Last weekend, the newly-relaunched Sydney Morning Herald travel section was filled with articles and full-page advertisements for holidays in Queensland. Just a few days later, on 29 July, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that she would close the state’s border to anyone from “greater Sydney” from 1am on Saturday, 1 August 2020. Queensland reopened its border from … Continued
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have cancelled some flights to and from Melbourne after New South Wales shut its border with Victoria for the first time since 1919. It comes as Melbourne is placed into lockdown from midnight tonight due to a spike in coronavirus cases. The ACT and Northern Territory are also now closing … Continued
On long-haul flights, sometimes silence is bliss. That’s why so many frequent flyers use noise-cancelling headphones to drown out the noise of aircraft engines and fellow passengers. Noise-cancelling headphones may seem like magic, but there’s some very sophisticated science that goes into providing the perfect listening experience. Many years ago Hossein Seif Zadeh, who has a … Continued
Qantas and Jetstar recently implemented their new “Fly Well” program on all flights. Since 12 June, all passengers are being offered face masks and hand sanitiser. But social distancing is no longer being applied to seat selection. The Qantas Fly Well program includes a range of new and existing health measures both pre-flight and on … Continued
Air New Zealand has dropped social distancing from its domestic flights after New Zealand eradicated COVID-19. The airline has also restored flights to all of the airports it serves in New Zealand, as Jetstar announces it too will resume New Zealand domestic services. But international flights remain off the table for now. Like most airlines, … Continued
Virgin Australia will double the number of domestic flights being operated from early July as domestic travel restrictions slowly start to be relaxed. From next month there will be more intrastate flights within Queensland and Western Australia. This will provide more options for travel within the two states during the July school holidays. There will also … Continued
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to run its course, governments and health authorities are pleading with the public to stay home if they feel unwell. Airlines too are advising passengers with cold and flu-like symptoms not to travel. But if a passenger chooses not to take their booked flight because they feel unwell, they may … Continued
Emirates and Etihad Airways will add more flights after the United Arab Emirates government lifted a ban on transits through airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The UAE transit ban, which had been in force since 23 March 2020, was finally lifted last Wednesday night. The lifting of the UAE transit ban allows travellers to … Continued
This week, Qantas revealed how it plans to woo travellers back to the skies with face masks and hand sanitiser. But, while social distancing will be practiced at airports, Qantas won’t commit to blocking middle seats on its flights. Qantas is not alone, with many airlines protesting that leaving seats empty would drastically increase airfares and … Continued
The state of New South Wales will relax travel restrictions from 1 June 2020, allowing travel within NSW for any reason – including holidays. The removal of intra-state travel restrictions will make it possible once again to travel to regional NSW destinations, as long as social distancing and hygiene guidelines are followed. “COVID could not … Continued
While the COVID-19 lockdowns continue, most of us are staying home and are not travelling. But some people still need to travel for work or compassionate reasons, which is why the federal government is subsidising domestic flights for the next two months. Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and some regional airlines, including Regional Express and Airnorth, … Continued
This article contains an updated summary of the most important coronavirus news that is relevant to Australian frequent flyers as of Friday, 24 April 2020. It specifically covers the implications of COVID-19 in terms of travel and loyalty programs. For the latest health advice, we recommend checking Australian government updates and the latest World Health … Continued
