Trans-Tasman bubble (Quarantine-Free Travel)

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#2687927 7-Apr-2021 16:24

Geektastic:

chatterbox:

There's no way I would put my own personal "peace of mind" being vaccinated above quarantining people from Australia in MIQ for 2 weeks that can't get out early to see their dying relatives or even reunite with family they haven't seen for a whole year. It would feel inhumane and somewhat selfish to do so.

It's still an issue for travellers from further abroad but with Australia being so low risk there truly is no justification for placing them in MIQ and there hasn't been for some time.

Good for you. I certainly would put my peace of mind ahead of those people. I have seen none of my family since 2018.

Bad luck your team.

chatterbox

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#2687966 7-Apr-2021 17:20

Geektastic:

chatterbox:

There's no way I would put my own personal "peace of mind" being vaccinated above quarantining people from Australia in MIQ for 2 weeks that can't get out early to see their dying relatives or even reunite with family they haven't seen for a whole year. It would feel inhumane and somewhat selfish to do so.

It's still an issue for travellers from further abroad but with Australia being so low risk there truly is no justification for placing them in MIQ and there hasn't been for some time.

Good for you. I certainly would put my peace of mind ahead of those people. I have seen none of my family since 2018.

Correct me if I'm wrong but are your family in the UK and not Australia? Which would be an apples and oranges comparison as neither Australia or NZ are anything like the UK or Europe etc when it comes to Covid outcomes. And it's pretty obvious neither country will ever head down those paths.

And given most states in Australia have done better than New Zealand and despite Queenslands recent blip they too have had better health outcomes, I truly don't understand how you would justify sending someone to MIQ for 2 weeks who was trying to see their dying father before they passed. I honestly couldn't look those people in the eye and say "whilst I have close to zero risk of ever contracting covid in either country, you'll need to watch your dad die via zoom because I'd like the peace of mind the vaccine gives me. I don't care if 100 of you miss your dying relative over the next 8 months and you've come from safer states, my peace of mind is more important." I would claim vaccine protection but with outbreaks so tiny in either country due to good management, your risk of actually getting covid is lower than having a road accident and dying in NZ. There have been 86 road deaths just this year. Then there are the injuries which also likely outnumber total covid cases in both countries this year alone. There's a fair number of months to run before the adult population is vaccinated and there will be people during that time with sick relatives, new babies to hold, weddings etc This bubble avoids all that hurt for a lot of people unnecessarily.

I understand people have different appetites for risk and concerns but some application of perspective or a dose of reality would be appreciated.

clinty

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#2687994 7-Apr-2021 18:38

Dingbatt:
Here Christchurch and Auckland will have both red and green flights (as of 19 April). Both have a common customs and baggage claim/ag screening areas which I presume will now be separated to remove the chance of cross contamination between green and red. I would like to see these airports invite the media in for a detailed tour (security requirements allowing) of how they are going to achieve the separation. That would hopefully alleviate some anxiety.

Based on what I have seen at CHC in past few days, they are carving off one of the domestic baggage runs, and the two international gates (23/24) closest to that baggage claim. I assume that will be for red flights, and passengers will exit the building on the tarmac for bussing to MIQ.

The green flights will use the existing setup

Only supposition though, as every thing is still under construction :)

Clint

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#2688031 7-Apr-2021 20:56

In Auckland all the incoming MIQ (red zone ) flights use pier B, they will do immigration and have some form of baggage claim there as well,

The regular terminal is for all the bubble flights,.... Bubble flights get Duty Free and food court.... MIQ get Vending Machines....

https://corporate.aucklandairport.co.nz/news/latest-media/2020/safe-travel-zone-auckland-airports-international-terminal-to-be-split-into-two-zones

KiwiSurfer

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#2688048 7-Apr-2021 21:03

Will be interesting to see what changes they make at WLG. I've enjoyed my WLG flights recently as Air NZ's domestic jet services have been using the international wing (including a tiki tour through international security, duty free, etc). I suspect before long they will revert back to the pre-COVID19 arrangement now that WLG will see international flights returning.

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#2688053 7-Apr-2021 21:09

Dingbatt:

Awesome @Sideface ! If they can get Laura Bingle to do the voice over, even greater cut-through.

I will be interested to see how our international airports are configured to keep arrivals separated. Sydney has completely separate wings of the international terminal with their own customs and arrival areas. One designated green and one red. Melbourne has erected a floor to ceiling Perspex shield running right through the international terminal to separate green from red. Not sure about Brisbane.

Here Christchurch and Auckland will have both red and green flights (as of 19 April). Both have a common customs and baggage claim/ag screening areas which I presume will now be separated to remove the chance of cross contamination between green and red. I would like to see these airports invite the media in for a detailed tour (security requirements allowing) of how they are going to achieve the separation. That would hopefully alleviate some anxiety.

Wellington and Queenstown are far more straight forward as they will be green flights only.

I imagine the initial travel will be for friends/family and business reasons so the problem of being trapped on the wrong side of the Tasman won’t be of a great a concern. For the sake of Queenstown leisure travel may begin in time for the ski season.

