MAYDAY!! Travel/flight wizard required... URGENT!!

One of our number is stranded on the wrong side of the world, away from his family and unable to get his life back on track. Crazy time to be stuck somewhere you don't wanna be so far from loved ones...

Do you work in the travel industry or at an airline? We need to book a flight for this person that isn't gonna get cancelled at the last moment. Can you help make that happen?

Let's band together and do a good thing, the forum has an amazing reach... I know we can make this happen, please PM me!

Can we sticky this please, @Velocio? 🙏

I'm in the highlands and don't often have signal, but let me know where to donate if that's what is needed.

too right joe.

not a travel wizard but will definitely chip in to get this beautiful man back to his family and new life

I don't know the full ins and outs, but a friend of mines family got one of their kids home by lobbying their local MP into action to get a seat on a plane home. Worth a shot?

I tried that twice with zero effect.
:)

This a flight to Oz by any chance?

Yes, possibly something going on.

Not sure if this adds to understanding of what's going on or if it's even accurate:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/07/unethical-australians-trying-to-fly-home-claim-airlines-cancelling-economy-tickets-to-sell-more-first-class-seats

Yeah, I am living that.

It is the government's fault though, basic economics say if you cap supply only the wealthy are going to get through.

They have jumbo jets flying into Brisbane with 25 people on them ffs.

Even a first/business class ticket won't guarantee actual travel now. The cap is too restrictive.

.

Is it always economy tickets you've had cancelled? Do you know what the cost jump to business is?

I have flight credits with three airlines.

Qantas just fucked me off in April(and August..) so I bought another ticket with Qatar who did the same in August/September. In a panic I bought again with Emirates who also cancelled me in Aug/Sept.

It is well past upgrading with these three and the last two are now giving me dates in November..

I’ll send you a DM, MA3K, with some ideas.
H.

Could you fly to NZ then over. A friends parents just went home to Sydney that way but admittedly I’ve no idea how long they spent waiting for their flight from there.

anyway of getting yourself deported?

No unfortunately.

Would it make a difference if you flew from somewhere else in EU? I have a feeling it's probably the same, but wondering if somewhere with less overall traffic to/from Australia could make a cancellation less likely?

Missed the Hougoumont by 152 years.

We just had a staff member fly Australia to Germany, not sure if that's any help! Can you get a flight from there instead?
Or is it easy to fly from Aus to anywhere, just the returning that's hard?

I think out of Aus is easier, incoming flights are having their capacities capped.

If demand is so high could you charter your own flight and sell seats to pay for it and make some dosh on top?

4000 passengers a week are permitted in across the whole of Australia at present.

500 of those spots are allocated to Brisbane which means, perversely, there are jumbos landing with just 25 passengers on them as airlines maintain their routes.

I have looked at other states but none of the airlines I have booked with have dates they can offer in the next two months.

I doubt trying from elsewhere in the EU would be more effective unless being homeless in a strange city after another cancellation was the goal.

7 months of this has blown me away.

How is Australia for letting people off ships? Could you get to HK, Singapore, Indonesia etc and then get a berth on a cargo ship? Looking around it seems Brisbane is allowing in 500 people by sea per week but it may be professionals only I suppose

Mate of mine is in the same spot. Booked a ticket and all. Needs to get out of australia but the gov sent him a strongly worded letter telling to stay put or else. No idea how stopping people from leaving australia helps but if anyone has any ideas please do share.