After COVID, there are lots of uncertainties regarding flight info, sales, travel insurance and travel restrictions, so I thought it would be a good idea to centralise that info into one thread. There's already been a little flight info in this thread recently: https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/japan-2020-2021-snow-season-planning.87306/ Current problems & info: - Japan has a current policy forbidding incoming passengers(tourists) entering from most countries, if you've been in those countries in the last 14 days. It's problematic, because where do you stay for 14 days so you can get into Japan? - Travel insurance for medical including COVID can be a problem traveling into Japan. - Japan will open slowly, with travel bubbles initially, which is likely to include NZ, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and probably Taiwan, S. Korea & China. The first business flights will start in July, initially restricted to 250 per day. - Rules for mask wearing will probably apply for certain things in Japan.
Not Aus but worth knowing about: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business...Tjl4V3k_WcqNWkiwkHiceivTEXXYkeuypO3k5ruq-9jwA
Medical insurance covering COVID. https://www.japan.travel/en/coronavirus/ Insurance The following two companies offer insurance that foreign visitors can apply after arriving in Japan. Both insurances introduce medical facilities, interpret between you and the doctor, and have cashless medical services. You can apply for insurance on their websites. For details, please check the following pages. Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd.
About to pull the pin on JAL flights using Qantas FF points for Jan 2021. Strangely they have increased in price by over $150 from the weekend
We did the same, FF points from Qantas to book with JAL. Not 100% sure what is going to happen though as JAL were supposed to start flying the 777-300 again Sydney to Haneda but with COVID i wonder if that isn't going to happen.
Had a quick mobile phone search on the Q app for QF flights out end Dec - back end March to compare to the ANA options from Perth. Found a Syd-Sapporo direct over but having trouble finding one coming back... curious. I’ll get the laptop charged and have a more detailed look
Similar dates? I’m wondering if I’ll be better off booking QF there and ANA home if I’ve got to go Tokyo anyway.
Simon Birmingham today, "very unlikely Australians will travel in 2020" I'm hoping a bubble with Japan opens as I have flights booked from pre covid.
No progress has been made on international arrivals and flights. Nada nil. If anything we're going backwards. NZ is a prime example of.
It's not a matter of our progress, it's everyone else's. I would say that there would be a very limited market for say two weeks in Japan (if you can even get there) and two weeks in quarantine, probably at your own expense, when you return.
Yes but restrictions have been lifted in other areas, sometimes at very short notice. So who knows what is happening next.
Here's my take on it.... You have to get your head around the fact that elimination is impossible. Eventually, there will be more treatments(like dexamethasone & remdesivir) and possibly a vaccine. But he virus is endemic, just like flu is endemic, and we have to get used to that.If the world is to return to something like normal, then we have to accept that. There's too many people who have the virus, in too many places, for it to be eliminated. If the world doesn't return to something like normal, more people will die because the world economy will be devastated. (Think Brazil, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh Once you accept that SARS-CoV-2 virus is endemic, but the world needs to return to something like normal, we need to adjust the way people come into Australia. When I was a kid, traveling OS (England for 2 years when I was 11, then back via Hong Kong & Japan), we had to have a vaccination card, with all the stuff... polio, smallpox, diptheria, Yellow Fever, typhus, typhoid, etc.... The fact that Victoria picked up 15 people on an arriving flight with COVID is GOOD, not bad, because it shows that Australia has a system that works. My read: Govt will realise that you can't go until January without international travel. Business must be conducted, but flights must be full enough to allow flights to happen. Tourists must be moving well before then. If the travel industry doesn't move soon, it will be so damaged that it will suffer a 10 year devastation. If you watch the ASX today, stocks like Qantas, Flight Centre and Webjet will take a big hit, based on the reports of what the Tourism Minister said. Here's the headline: Australian borders likely to stay closed until next year, Tourism Minister says Here's what he actually said: "I do sadly think that in terms of open tourist-related travel in or out of Australia, that remains quite some distance off" "Just because of the practicalities of the volumes that are involved and the need for us to first and foremost keep putting health first." Asked whether that meant the border would not open until next year, he said, "I think that is more likely the case". Senator Birmingham has suggested some business travel may also be opened up. "I think those who might not only be international students, but be here for longer-term work purposes or longer-term business and investment purposes, logically you can extend those sort of same safeguards to them and their state," he said. "I hope that we can look eventually at some of those countries who have similar successes in suppressing the spread of COVID to Australia and New Zealand, and in working through that with those countries, find safe pathways to deal with essential business travel that helps to contribute to jobs across our economies." Notice how he hadn't formulated a "policy" regarding the timing, he only responded to a question. He's the Tourism Minister, not the Health Minister. After the dip in the ASX in tourism related shares today, he may issue a "clarification" today or tomorrow, IMO.
It will be incredibly hypocritical if they allow the student travel that is being pushed for and do not allow business or tourism travel.
Listening to Greg Hunt on ABC this morning. He was quite specific re a overseas travel "bubble". Basically the government was in disscussions with NZ and NZ only. At the same time Qantas has cancelled all OS flights (with the exception of NZ) .
