Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a “four-phase plan” to reopen Australia’s domestic and international borders following last Friday’s National Cabinet meeting. Once enough Australians are vaccinated against COVID-19, the country would move from the current “Phase A” into Phase B. This would see vaccinated Australians exempt from domestic border restrictions & lockdowns, and make it … Continued
New Zealand will reinstate the trans-Tasman travel bubble with some Australian states at 11.59pm on 4 July 2021. But when flights from Australia to New Zealand restart, there will be new conditions including mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing. The announcement means that from next Monday, it will once again be possible to fly to New Zealand … Continued
The New Zealand government has paused quarantine-free travel from all Australian states until at least next Wednesday, amid concerns over new COVID-19 cases found in multiple parts of the country over recent days. The trans-Tasman travel bubble suspension came into effect almost immediately after it was announced on Saturday evening. The pause is currently due … Continued
Virgin Australia has joined Qantas – plus a growing number of other airlines & tourism businesses – promising prizes and other incentives to anyone who gets vaccinated against COVID-19. Last month, Qantas announced plans to offer generous prizes to Australians who can prove they have been immunised against COVID-19, which could include things like frequent … Continued
With Australia’s international border still closed (except to New Zealand), and restrictive international arrival caps still in place, flying to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic sadly remains a huge challenge. This fortnight, travel agent Alan Lam from Netwave Travel (a.k.a madrooster on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum) returns to the AFF on Air podcast for … Continued
Before the pandemic, many Australian Frequent Flyer members – as you would expect – flew very frequently. Some were commuting interstate on a weekly basis, while others had multiple overseas trips each year. In fact, quite a few AFF members flew enough to earn Qantas Platinum One status, which requires Qantas flyers to earn at … Continued
The federal government could allow some Australians vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel overseas within 6-8 weeks under a pilot program, health minister Greg Hunt reportedly told parliamentary colleagues on Tuesday. According to The Guardian, fully vaccinated Australians could soon be permitted to leave the country without having to apply for a travel restriction exemption. People … Continued
On 25 March 2020, the Australian government banned its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country without a travel exemption as an emergency coronavirus measure. Fourteen months later, the temporary ban is still in force (with the exception of travel to New Zealand) and there are no signs of it being repealed anytime soon. … Continued
Earlier this year, Devon Indig’s partner Shalini needed to fly to the Netherlands for three months to care for her ageing mother. With Australia’s border closed and a high risk of getting bumped off a return flight back to Australia, it was a difficult and risky endeavour. It could have also been very expensive. There … Continued
Australia’s international borders will not reopen to most countries until at least mid-2022, the federal government has predicted in this week’s budget. “Inbound and outbound international travel is expected to remain low through to mid 2022, after which a gradual recovery in international tourism is assumed to occur,” according to budget documents. The truth is … Continued
Qantas says it has already sold “a lot” of international flights for travel in late 2021 and early 2022, with the UK and United States among the most popular destinations. Other than trans-Tasman and ad-hoc repatriation flights, Qantas has not operated international passenger flights since March 2020 due to Australia’s ongoing international border closure. But … Continued
Kia ora, New Zealand! After more than a year of international border closures, Australians and New Zealanders will soon finally be able to travel freely between the two countries with the announcement of a two-way trans-Tasman bubble. From 11.59pm (NZ time) on Sunday, 18 April 2021, New Zealand will remove entry restrictions and quarantine requirements … Continued
