Susie O’Brien: Political squabbling means half-price flight scheme won’t take off

Why would anyone book cheap flights when – thanks to trigger-happy Premiers – there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to travel?

Half-price flights are unlikely to take off with Australians due to border uncertainty. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

The Federal Government’s half-price flights scheme is a $1.2 billion ticket to nowhere.

Why would anyone book cheap flights when there’s no guarantee they are going to be able to use them?

It’s yet another example of voters getting squeezed because the states and federal governments won’t work together.

It’s all very well for Tourism Minister Dan Tehan to urge Australians to do their “patriotic duty” and book a trip, but the scheme offers no protection against trigger-happy Premiers closing more borders.

Without consistent federal guidelines and definitions on hot spots and outbreaks providing travellers with some certainty, there’s not much point telling us to book more holidays.

Like most Victorians, I’ve cancelled more holidays in the last year than I’ve been on.

It’s been more than a year now, and we are no closure to a national approach on this.

Premiers from every state and territory except NSW have shown themselves very willing to call snap closures when their patch has just a handful of new cases.

Tourism minister Dan Tehan is encouraging Australians to travel around the country. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Same goes for the New Zealand travel bubble, which has been off again and on again more than I can count.

The latest version will allow unrestricted travel between Australia and New Zealand, but only if borders stay open.

Airlines have already started taking bookings, but there’s no certainty people will be able to travel when the time comes. And good luck getting a refund if you’re not able to fly.

Why would any New Zealander take a chance on a state like Victoria or Queensland given the willingness of premiers to close borders with little notice? Both countries have very low numbers of cases, which are mostly contained within hotel quarantine, so the bubble should be a simple way to boost international visitor numbers.

It does seem extraordinary that the Federal Government can come to an agreement on issues like quarantine, outbreak management and assessment risks with another country, but not with Australian premiers.

Making decisions based on politics rather than sound medical advice undermines the whole point of the federal scheme which was designed to get people travelling again.

If you are from Victoria and want to go to Queensland or SA or WA, there’s a reasonable chance of further restrictions over the coming months.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to announce an extension of the trans-Tasman bubble. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has shown herself to be a stand-out in refusing to lock down her state over new outbreaks.

The vaccine rollout was designed to save us from further snap lockdowns, but its glacial pace means we won’t be protected from the virus as a community until at least the end of the year.

I’d love to book a trip to see family and friends interstate, but it doesn’t seem worth the risk.

What if my family gets stuck in another state and are slugged $4500 in quarantine fees?

What if we can’t get home again when we need to get back to work and school?

What if I can’t get my money back if borders close?

Not only is there no guarantee that airlines won’t increase prices while the offer is on, but refunds are unlikely.

Except for Rex, airlines aren’t offering refunds, so travellers have no guarantee of getting their money back if they can’t travel.

Airlines are giving customers flexible fares, but getting through to an airline to change a flight is next to impossible.

Gladys Berejiklian has been reluctant to close NSW’s borders. Picture: Christian Gilles

Finding somewhere to stay is another issue.

The selective list of politically motivated destinations places has squeezed accommodation providers in places like Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island. Staff shortages has made things even harder.

There is also no guarantee that accommodation prices won’t be artificially boosted in areas serviced by the cheap flights.

Hotel refunds are also hard to come by.

I’m left wondering why anyone would bother.

The scheme is a missed opportunity. It should be nationwide and should have come with a built-in guarantee from State Premiers that there will be no more lockdowns.

The squash on Victorian roads over Easter shows many people have given up going interstate and are holidaying at home instead.