UK will be first overseas flight from Sydney: Flight Centre boss
Flights to London are tipped to begin in November — with no quarantining on arrival. And regional NSW fares will go on sale for travel from Freedom Day onwards.
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It’s “more and more likely” that the people of NSW will be able to go to the UK before visiting Cairns, according to the boss of the nation’s largest travel agency.
Flight Centre chief Graham Turner said he expected London would be the first international destination available from Sydney — some time in November.
Under Britain’s existing rules, visitors from “green list” countries, including Australia, are not required to enter quarantine as long as they have been Covid-tested in the three days before arriving and again on day two in the country.
Mr Turner said he anticipated returning travellers would be able to isolate at home for somewhere between two and five days.
On Thursday Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “we want to have home quarantine as the primary and viable method for quarantine and the widespread option for people who are travelling or living overseas and wishing to return to Australia.”
Mr Turner said it would be harder for Queensland and the rest of Australia to reconnect to the world.
“NSW has nothing to lose,” Mr Turner said. “They’ve got the infection. It doesn’t matter that they bring in more.”
Airlines such as Emirates were likely to offer flights before Qantas, he predicted, because they were already operating routes at drastically reduced capacity.
A Qantas spokesman said it was working to accelerate its international flights resumption, which is currently slated for December 18.
The federal government has used the Biosecurity Act to ban overseas travel before then.
However, it’s understood NSW will get clearance for takeoff when 80 per cent of the state’s eligible population has had two jabs.
Mr Turner said he expected that before Christmas it should also be possible to fly to mainland Europe, the US, Canada, Singapore and Fiji.
Next month the federal government will introduce an international vaccination certificate to present at foreign borders and when returning home.
The certificate will be available digitally and in printed form, from the passport office or the myGov website.
Any “bubble” agreement Canberra strikes is expected to ensure there is no extra barrier for vaccinated parents travelling with children who are too young to be inoculated.
Qantas expects Victoria to be the first state to open up to domestic travel from NSW, from early December. Western Australia is likely to be last to drop restrictions.
Gladys Berejiklian said when all states and territories are at 80 per cent there should not be “any internal borders in Australia.”
According to the Premier’s “road map to freedom”, released on Thursday, trips within the state will be permitted from the Monday after the 70 per cent milestone is reached.
That is likely to be October 18.
Caravan parks and camping grounds will be allowed to open from then.
Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar responded with a sale on flights between Sydney and regional NSW.
Qantas said that from midnight Thursday it would offer one-way $99 fares to Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Albury and Tamworth. From noon Friday, Jetstar will be selling seats to Byron from $39. All the deals are for travel from October 18.
Cruise Lines International Association managing director Joel Katz said on current timelines, Australians would be able to fly to the US or Singapore and get on a ship there before being able to embark from an Australian port.
“Australia is really the only major cruise market where we don’t even have a plan to restart,” Mr Katz said. If conversations with governments didn’t start soon “we are going to lose the summer,” he added.
Some operators, such as P&O, have foreshadowed plans for voyages for fully vaccinated passengers only. But no dates have been announced.
Some travel insurers are now including Covid-19 in their policy protections.
Cover-more is one of them. Its Asia-Pacific chief Judith Crompton said “although we have added these Covid-19 benefits that were previously not available in Australia, we have kept premium increases to under 10 per cent of what they were pre-COVID-19.”
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Best economy-return flight deals
(From Sydney, Dec 20 – Jan 3, 2022)
Source: Skyscanner
Australia
Byron Bay: $168
Melbourne: $142
Brisbane: $202
Adelaide: $257
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Perth: $424
Darwin: $459
Overseas
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Papeete, French Polynesia: $1309
Honolulu: $1494
Tokyo: $1716
Seoul: $1744
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