Queensland borders open: What Sydney, NSW, Victoria residents should know before booking

Millions of Aussies are rejoicing at being allowed back into Queensland, but they’ve been stung before. Here’s what to know before you go.

Summer holidays and family reunions at Christmas have been given the green light with Queensland finally changing its strict border rules to allow millions of Victorian and NSW residents back in.

From December 1, Queensland’s border will reopen to Victoria and all of NSW following a fall in community transmission of COVID-19 in the southern states.

Today’s decision on Victoria follows yesterday’s announcement by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk that Greater Sydney would no longer be considered a virus hotspot from next month.

“Is my state prepared for this? We’re absolutely prepared for the influx of people for the Queensland holidays,” Ms Palaszczuk told ABC News on Wednesday.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says her state is ‘good to go’. Picture: Peter Wallis

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“In fact, just yesterday we saw a 250 per cent increase in some of our tourism operators across Queensland, so that is wonderful news.

“I think we will now see with the borders opened … the Gold Coast and places like Cairns and the Whitsundays now doing a roaring trade.”

Airlines have already announced thousands more seats on interstate services in light of the Queensland border changes with Sydney and Victoria.

Wotif.com said it saw traffic on its website surge by 140 per cent within four hours of the border announcement as Sydneysiders rushed to make Queensland bookings.

“This is the moment many NSW and Queensland residents have been waiting for and initial wotif.com data confirms the appetite for cross-border travel is strong,” Wotif managing director Daniel Finch said.

Travel bookings to Queensland destinations have surged since the border announcements.

“Destinations across Queensland are proving popular, with the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane topping the list for NSW travellers.

“We hope this is a promising sign for both Queensland and NSW tourism operators and assists with providing a much-needed boost, ahead of the peak summer travel period.”

But as travellers look to book their Queensland getaways, experts say they should tread with caution – the Sunshine State borders have snapped suddenly shut multiple times before.

“Our advice for travellers is to ensure your booking includes built-in flexibility, like flexible cancellation or reserve now, pay later options,” Mr Finch said.

“(This) will not only help with peace of mind if government advice changes, but also means travellers can snap up a great deal, knowing they’ve got the flexibility to change if needed.”

Choice travel expert Jodi Bird told the ABC travellers should closely look at the cancellation section of the terms and conditions for everything they book – from hotels and flights to car hire.

If smaller operators don’t have clear terms and conditions on their website, email them and get it in writing.

And take a screenshot of the terms and conditions at the time you book, in case they change.

“You can get an idea of how far in advance you’re able to cancel your trip, whether you can get your money back, or if you’ll get a credit instead of a refund,” Mr Bird said.

He also warned that if the area you live suddenly becomes a localised hotspot, it could be difficult to get your money back.

“There is a possibility an airline could say, ‘We’re still going to fly this flight, the fact you’re no longer able to get on it because you’re from a COVID-19 hotspot is your bad luck,’” Mr Bird told the ABC.

He said the “vast majority of the industry” was offering travel credits or re-bookings, rather than refunds.

So think about whether you’re still prepared to part with your money if something changes – you may have to travel later.

Mr Bird said flexible policies were the best way to go.

“It’s worth looking at the extra cost of a flexible policy with an airline or accommodation provider. Sometimes it might just save you a lot more hassle in the long run,” he said.

Virgin Australia said it was offering more flexibility with bookings as it reported a surge in bookings in the past 24 hours.

On Wednesday, the airline said it would increase return services between Melbourne and Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns after December 1 and in the lead-up to Christmas.

That follows an increase in return frequencies between Sydney and Queensland destinations, as well as a few resumed services, which it announced yesterday.

Virgin Australia is adding more flights from Victoria and NSW to Queensland. Picture: Christian Gilles/NCA NewsWire

Virgin Australia is offering booking flexibility until March 31, 2021 should traveller’s plans be impacted by the pandemic.

“We are already seeing a significant increase in traffic to our website and bookings between the two states, so we’ll be resuming direct services from Melbourne to popular leisure destinations such as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Cairns,” Virgin Australia’s general manager of network and revenue management Russell Shaw said.

“We know many Australians are excited to reunite with their loved ones and we remain hopeful that borders will continue to safely re-open in time for Christmas.”

Qantas and Jetstar said it would operate more than 1200 extra return flights into Queensland from NSW and Victoria in the lead-up to Christmas, including the recommencement of Qantas’ seasonal daily flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast from December 17.

Travellers heading to Queensland from Victoria and NSW, as with other states, will still be required to complete the Queensland Government’s online border declaration pass, which asks questions about recent travel and COVID-19 symptoms.

They will be allowed to enter the state for any reason without needing to go into quarantine.

The Queensland Government is yet to make a decision about Adelaide, with 20 local government areas there still declared hotspots.