Yeah our September Qantas flights have just been cancelled. The conflicting messages we are getting are driving me nuts. Heard some figures on the radio this morning that implied that wrt tourism Aussies spend more overseas than we earn from foreign tourism. Would be interesting to find some actual figures on this from a reliable source. But it also made me wonder wrt to snow$ how much that is spent in Japan comes back to Aus, especially compared with Nth America and Europe where I would expect none, well negligbale, comes back to Aus. Might have to go to a meet the polies event before the by-election and ask some questions. There are a lot of people down here with business interests in Japan.
But.. it’s still super cheap to get tickets and lots of reward flights around. If you can stay flexible and can her money back it’s worth planning
Flexible is the understatement. The rest of our life is currently completely dependent on when we can get back to Japan. We will be going as soon as they let us. We have already had 2 lots of flights cancelled. Both booked before travel was cancelled.
This is interesting: https://nisekoalpineaccommodation.c...il&utm_term=0_62a60e2fcd-861389a97f-438019133 Via email today. This bit in particular: I think I’ll be booking ANA directly into Tokyo.
Th The Headline on that NISAD story is misleading @LMB , although they do get it right in the body text. Right now we don't need commercial spin doctors, we need cold hard facts. The restrictions have not been relaxed. As per previous posts hereabouts, they are being discussed! A big difference. I hope as much as anyone flights resume ASAP as my company, year round, is dependent on international travel, but I'd rather not base my planning decisions on misleading information, no matter how much it fits my agenda. I'm trying to read the tea leaves like everyone but my internal optimism monitor rises and falls daily, but right now, its very low regarding travel for the coming northern winter. I hope I'm wrong.
I know. I’m riding the emotional/hope roller coaster also. Was meant to be doing a full season in Aus this year....trapped in WA...so my focus is on Japan...but we’ve at least sorted back up for Aus 2021 if it all fails - we should at least be allowed out of the state by then!
The current position from the government is "If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident you cannot leave Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions unless you have an exemption. " I can imagine (pure speculation here), that they could allow outgoing travel without an exemption provided you can secure a return flight and fund your own quarantine. There really isn't much additional risk to a country if those conditions are maintained. If I was in a position like yourself LMB, I would jump at the prospect of ~3 months of empty slopes at Niseko and just put up with 2 weeks of quarantine on return. I'd find a way out somehow.
Oh I hear ya. If there is a hoop I can jump through to get there I will. And yes, I’d be more than happy to go to ground for 2 weeks on return.
So you'll be keen on billing the Australian tax payers for $3.5k for the isolation period in return? *average cost.
Sorry what? State Quarantine in WA is at home unless you can’t quarantine at your own home. Anyone coming here from elsewhere in Oz must quarantine at home for 14 days (even if they’ve done 14 days in a hotel Elsewhere.) I was under the impression QLD had suggested from July they’ll be charging for quarantine for overseas returnees. I haven’t heard any of the other states say they will yet. But I think it’s only a matter of time especially once we start allowing travel again.
That's correct. It's state based. Some states will charge. Some won't. Reality is though. There will be sweet fa flights flying from minor states like WA, SA, NT etc. So it remains to be seen what happens with NSW and VIC
Booked Melb - Tokyo mid January last night - I used Qantas FF points with JAL flights and partner booked directly through JAL for just over $700 return. Now the waiting game begins!
Whatever the situation is right now regarding quarantine in various locations and who pays, I cant for the life of me extrapolate six months into the future regarding that situation. Its all academic right now as even if you are up for paying for 14 days quarantine on either end of a Japan trip, both Australia and Japan do not currently allow tourists to enter their countries. So many changes need to take place before this scenario can even happen.
I mean, most of us here are really trying to get a holiday in. Whereas yourself Tele, you're trying to maintain your livelihood. How do you plan for this? With your shop packed up is a season not operating a viable option?
Thanks for the thoughts @Ecstatic, its pretty grim, but we have wonderful support here so far. Our immediate concern is our summer business. Been refunding bicycle tour customers hand over fist. I was holding out hope of some late autumn tourism as autumn is our peak cycle touring season but can't now see that happening. Our plan is to enjoy the moment and "hibernate" till next spring and then reassess. If winter business doesn't happen, I can see a whole lot of untracked powder to be skied! Gotta look on the bright side.
Oh wow that’s just reminded me whatever that big road bike race is in Niseko, it’s a qualifier for some event, our friend was going to compete this year after just missing out on a qualifier elsewhere last year. That would’ve been coming up... We had all planned to go and stay together for it. So many screwed up plans!! We can be grumpy and frustrated - but I suppose in the end there is always someone doing worse than you out there - not least of whom are the people who have and who will die from this horrid bug.
ABC news tonight, Japan and Australia are having discussions about travel. Aahhggg! Can they make their bloody minds up.To know one wau or the other is better than the current back and forth situation.
Yes it is hard. I feel like a forward plan with conditions is what we would be happy with at this stage. For example: We plan re-start tourist flights between Japan and Australia in October assuming that infections rates are similar or better than the current situation. Requirement on travellers to detail their movements and plans for the first 14 days of stay in detail, Covid test before and after flight, mask use during travel, mask use in public places for first 14 days, the ability to pay for quarantine on return should infection rates explode while away..: etc etc
