QANTAS: Next wave of international destinations scheduled

Looks like the flying kangaroo is planning ahead for the second wave of international destinations starting in March 2022, after the initial wave in December 2021.

Qantas second wave of international flying starts with flights at the end of March 2022 including:

• Melbourne-Bali/Denpasar QF45 daily from March 28 – Boeing 737
• Sydney-Bali/Denpasar QF43 daily from March 27 – Boeing 737
• Sydney-Bangkok QF23 daily from March 27 – Airbus A330
• Sydney-Jakarta QF41 6 days/week from March 27 – Airbus A330
• Sydney-Johannesburg QF63 daily from March 27 – Boeing 787
• Sydney-Manila QF19 daily from March 27 – Airbus A330

You can see that Qantas is being tentative – with all the international departures (except Melbourne/Denpasar) centred on Sydney. I’m sure that will change as demand increases.

Subject to the lifting of travel restrictions

Remember that these plans are all subject to the removal of travel restrictions at both ends of the routes. Australia, under its recovery plan, will allow residents to travel ‘freely’ once 80% of the adult population is double vaccinated, which looks like it will be reached in mid-November 2021 – just 6 or so weeks away!

Quarantine on return

The kicker in the policy is the need to quarantine on return. However this looks like it might be changed to 7 instead of 14 days, and you might be able to do your time if you have a suitable home, and the current trial of this program is successful.

Previously

Qantas has already announced the resumption of flights from December 18 2021 to London (via Singapore and Darwin), Los Angeles, Singapore and Vancouver, with Dallas/Fort Worth, Fiji, Honolulu, Hong Kong and San Francisco commencing on February 14 2022.

With WA being obstinate about its closed borders, Qantas is re-routing its Perth London service via Darwin or Singapore through until April 2022.

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.

If I wasn’t mired in university assessment hell this week, I would be planning and booking airfares all over the place for the first half of 2022.

It will be great to get back in the air but remember flying will not be as it was. You will need to comply with a range of testing and quarantine procedures, which may have changed from the time you get on your flight and the time you land at your destination. Make sure you are cashed up and have all your COVID-19 vaccination and test result ducks in a row.

Oh, and make sure your insurance covers you for COVID related expenses, in case the unexpected happens.