Qantas launch trans-Tasman sale from Gold Coast to Auckland
Gold Coasters looking to travel across the ditch have been given a boost with Qantas launching cheap flights to New Zealand. FIND OUT THE DETAILS
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Qantas has made travelling from Gold Coast to New Zealand easier on the wallet by launching cheap flights across the ditch.
Starting from Monday the company is offering travellers flights to Auckland for only $199.
A Qantas spokesperson said: “Qantas launched its first ever international flights from the Gold Coast to Auckland two weeks ago, and now we’re offering great $199 (one way) fares so our Gold Coast passengers can give New Zealand a go for less.
“These fares have all of the inclusions our customers love about Qantas, including luggage, meals, full flexibility, lounge access for eligible customers and the chance to earn Qantas points.”
Qantas launching its first-ever international flights from Gold Coast to Auckland comes on the back of the two-way trans-Tasman bubble opening for quarantine-free travel on April 19.
Since the travel bubble opened Qantas has been operating four times per week between the Gold Coast and Auckland with its Boeing 737 aircraft, offering more than 1300 seats each week.
GC/QLD hold breath on trans-Tasman travel hitch
April 7, 2021
AUSTRALIA and NZ are celebrating the green-lighting of trans-Tasman travel – but Queensland and the Gold Coast are awaiting extra travel conditions after the state’s lockdown scare.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed April 19 as the return date for open skies between the two countries, with Australians able to take quarantine-free trips to NZ.
The travel bubble within a fortnight – unrestricted to most of Australian – is expected to trigger a $600 million annual windfall for Queensland and $50 million for the Gold Coast due to daily flights resuming with Auckland.
But Gold Coasters won’t know the extra conditions of travel to be imposed until next week. Ms Ardern said NZ’s Director-General of Health would not give final confirmation of any extra rules affecting travellers from Queensland until next Wednesday.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tweeted she had talked to Ms Ardern on Tuesday, confirming the bubble and added: “Queensland is home to more Kiwis than any other Australian state. I know they will be looking forward to reuniting with friends and family across the Tasman.”
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan was confident the city’s major tourism businesses were planning for the April 19 date.
“This is a welcomed milestone for Gold Coast’s tourism sector as New Zealand represents our first international market to come back online in over a year,” she said.
The Coast welcomed 212,000 Kiwis who pumped $241 million into the economy pre-COVID, she said: “They love our warm weather, beautiful beaches, theme parks, shopping and dining scene.
“We know visiting family and friends will be the first to dust off their passports with 50,000 Kiwis calling the Gold Coast home.
“An annual Gold Coast holiday is a tradition for thousands of Kiwi families who will now be able to flee winter and soak up our sunshine.”
Despite New Zealand still finalising the Queensland travel rules, flights from the Gold Coast went on sale on Tuesday, starting from April 19 to Auckland only.
Qantas, Jet Star and Air New Zealand have flights from $300 to Auckland.
Qantas’ first renewed international service from Gold Coast Airport will provide 63,000 seats into the city and a regional economic impact of $50 million annually.
Queensland Airports Limited CEO Chris Mills said: “We have been working closely with our airline and travel industry partners and government throughout this crisis to ensure we would be ready to facilitate flights between the Gold Coast and New Zealand at the earliest opportunity.
“We have a Queensland Health-endorsed COVID-19 safe plan in place.
“Pre-COVID-19, this was our largest international market, with about 520,000 passengers flying between Gold Coast and New Zealand annually.”
Virgin Australia will hold off on flights between the countries until October 31.
A Virgin Australia Group spokesman said: “While the airline remains committed to trans-Tasman flying when the market fully recovers, we are mindful of evolving border requirements which add complexity to our business as we push ahead with plans to grow our core domestic Australia operations.”
Before COVID-19 stopped international travel, there were six daily flights on average from the Gold Coast to New Zealand.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the New Zealand travel bubble was a positive step for city and international travel.
“Our Kiwi friends are always welcome. It’s their second home and I hope the New Zealand announcement will give everyone great confidence about the future of international travel,’’ he said.
For Australians booking a flight to New Zealand, Ms Ardern said they would book what will be called a “green zone flight”.
These flights will only have passengers and crew who have been in Australia for the last 14 days, with comprehensive information, random temperature checks and use of the NZ COVID Tracer app required upon landing.
If there’s a COVID-19 case in Australia, New Zealand would have three possible responses when it comes to flights and access to its border, according to Ms Ardern.
“If a case is found that is quite clearly linked to a border worker in a quarantine facility and is well contained, you’ll likely see travel continue in the same way as you could see life continue if that happened here in Australia,” she said.
“If, however, a case was found that was not clearly linked to the border, and a state responded by a short lockdown to identify more information, we’d likely pause flights from that state in the same way we would stop travel into and out of a region in New Zealand as if it was going into a full lockdown.
“And if we saw multiple cases of unknown origin, we would likely suspend flights for a set period of time.”
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