The focus now needs to be on building an effective public health system. The current system cannot handle the 'normal' amount of demand plus the number of Covid patients, even when vaccination rates have reached 80% or 90% or even 100%.

So only now the government should focus on building an effective health system? What about the last 18 months? I guess they have been too busy coming up with ways to scare the crap out of the general population.

So that 18 month experiment didnt work.

Lets just do what the rest of the world is doing now.

Classic Australian way to do business.

F@rken idiots.

MCD

Donlad Horne “The Lucky Country” 1964

Better late than never, but methinks disastrously late. The public health system in Australia cannot run without migrants. Immigration is a bit 'light on' at the moment.

As slice quoted: "Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second rate people who share its luck."

Sorta like the carpark at the local supermarket undergoing its fourth major construction overhaul in six years. I just look at it and say "WHY" how about getting it right the first time.

Too busy shifting insane amounts of money to mates.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-...open/100506074

We’re back in business! ✈️

If the attitude and resources that are currently available from those at various ports are extended to the “new” opening, let’s just hope for all of us.
The mantra of “it’s not my fault, problem.” Has become endemic in the organisation. Sacking the knowledge at the coal face and having no insight to the effects will be nothing short of a mega cluster when ops attempt to return to some form of normal.
the company has been insulated to a degree because of the limited flying program.

It's unlikely at this stage you'll be coming to NZ

The feds had better think about changing the rules around home isolation or there will be cancelled services all over the place. The iso rules need to change for this to be viable. How does someone who lives in the regional areas do ‘home isolation’? How do they get home if they need to hop on another flight from the domestic terminal? What about crew how have healthcare workers at home? Rules changing around this? They’ll need to!

I’d say this is just a precursor to a negative test on arrival requirement only. I agree, can’t see the home quarantine thing working or lasting long.

Does this mean NSW and Vic crew will be allowed out of their hotel rooms while on a trip now? If the passengers you’re transporting are free to do as they wish overseas, then surely crew can as well?

Time to order the A350s with expeditious delivery required!

I assume they could with the same testing requirements. For example Singapore require arriving visitors to get tested on arrival and remain in hotel until a negative result is received as well as follow up testing on days 3 and 6. As I understand it, all of these have to be paid for and total cost is around SGD400. For crew, they'd only need the on-arrival test but it may be that by time they receive clearance to move around, they are already on the bus back to the airport for the return trip.

I don't think it is that desperate. There is a whole fleet of A380s sitting in the desert that can be used first.

Apparently a 4 hour delay with QF reservations.

While WA & NT lag behind the rest of Straya there will be no LHR directs, only way would be Project Sunrise.

I however expect to see the good ole 380 via SIN fire up well before that of course!

All in all great news, now it’s up to the states to not fook it up!

That was normal when I worked there!

Also what needs to be considered ASAP is what the definition of a close contact is. Airlines are having massive issues at the moment because if a COVID positive case has travelled on an aircraft, the entire crew has to isolate for 14 days (no matter where they are when they are notified that they are close contacts). The loads are pretty quiet at the moment, but when these normalise and you start travelling on a WB with 300 plus people, you can almost guarantee someone will have COVID on board.

We get an email if we had a pax test positive on arrival. It tells you that a pax tested positive and if you have any symptoms get tested. We have not needed to self isolated on returning home for over a year. At outstations we follow whatever the state rule is. Be it not allowed to leave the room in some, to being able to leave the hotel in others.
Hopefully Oz is learning from how the rest of the world opened, and adjust rules appropriately.
Loads have been high where quarentine is not an issue. People want to travel.

Agree that's a real problem that the FED's need to fix - this increasingly affects significant numbers of pilots in QF/JQ

Ok but was that when there was an entire network operating? The 4 hours on Friday was just after they announced SYD LAX SYD and SYD LHR SYD services, and I see this morning that the LHR SYD 1st flight was sold out.

Two days ago we announced three services in that week from 14 November. Now there are five. Whilst there are still tickets for sale on all fights clearly the outbound demand is there!

Fantastic, well done Qantas. Leading the charge in getting us reopened to the world. And getting crews back to work.

The problem is the inbound flights, not a lot of interest from overseas in quarantine even just for a week, and then not being able to travel interstate means very little tourism and business inbound…but that said any flying is a definite improvement.

I think for many Australians with family overseas that they are desperate to see, a 7 day home quarantine is something many would be willing to accept, in exchange for a month overseas for example. Especially if you are a professional who can work from home, or a cashed up boomer with little else to spend your money on.
I agree inbound tourism probably won't take off just yet (try explaining to a French backpacker that they can't go from Byron to the Gold Coast), but for other sectors like international students that should be roaring come early next year.
I feel like things are looking up!

