What Does HAL know that we Aussies don't

[pully8]

Have not looked at the latest numbers of arrivals and departures on the ABS website but might be worth a view to see actual numbers and where they have travelled from and to.

Local travel is fine if availability is there and acceptable but that is getting difficult, with a back log of demand.

We are told Australians want to return in the thousands and cannot, but we also see plans for hundreds of seasonal workers and students to arrive weekly and growing.

Interesting times.  

 

[GOTTODOIT]

9 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, unfortunately there is one rule for the rich/powerful/celebrities and one for the rest of us.

 

You are very fortunate to have the contacts overseas so you could stay away for a long time. Not everyone has that luxury sadly. 

 

I agree we are going to have to learn to live with Covid, and that our vaccination rollout is slower than desired for many reasons but it is starting to gain momentum. There needs to be more incentives for people to get vaccinated, especially with the AZ blood clot problem scaring people off having it and we don't have sufficient supplies of Pfizer for everyone.

 

However until the majority are vaccinated I'm happy to see a certain amount of restrictions on overseas travel. I'd like to see more bubbles opening up, I'd like to see cruising recommence albeit in a cautious manner to start with. Let's face it, there are already companies operating cruises in Australia. Coral Expeditions have been operating since late last year. Murray River cruises are operating - we went on a five night one in February before vaccinations were available. But the government is playing ostrich again, ignoring yet another issue because it's something they don't personally enjoy.

 

We were overseas when the Pandemic struck.  We were in Barcelona Spain and felt uneasy and concerned with what we were hearing on the  news so we went to a travel agent on got a flight the next day. We were in a hotel on the La Rambla and did not see any signs of the virus but it was reported that Spain was being hit hard with the virus.  We arrived back in Australia and at that time there was no hotel quarantine but we had 14 day home quarantine.

We flew from Barcelona to Frankfurt, then Frankfurt to Singapore and the plane was practically empty.

The flight from Singapore to Brisbane was full.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, GOTTODOIT said:

 

We were overseas when the Pandemic struck.  We were in Barcelona Spain and felt uneasy and concerned with what we were hearing on the  news so we went to a travel agent on got a flight the next day. We were in a hotel on the La Rambla and did not see any signs of the virus but it was reported that Spain was being hit hard with the virus.  We arrived back in Australia and at that time there was no hotel quarantine but we had 14 day home quarantine.

We flew from Barcelona to Frankfurt, then Frankfurt to Singapore and the plane was practically empty.

The flight from Singapore to Brisbane was full.  

And that would have been before the arrivals caps were put in place.

 

Apparently it depends on the airline, the arrival city and how often the airline flies into that city but from what I've read the average is around 50 passengers per flight but can be as many as 120 if there are only 2-3 flights a week. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

10 hours ago, pully8 said:

Have not looked at the latest numbers of arrivals and departures on the ABS website but might be worth a view to see actual numbers and where they have travelled from and to.

Local travel is fine if availability is there and acceptable but that is getting difficult, with a back log of demand.

We are told Australians want to return in the thousands and cannot, but we also see plans for hundreds of seasonal workers and students to arrive weekly and growing.

Interesting times.  

 

But the seasonal workers and students don't count in the arrivals caps, they have a special set of rules for those.🙄

 

Which is why I keep saying the government should be able to give exemptions for fully vaccinated and pre-quarantined crews to arrive on cruise ships.

[NSWP]

17 hours ago, pully8 said:

$12000 FCC is a lot of money.

Admire your loyalty to the cruise line and hope you eventually can sail.

 

$12,000 ? Holy moly, I would want that in cash in my a/c. What if there is no more cruising for some years? What good is it as FCC then? 

[NSWP]

13 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

This is worth reading. It summarizes the situation now. Imagine how hard it would be if people were freely allowed to go overseas.

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/successfully-return-australia-2021/

I am sure I read an exemption to travel could be given for those departing on a holiday over 3 months?

[GOTTODOIT]

37 minutes ago, NSWP said:

$12,000 ? Holy moly, I would want that in cash in my a/c. What if there is no more cruising for some years? What good is it as FCC then? 

 

Yes, our cruises in Feb and March 2020 did not cancel until a couple of days before sailing so they were all paid for.  We did have the option to have a refund to our credit card for the first cruise but the 2 nd cruise there was no option, only FCC.  This money was paid in November 2019, so a long time to get some remuneration for our payment.  Who knew at that time how long it was going to be before we could sail again.  We just kept rebooking, Nov 2020 then March 2021, then November 2021 and then Nov 2022,  

[OzKiwiJJ]

38 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I am sure I read an exemption to travel could be given for those departing on a holiday over 3 months?

Not in that article, it focuses on the difficulties of getting back home unless you're prepared to fork out thousands of dollars for business class or full price economy fares. 

 

It also points out that even if you've booked and paid for a return flight, other than those mentioned above, it doesn't mean you'll get on that flight. 

[NSWP]

8 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Not in that article, it focuses on the difficulties of getting back home unless you're prepared to fork out thousands of dollars for business class or full price economy fares. 

 

It also points out that even if you've booked and paid for a return flight, other than those mentioned above, it doesn't mean you'll get on that flight. 

I know the 2022 WC on Coral Princess probably wont go, but if per chance it did, the pax would have to apply for an exemption to travel, surely.

[OzKiwiJJ]

25 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I know the 2022 WC on Coral Princess probably wont go, but if per chance it did, the pax would have to apply for an exemption to travel, surely.

I guess so, unless they lift the travel ban by then. It departs June 4th from Sydney so a couple of weeks before the end of the three month period if the ban is extended that long.

[NSWP]

17 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I guess so, unless they lift the travel ban by then. It departs June 4th from Sydney so a couple of weeks before the end of the three month period if the ban is extended that long.

Julie, Coral Princess departs Sydney on May 18 next year for its 2022 Worldie, well scheduled to depart anyway. The June 4 departure you mention is proposed 2023 Worldie date.

Edited June 16, 2021 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, NSWP said:

Julie, Coral Princess departs Sydney on May 18 next year for its 2022 Worldie, well scheduled to depart anyway. The June 4 departure you mention is proposed 2023 Worldie date.

Whoops, I must have looked at the wrong one. So a month before the possible three month travel ban end date. That's even less likely.

 

To be honest I wouldn't want to to a worldie next year. The pandemic may not be fully over by then and port stops could still be cancelled at short notice. I reckon 2024 would be a good time for a worldie.

[GOTTODOIT]

Our PM has arrived back into Australia and SCOMO is quarantining at the Lodge.  Mr Prime Minister is this not double standards?

Why can't vaccinated australians come home and quarantine at home?

[Aus Traveller]

7 minutes ago, GOTTODOIT said:

Our PM has arrived back into Australia and SCOMO is quarantining at the Lodge.  Mr Prime Minister is this not double standards?

Why can't vaccinated australians come home and quarantine at home?

I don't see this as a double standard. Morrison went overseas for official government business. Another important point is that we can be fairly sure he will quarantine at home. Journalists would soon notice if he didn't. Unfortunately, it has been proven that some members of the public who are supposed to quarantine at home, don't.

[lyndarra]

30 minutes ago, GOTTODOIT said:

Our PM has arrived back into Australia and SCOMO is quarantining at the Lodge.  Mr Prime Minister is this not double standards?

Why can't vaccinated australians come home and quarantine at home?

Some quarantine at home or at private resorts i.e. actors and movie employees but they have to pay for federal security around where they are staying to ensure no one leaves. I believe. Average Joe Blow can't afford that.

And, as we have seen in the past, some can't be trusted to stay at home.

Edited June 17, 2021 by lyndarra