Mwenenzi

There has not been a major increase of repatriation flights or pax on commercial flights. The number of hotels rooms/people entering AU has been constant for some weeks/months. A small increase (~500 per week) a month or so ago with a matching increase in managed hotel rooms. The AU states manage and control the 14 day hotel quarantine.

AU Prime Minister (ScoMo) announced yesterday would be extra pax going into a managed facility near Darwin for new dedicated flights

Jon Baker

Each to their own but this was my very basis for suggesting the state of quarantine is about to get worse.

This is two weeks locked in a perfunctory box somewhere - not a luxury hotel stay. Anyone suggesting that just because a client will pay makes it any more acceptable is probably kidding themselves.

nancypants

Friends have been through both systems (in Australia) and have universally preferred Howard Springs

(Addit: they also universally whinged when they heard the concept of Howard springs “quarantine camp”. Branding obvs needs some work)

Dave Noble

If someone wants to come to a country that has put a real effort into trying to contain the virus then not unreasonable that they accept the quarantine or get someone locally to do the work or work remotely

Jon Baker

​​​​​​
I wasn't passing any judgement on Australia's rights to have and enforce quarantine.

​​​I'm just trying to highlight that even if you have a passport permitting travel and a client willing to pay for both flights and quarantine, it is no means like normal travel and that quarantine is far removed from what most travellers here would recognise as a hotel stay.

You'll be shut in a basic Novatel(esque) room (or quarantine centre in the Northern Territory) with very basic meals provided and little or no ability to excercise or get fresh air.

Bit as I also said, each to their own.

nancypants

Recognising that we’re veering off topic, I’ll attach a few photos from one of my staff’s recent stay in Howard springs

(*mods- perhaps this will end up being shifted to its own thread? In the covid forum? Not sure)

Dave Noble

You stated "Anyone suggesting that just because a client will pay makes it any more acceptable is probably kidding themselves"

No one is forced to come to Australia - if quarantine isn't acceptable, then don't come

If the meals are too basic for you, then order take away

Jon Baker

​​​​​​With retrospect, perhaps tolerable would have been a better choice of word?

Just trying to provide the OP with [potentially] relevant travel advice - not geo-political opinion.

PAL62V

Ok. Just to clear things up a bit (not that I should have to),
1 the work cannot be done remotely
2 I am aware of the pitfalls of 14 data in a room but the annual work and the resultant fee make it worthwhile
3 the rooms vary from standard hotel to five star. It’s a complete lottery and I have that as fact.

My thanks for the very useful info offered here regarding my original question. I’d rather travel over there normally but hey, what’s normal any more??

orbitmic

Of course, we do not know that. The OP is clear that this is due to work, and unless one knows him/her personally and thus have more information than me, we do not know what the job entails, what the company policy or message is, what is the legal regime applying in case the OP disagrees with a mission where he/she is asked to travel to Australia as part of their work, etc.

So in some cases, it might be that you are not forced... because you could accept to lose your job or let your company go brankrupt instead, in which case, quite frankly, quarantine might feel like a worthwhile price to pay in comparison.

There are certainly cases I know of whereby people are definitely being obliged by employers to engage in trips which they would prefer to avoid at the moment, and they are perhaps not even as rare as one might think.

HFHFFlyer

I think you’re being a little defensive here. The question posed and the comments are all perfectly reasonable, just as Australia’s virus suppression tactics are (the overall strategy of making itself a hostage to a vaccine is for another time and place).

People come on this forum to debate and discuss. They don’t need bloody minded comments trying to shut them down to no purpose.

secretplantofightinflation

Tbh I would rather have something like this than be stuck in a hotel room.

PAL62V

I've got to say, I can see certain advantages - like fresh air for starters. I'm apparently going to be in SYD where at least some of the hotels being used are 5 star. I guess if you're going to be stuck in a room, it may as well be a nice one.

levelnine

Does anyone have any further information on the likelihood of BA flying this route at all? They are still selling tickets to SYD from 16 December.

While it is impossible to tell definitively as it will depend on the flight caps at that time, have BA officially announced anything?

Mwenenzi

IMHO extremely unlikely. If they do fly will have few passengers as almost 100% certain AU will continue to restrict incoming and out going passengers.
Various AU Federal Government ministers has stated not expecting any international travel until mid 2021 or later. Other than a few regulated "bubbles" between AU and other countries with a very low Covid-19 risk. The NZ-AU (one way) quarantine free bubble has been going a few days, and has issues according to some state premiers, but not with federal ministers.

The 16 Dec date is probably based on when the current restrictions end. The legislation has time limits that regulations can apply. They keep extending or making a new proclamation when one ends

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