Hundreds of Aussie’s are crossing the QLD and WA borders everyday without authorities knowing, they won’t be able to stop the backpackers finding a way. The locals in KNX have a bunch of tracks around the ‘checkpoint’ that are well known around town.

Inbound tourism isn’t even permitted yet. The opening of borders championed by the Feds is simply allowing Aussies to come and go without having to get a permit or do hotel iso.

There will be an initial surge of people going but I agree with ANCDU that there won’t be as big a surge of people coming back given the lack of detail at the moment about home iso.

Eg Can someone from o/s come and iso at their children’s home or parents home? I’m not sure that has been clarified. How does one get home? Can you be picked up by friends or family? Does it have to be a hire car? What if you live a 7 hour drive away?

The lack of detail on this is amazing and the issues so complex that I can only think the announcement of 7 day home iso is a ‘bridge’ to get the community used to the idea of people arriving before the change it within a few weeks to simply having a RAT test (is that an ATM Machine?) on arrival and then go out into the community.

With the number of announcements from QF about restarting operations which then were subsequently cancelled, most people would be a bit wary of making a booking for a long haul trip. Two weeks in Europe is a bit different to a weekend in Cairns if the wheels come off.

No doubt bookings will surge once the first group of arrivals is shown hugging their relatives outside the customs area. Matching supply and demand will be an issue as the recovery gathers momentum, but no doubt QF are carefully planning for a few different scenarios and getting aircraft and crews ready.

Even with access to staff travel, I wont be joining the first waves of travelers. I'll wait for things to settle down a bit first and make sure the borders actually stay open. After a year and a half, waiting a few more months while the situation stabilizes won't hurt.

Flight in November only Australians and family? I believe December onwards anyone can travel. Many are leaving also to see family and holiday. Flights to Hawaii look like they're selling well.

Need to get back to normal - as they say living with Covid. Sometimes these rules seem still seem to be targeted on covid zero.

I hate to put a dampener on your expectations but I think yes there will be an initial uptake to fly out the country for those that just "must travel". After that will be much more sluggish increase back to pre covid. Reasons is this. I am your typical retiree cashed up with plenty in super who before covid enjoyed travel abroad including taking cruises as did 3 mates of mine also retirees. We have lunches together now every couple of months. This subject came up only the other week when all of us said there is no way we would book an overseas holiday or cruise until we were guaranteed 100% money back if the trip was cancelled due covid. Vouchers are no good. There are too many restrictions with them as to when you can go and locks you into one airline/ cruise company. Cash speaks loudest, and gives you options.
Secondly long quarantine periods at either end of the trip has to go. Just a waste of a holiday if you have to be locked away even for a week. Thirdly masks have to go. To have to suffer wearing one for around 30 odd hours to Europe for example which is what it is once you add in the time at airports each end and in transit if required is just too long. Sure a couple of hours is bearable on a interstate trip if you must, but quite another thing long distance. Just can't breath in the bloody things besides anything else. That is not a holiday, it is a punishment.
I don't think we are alone in our views as I suspect the majority of tourist feel the same . I often hear similar views out and about as does my wife. Sorry if the above is not what you wanted to hear but that is the truth of it.

USA, UK, and Canada have no testing and no quarantine on arrival. Australia 7 days on return - quite doable if you work from home, will probably be dropped in a month or two.

People are booking international holidays starting December - that’s a fact. A lot of people have credit they haven’t been able to use for 2 years. Hotels can easily be cancelled with no payment.

Cruises probably out till mid next year.

No requirements to wear masks in USA, UK, Canada.

Australia mindset needs to change.

The 7 day home quarantine won’t even last a month. I believe QF have already been advised that it will go in December and are scheduling flights accordingly.

Yes, the random 7 days home stay won’t last long. It will be interesting to see the reaction from WA,QLD once the first bird leaves and arrives into NSW and they see NSW getting on with life. Some premiers will have a few tough months ahead of them.

Surprisingly, QF and JQ seem to have full domestic schedule up from December 1st, QLD definitely don’t seem to want to open anytime soon and with their impending state wide lockdown after the GF, who would want to go there.

This is true for so many reasons.


There is no logic.
You can walk around your capital city, go to a bar, go to a game but once you step foot in an airport ON GOES THE MASK
Arrive back in Australia, no doubt a Covid test is required before departure to Australia, so why seven days? Arbitrary rules.

.

Thats what I don’t understand. Why masks in airports? It makes no sense at all.

What’s not to understand. Politicians made the rules. The last 2 years has taught us all logic, fairness, compassion play no part in the decision making process.

No one cares about Vietcong anymore..
Yes im skiing salzburg/innsbruck feb 22/22
How many state control freaks left? Shut up.... no one cares...
Telfer is dumb AF..... STFU