Qantas is gearing up to restart its international flights a whole two weeks ahead of schedule, now set to take off as early as November 1, 2021.
This decision comes on the heels of the Australian Federal and New South Wales governments’ announcement to reopen borders on the same date, and folks, we couldn’t be happier!
Qantas has also welcomed the NSW Government’s move to do away with quarantine arrangements for those who are fully vaccinated. This aligns with many countries worldwide and is a significant step towards a new kind of ‘normal’.
As the engines rev up, Qantas will operate up to five return flights weekly from Sydney to London, and up to four return flights weekly from Sydney to Los Angeles.
These flights will be serviced by the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. If the demand is there, Qantas is prepared to add more flights.
Do note that flights to London will operate via Darwin until at least April 2022.
These initial flights are exclusive to Australian citizens, permanent residents, their immediate families, and parents, as per Australian Government requirements.
Now, if you’re daydreaming about sipping a cocktail on a beach in Fiji, or exploring the bustling streets of Singapore, you’ll need to wait a little longer. Flights to these destinations, along with Vancouver, are still slated to begin from December 18, 2021, with more locations restarting in the new year.
However, given the recent decision to drop quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers in New South Wales, Qantas is exploring the possibility of bringing forward flights to additional destinations from Sydney. So, fingers crossed, folks!
Flights from November 1 are now on sale, and if you’ve already booked to travel to and from Los Angeles or London but want to travel earlier, you can do so. Just head over to the ‘manage my booking’ section on qantas.com to make a fee-free date change to your flight (though keep in mind a fare difference may apply).
All passengers aged 12 years and older will be required to be fully vaccinated, plus return a negative COVID test from an approved PCR testing site 72 hours prior to departure.
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