nomadic.relief

Well I suppose you'll have a chance to gossip 'bout us ineligible-to-enter-wannabes this year, however 2022 is already scheduled as "no chance I'm working end of May/early June" so the reprive is temporary.

DELee

Or, given the evolution of Australia's response/planned vaccine roll-out to the pandemic, is consideration of a later 2021 date (such as early September) perhaps a backup option?

David

Oz Fest

The backup for Oz Fest 17 BNE 2021 is Oz Fest 17 BNE 2022.

AU Government have stated not expecting AU to be open for general international tourism-travel until late 2021 at best. AU vaccine roll out is (currently) scheduled to be complete Oct 2021. No hope AU will be completely open before that, especially to Covid-19 hot spots like UK & USA. The AU federal & state governments (and NZ) will be very conservative when it comes to opening the border. Just look at C19 positive cases/death rates compared to the rest of the world..

Link--->https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocea...er-15-mar.html

cocobird

I'll be there for Oz Fest 17 BNE 2022 if the Australian government lets me in.

sbiddle

It is worth noting that even in 2022 travel to NZ may or may not be a thing. As of the week before Xmas our managed isolation program (everybody spends 14 days in a hotel on arrival) was funded by the Govt up until the end of June 2022. The reason for this date was the expected completion of the vaccine rollout in Q1 2022 and then allowing a few months after that.

Of course time frames could change (and I for one hope things will progress a lot faster), but right now those are the dates.

Australia are starting their vaccination rollout next month and expect to have 50% of their population vaccinated by the the of June 2021, and are looking at October 2021 for completion. New Zealand expects to start in May/June 2021 for border workers, July 2021 for some high priority general public, and August 2021 for a general public rollout.

It's all going to many any potential Trans Tasman bubble interesting if Australia starts to open up when NZ is so far behind.

kpc

The way things are going atm, Sydneysiders like myself will not be allowed into Qld even by May 2021! The Qld border is shut to us as there is community spread of Covid in Sydney albeit low numbers (single digits). The Qld premier has previously said there has to be no community spread in Sydney for 28 days for the border to open, and the chances of that are almost zero, even with the vaccine!

FLYGVA

I unfortunately could not attend in May. Even if I can travel again in May, I am in the mid of a project which required me to be in the office even on a weekend on short notice from mid May to mid July.

Keeping fingers crossed for you, that the situation is better in May 2021 than in May last year.

cocobird

Just saw this:

excerpt from News.com.au:

Australia’s top health chief has dashed hopes that the rollout of the vaccine will allow people to travel overseas this year as borders stay closed.
Australia’s top health chief has dashed hopes that the rollout of the vaccine will allow people to travel overseas this year, predicting borders will remain closed until 2022.

The man who urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to shut the borders last year has made the grim prediction this morning.

“I think that we’ll go most of this year with still substantial border restrictions – even if we have a lot of the population vaccinated, we don’t know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus,” Professor Murphy said.

Antonio8069

While I am sad to give up on 2021, I am not surprised.

What amazes me is the extent to which OZ is prepared to ignore its own travel restrictions to facilitate The Austrlian Open! I have read published reports of players and coaches chartering aircraft from the UAE to Melbourne. Meanwhile, there are Aussies who cannot go home!

On reflection, why am I surprised? CA has waived quarantine requirements to allow the NHL to play!

JessicaTam

There is no ignoring of travel restrictions. All the costs of the tennis players and staff are being paid for by the Tennis company. And quarantine is being strictly enforced - much to the chagrin of the participants.

But we digress ...

rxgeek

Put us down as Bronze. Besides OZ being closed, if it opens, our rellies from QLD might be coming to see us.They cancelled last year. Good luck.
rxgeek
rxgeek+1

doug_westcott

Booked at Sofitel Brisbane Central, arriving Friday and leaving Monday. Can change/cancel later if necessary.

lowjhg

Im placing myself in as gold, pending borders opening for us vaccinated peeps! So excited, 1st flight since March 2020!

Booked at the new Hyatt Regency Brisbane

sbiddle

I wouldn't get too excited.. There is realistically zero chance of Australia's borders being open by then regardless of whether you're vaccinated or not.

Right now I think the chances of a Trans Tasman bubble by May is pretty low but that's really only because politics.

QF WP

Thanks to og and BundyBear for reminding me.

Put me and Mrs QF WP down as a Silver now, I have gone through major work issues in 2020 (changing companies) and bloody busy way to end 2020 by moving house. I have to go back to study with 2 National Exams that I must pass by 31/12/21 and can only attempt them every 3 months plus it's an expected 150 hours of study for each. Something I'm not looking forward to, but I have to do it, or sell my business and probably leave the industry.

I still have contact in the industry, but a lot have gone in the VA and QF shake-ups in 2020. I'll see what I can do to rustle up some speakers and/or tours