Auckland will be relatively easy to segregate. I'm assuming Pier A and Pier B will be the red and green areas. The biggest problem with Auckland will be the arrivals staircase from the immigration hall down to baggage reclaim. The rest is able to be relatively easily partitioned.

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#2688061 7-Apr-2021 21:37

KiwiSurfer:

Will be interesting to see what changes they make at WLG. I've enjoyed my WLG flights recently as Air NZ's domestic jet services have been using the international wing (including a tiki tour through international security, duty free, etc). I suspect before long they will revert back to the pre-COVID19 arrangement now that WLG will see international flights returning.

Air NZ moved back to the Southern Pier several months ago (I'm gonna take a stab from memory and say late Jan / early Feb). The new domestic security screening was due for completion before Xmas but got pushed back.

Since then it's been a shambles at times with 30+ min queues at some peak times due to Avsec seemingly not being able to competently operate and manage people going through new screening and xray.

Dingbatt

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#2688063 7-Apr-2021 21:49

Put it down to the fancy new tray system which is way slower and more cumbersome than the old one (IMO).

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quickymart

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#2688065 7-Apr-2021 22:02

wellygary:

quickymart:

Kind of related - if someone (for example) wants to travel here from a non-bubble country (let's pretend it's Canada) to visit a friend or relative, is that totally un-doable at the moment?
Or is it a case of they can come in if they pay for the MIQ, have had the vaccine and are coronavirus-free?

Or is it more like, nope, NZ's borders are totally closed, don't even bother booking your tickets?
A relative from there (as well as one in the US) wants to visit me here but I don't think the information online is particularly explicit or clear as to what's required.

Also are there different rules if they are family (related) or just a friend (non-related), or is it all the same?

Visiting a friend in NZ for a non-citizen/resident is not possible....

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19/border-closures-and-exceptions/entry-to-new-zealand/border-entry-requirements

Ah crap, thanks for explaining that. I'll tell my friend to hold off then. Even for family, they'd still have to stump up over $3000 for the MIQ room anyway.

Geektastic

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#2688066 7-Apr-2021 22:05

chatterbox:
Correct me if I'm wrong but are your family in the UK and not Australia?.

Australia
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USA
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Personally I think it’s mad to risk what we’ve achieved until the vaccinations are in place and I don’t think it’ll be long before we regret doing so.

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#2688086 8-Apr-2021 07:34

Dingbatt:

Put it down to the fancy new tray system which is way slower and more cumbersome than the old one (IMO).

Except for that new system being far better and so much faster - when it's used correctly. I remember when they switched at Melbourne airport about two years ago and had terrible problems because staff weren't trained properly.

The international screening area was upgraded first at Wellington and then Air NZ flights moved across to this so they could upgrade the southern pier. They didn't seem to have the same delays in the international area.

The key thing is that passengers need to understand is that there are now (from memory) 6 tray areas in the tray return system (TRS) and that you can use any of these and don't need to wait for the last space to be free. If people wait for the very last space to become free and staff aren't actively pointing people where to go the whole system falls over.

Likewise staff at screening need to try and ensure that bins go through in a semi logical order so that when you have 6 people using the TRS at once that bags and people kinda go through the metal detector or body scanner in an order that's semi related to the order in which their bags go through. Using Melbourne again as an example of how things can fall apart they had a huge mismatch between the two because they'd have a queue for the body scanner after the TRS and as the queue would grow would pull people out of this queue and send them through the normal metal detector. This then results in a total shambles where lots of bags are sitting at the end of the conveyer belt with people still in the queue for screening, and people all hanging around the conveyor belt and their bags still haven't been screened.

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clinty

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#2688092 8-Apr-2021 08:01

CHC this morning
The gates thru the window are airside and away from all shops etc

Clint

wellygary

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#2688138 8-Apr-2021 09:05

clinty: CHC this morning
The gates thru the window are airside and away from all shops etc

Clint

Sigh, I know its temporary (although likely for at least a year), but couldn't they have gone with something a bit more upmarket than mesh fence....

They could have used solid office partition panels,.... or even those modular plastic panel I've seen used to seal off work sites from regular customer zones in malls etc.....

this just makes a terminal they have spent millions on developing look like a work site..

afe66

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#2688210 8-Apr-2021 10:19

I cant say Im going to be rushing over to Au.

OK its fun to sit on the beach but any holiday with small kids is stressful so might as well stay here.

Risk/benefit, if something goes wrong and shut down occurs, I am the primary income earning in our household and my employer might not be too sympathetic.

(maybe I could take my professional paperwork in case I get stuck and could do some locum work - ahh the joys of an australiasian qualitfiation)

Admittedly last year, my employee did say no employee can go overseas without permission of the CEO...

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#2688212 8-Apr-2021 10:20

clinty: CHC this morning
The gates thru the window are airside and away from all shops etc

Clint

But why barriers at all?

Isnt the bubble idea because theres no covid?

If no covid, dont need barriers ?

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