Podcast #54: How to Fly to Australia Without Getting “Bumped”

Australia’s international arrival caps continue to pose a huge challenge for Australians trying to return home from overseas without getting bumped from their booked flights. This was recently made worse by the Victorian government’s decision to suspend all international arrivals – effectively removing 1,310 hotel quarantine spots per week. In episode 54 of the AFF … Continued

Parcel Takes 34,000km Detour from Sydney to Brisbane… via Chicago & Tokyo!

Unprecedented cargo demand, fewer planes flying, limited staff availability and ever-changing border restrictions throughout the pandemic have wreaked havoc on freight shipments and postal delivery services worldwide. Some countries have even had to temporarily shut down international mail. So it’s no surprise that some international parcels are taking longer to arrive, or taking an unusual … Continued

Qantas Launches Rescue Flights to Norfolk Island

Qantas will operate special flights from Brisbane and Sydney to Norfolk Island to assist Australians stranded by the sudden, temporary withdrawal of Air New Zealand services to the island. Four Qantas flights will operate between Brisbane and Norfolk Island over the coming days, with an additional one flight from Sydney to the Australian overseas territory. The … Continued

Qantas Closes Airport Service Desks

Qantas will close its airport service desks and sales counters, and reduce staffing levels at baggage services desks, resulting in the loss of around 100 jobs. The move will help Qantas to further cut costs, but frequent flyers are concerned this will lead to service reductions and chaos when there are flight disruptions. As part … Continued

International Arrival Caps Locking Out Australians

Thousands of stranded Australians are unable to return home due to restrictive caps on arriving international passenger numbers. Since July, the number of daily and weekly inbound passenger arrivals have been limited at all five of Australia’s major international airports. A maximum of 525 international travellers are permitted to arrive in Perth each week, with … Continued