Kiwis in Oz scramble to get home
Air NZ’s phone lines are busy as travellers race to get home before coronavirus restrictions kick in. Kelly Dennett reports.
KIWIS who travelled to Melbourne for the Formula 1 Grand Prix are scrambling to try to make it home before strict restrictions on incoming travellers take hold.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday that anyone coming into the country from midnight tonight would have to self-isolate for 14 days, after a sixth New
Zealander was confirmed to have coronavirus.
An Auckland woman in a party of 12 who travelled to Melbourne for the weekend said she and her partner had considered a $1000 flight that would see them land in
Auckland in time.
Flights from Melbourne to Auckland with Air New Zealand were last evening showing as sold out on its website, except for premium economy seats.
The graphic designer said she couldn’t work from home, but her partner, a digger driver, would happily self-isolate.
Workers in their group included a doctor, a train driver and a teacher, and some of them were wondering how they would be able to get transport home without interacting with anyone.
‘‘You can tell us to self-isolate but how do you police that?’’ she said.
‘‘I can say, ‘yes I’ll go home,’ but half of us are wondering how we get home because we don’t have cars parked at the airport. So someone needs to come to the airport and pick them up.
‘‘It’s a bit much. I wouldn’t be surprised if work was like, ‘just come in’. There’s only four of us in the studio (but) I won’t go to the gym or anything like that, and I can order groceries online."
She and her partner had a
‘‘You can tell us to self-isolate but how do you police that?’’
flight home that landed on Tuesday, but were yet to hear from Air New Zealand regarding travel restrictions.
They’d received no warnings prior to leaving the country either, she said.
Her partner said the restrictions were ‘‘ridiculous’’ and cancelling the Grand Prix at the last minute meant the city was full – but everyone was sitting in bars and cafes instead.
‘‘Cancelling the race doesn’t make people disappear. They say it’s for health and safety but it’s just for PR, pretending they’re doing the right thing.’’
Auckland Airport now has a notice on its website advising travellers it was working with the Ministry of Health to meet travellers.
Air New Zealand was also warning travellers its phone lines were busy, and asking people who were not travelling in the next 72 hours to refrain from phoning.
Last night it said it was offering further fare flexibility for travellers affected by the restrictions.
People with flights departing up until March 31 could hold the value of their fare in credit for 12 months from the time of ticket purchase, receive a refund; or amend the date of their flight without change fees.
The normal fare difference would apply.
‘‘Air New Zealand is still currently experiencing a very high volume of customer enquiries through our contact centre and social media channels . . . Customers are strongly encouraged to check our Travel Alerts page before getting in touch.’’