happy to bilaterally open to Singapore but not Malaysia, but Singapore and Malaysia open borders to each other then that's very quickly going to complicated for insurers offering cover to Australians travelling to Singapore. In insurance, "complicated" = "expensive premium".

as long as there's no exclusion for pandemic

Pretty much every insurance policy ever has excluded pandemic. Having said that, travel insurers have an incentive to get you back buying their products so they will probably look to find solutions to this. But realistically there are only two solutions:

1. You buy cover that excludes CV19-related claims; or
2. You pay an additional premium that covers you for CV-19 claims.

Medical expenses can get very large, very quickly with something likely CV19 and, depending on the destination there may be a reasonably high claim frequency too, but bear in mind that it's not just medical expenses that drive travel insurance claims. In fact, if there's a second or third wave of the disease, either here or overseas, then air routes and borders will likely slam shut again, probably much faster than they did in the first wave. The risk of a second or third wave occurring somewhere in the world is pretty high. It doesn't even have to be at your destination to impact you if you're not travelling point-to-point. So a premium that covers you for both medical and travel interruption is going to be very expensive.

It's kind of akin to insuring your home if you live on a flood plain. You might be able to buy insurance that doesn't include flood cover for $1,000 a year, but if you live on a flood plain then you want flood cover. You may be able to buy insurance that includes flood cover for $20k a year, but that's then a question of affordability.
 
This story from Australian Aviation is suggesting a realistic timeframe for Trans-Tasman Bubble is September. Personally, I think that is more likely than the July timeframe that some are parties and media channels are suggesting.

 
This story from Australian Aviation is suggesting a realistic timeframe for Trans-Tasman Bubble is September. Personally, I think that is more likely than the July timeframe that some are parties and media channels are suggesting.

Its seems that a lot of the focus has been on the NZ skiing season, as Aussies dominate the market - hence the push for July. But agree, apart from closing the borders & lockdowns, there is unlikely to be anything rushed re: OS travel.
 
Its seems that a lot of the focus has been on the NZ skiing season, as Aussies dominate the market - hence the push for July. But agree, apart from closing the borders & lockdowns, there is unlikely to be anything rushed re: OS travel.

NZ is ready and now we are just waiting for Australia to get ready. I am thankful at least we have a Coalition government which is for the business, and seems the business will push for July case as much as possible.

Meanwhile, there is sign that China (Mainland) is opening some Green Channels to allow flights to China again, as well as some business travel:


Also, Singapore is reportedly in talks with several countries about a travel bubble open for Business travellers first, before to open to leisure travel.

 
NZ is ready and now we are just waiting for Australia to get ready. I am thankful at least we have a Coalition government which is for the business, and seems the business will push for July case as much as possible.

Meanwhile, there is sign that China (Mainland) is opening some Green Channels to allow flights to China again, as well as some business travel:


Also, Singapore is reportedly in talks with several countries about a travel bubble open for Business travellers first, before to open to leisure travel.


China also urges Hong Kong to open their borders, which as a Hong Konger, we strongly oppose any move to allow Chinese people to come and invade our land:

 
Its seems that a lot of the focus has been on the NZ skiing season, as Aussies dominate the market - hence the push for July. But agree, apart from closing the borders & lockdowns, there is unlikely to be anything rushed re: OS travel.
indeed I still have (currently) valid flight tickets, accommodation reservations and rental car booking for July for a skiing holiday booked in January. But I am expecting those flights to be cancelled early next week and hence our trip won't be happening. The winter school holidays are just too close for things to move quickly enough for such travel to be available in July. As much as many businesses want it allowed, I really cannot see it happening until more like September (the other end of the ski season).
 
This story from Australian Aviation is suggesting a realistic timeframe for Trans-Tasman Bubble is September. Personally, I think that is more likely than the July timeframe that some are parties and media channels are suggesting.

My personal belief is that given the amount of pressure we already have to open state borders (which will only increase) this will happen earlier than September. Maybe split the difference on August?
 
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See other thread for Marshall's comments on opening SA's border, but ScoMo has just been talking about International travel. Basically making progress on NZ and hopeful that timing will be similar to the states opening up. But then added he "can't see that happening with other countries, that's still a long way off".
 
See other thread for Marshall's comments on opening SA's border, but ScoMo has just been talking about International travel. Basically making progress on NZ and hopeful that timing will be similar to the states opening up. But then added he "can't see that happening with other countries, that's still a long way off".
As we know ScoMo has been putting pressure on states to open up but can't see him waiting for the 'recalcitrant' states in regards to this. Just as likely to say 'ok, we'll go without you' on the Aus/NZ bubble. One's in his control, one isn't but we do know his preference to open everything up ASAP. The unity of the National cabinet already seems to be unravelling.
 
One's in his control...
Well... Kind of... NZ also has a little bit of a say in it.

Ardern seems to be keen on opening up all at once and said yesterday that September might be realistic. Her Deputy PM, Winston Peters, keeps banging on about opening up sooner to Qld, Tas and NT. Note that whilst the NSW and Federal Govt's suggest it will be Qld missing out if they keep domestic borders closed, nothing from across the ditch suggests that they're even remotely contemplating that.

September start for Australia-NZ travel bubble 'realistic', Jacinda Ardern says
 
Would the prime minister be open to NSW starting travel with New Zealand?

Morrison:

The short answer to your first question is, yes. And the states are aware of that.
If we’re in a position to introduce a travel-safe zone between Australia and New Zealand at an early stage and we’re aware of the epidemiology in New Zealand, on the same basis as here in Australia.
And there are health officials have met on that in the past week and Brendan and I discussed that, Prime Minister Ardern and I discuss it regularly and we are progressing it well and for the jobs that will be created in the aviation sector in particular don’t be held up on the decisions Premiers wish to make.
I made it clear today the jobs in Qantas and Virgin, particularly those two airlines but others, that trans-Tasman channel being open is going to mean jobs for the aviation sector and flight attendants and baggage handlers and fuel operators, in the industry that has taken the biggest beating of all. Jacinda Ardern and I agree, the net benefits for our countries opening up to each other again is a strong one and we have both put ourselves in a position to do it.
I can’t see it with other countries, it is still a way off but we are looking forward to that day being sooner or later but I hope in Sydney and Melbourne you can get to the states and territories and Auckland at the same time but we’ll see what happens

From the Guardian Live updates.
 
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