QANTAS: Still not quite giving up on international flying in 2021

Despite the Federal Government making budget assumptions that Australian borders will not be open to international travel before mid-2022, Qantas is still holding out hope for a start in late December 2021.

… the Qantas Group will adjust its planned international flights from end-October 2021 to late December 2021.  (Trans Tasman flights are unchanged.) We remain optimistic that additional bubbles will open once Australia’s vaccine rollout is complete to countries who, by then, are in a similar position, but it’s difficult to predict which ones at this stage.

Qantas Responds

Is this prudent planning by Qantas, or a way of not having to return deposits/payments for flights already purchased for 2022? I will give them the benefit of the doubt, especially since they claim bookings around those dates have been pretty light given the state of passengers uncertainty.

If you have such a booking between October and late December 2021 – Qantas will be in contact – or you should get onto your travel provider. Expect long wait times if you are calling Qantas.

Trans Tasman Bubble – unaffected

Just remember, that this does not affect the existing flights between Australia and New Zealand, so no need to panic there.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

Back to planning my July trip to the North Island . . . Hobbiton? No.