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

It can be up to 48 hours, luckily that hasn't happened to me.

I'd initially hoped that we might have been able to offer up her flights as a passenger transfer for you but they don't allow that and I guess they'll get cancelled soon anyway!

Our corp travel person has found this:

United via SFO with an overnight layover, departure on the 28Sep. The fare is about $5400.00 USD

LH9378C 28SEP LHRSFO 140P 445P *

  OPERATED BY UNITED AIRLINES INC   

UA 863C 29SEP SFOSYD 1110A 710P+*

They can't give any guarantees, and we'd be betting on a First Class ticket giving you some protection against getting bumped.

serious question, does anyone know any journo's who may take this on? Evening Standard or the like?

Already had quite a few articles in the papers.. Guardian from a couple of weeks ago:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/aug/22/shattered-heartbroken-financially-ruined-stranded-australians-plead-for-help

What's the go, John? Made any progress?

Like how?
I don't have any money for new flights and I'm still here.

This potentially looks like a good option... Up to John if he's okay with us trying to crowdfund the cash...

I am in fucking hole that I can't climb out of.
If you think this will help then go ahead.

A worry is if a ticket is bought for me and the situation changes rapidly that people will be out of pocket.

I no longer have a say in my life.

People will only give what they can - I think it's pretty clear nothing is guaranteed but also if you currently have no options let us try.

Time for a run of Get John Home forum tshirts? Proceeds to fund a flight

That United flight is gone, but there will be others, sounds like we have to raise the cash first so that we can move rapidly when a flight is available. How best to do this?

Is @Velocio back from his hols yet? IMVHO I think he should kick it off, maximum exposure, give it the official lufugus stamp of approval, and so on... Get the cash in, then etc...

I'm back from the Highlands but deep in work. What needs to be done?

We can use the LFGSS PayPal for fundraising, it would be nice if we had a clear goal.

I don't personally wish to set up a GoFundMe or similar, as I have to file self-assessments and don't want to risk anything being subject to my income tax. But I'm happy burying that as part of the LFGSS PayPal account and putting it through the existing basic accounting for LFGSS. Far better would be if someone else wants to create a GoFundMe or similar, but I'm basically happy to keep track of things manually and do a £1 in £1 out arrangement so that the full value of money received (after any PayPal deductions) goes directly to John to help cover travel arrangements.

it would be nice if we had a clear goal

Yup, who is able to get us a price and, more importantly, a reservation for a first class flight to Brisbane? Preferably through their corporate travel agent, etc...

Let's see how much money we need to raise and what departure dates are available and we can take things from there... You good with that, John?

Man, I don't even have an opinion.

Maybe things will start to improve

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/13/australian-diplomats-sent-to-heathrow-airport-to-help-stranded-citizens-due-to-travel-caps

Are flights from Australia back to the UK still flying?

Reading this thread it seems the obvious solution if the Mountain can't move to Muhammad, Muhammad should move to the mountain.

I think John is relocating permanently to Australia, his family has already moved their entire lives there and he narrowly missed joining them due to the pandemic. If they were to come back to the UK, it would just mean more people that have no secure way of getting to Australia.

Sorry if I'm being a bit dim but as a lot of the talk here appears to be between friends of the person requiring the ticket some things seem lost to me trying to parse this thread, foremost are they an Australian citizen? Is the ticket requirement Heathrow - > Brisbane, adult, single way? And what was the original airline (who I ascertain still has the money).

Yeah that is me and that is the situation.
Aust/UK citizen, need to get to Brisbane.
Have flight credits with Qantas, Qatar and Emirates.

https://www.skyscanner.net/transport/flights/lond/bne/200917/?adultsv2=1&cabinclass=economy&childrenv2=&inboundaltsenabled=false&outboundaltsenabled=false&preferdirects=false&priceSourceId=&priceTrace=202009150657*I*LGW*BNE*20200917*mail*TK&qp_prevCurrency=GBP&qp_prevPrice=764&qp_prevProvider=ins_month&rtn=0

£750 one way london - brisbane with flexible tickets for any cancellations etc...
pre covid i would have expected a return flight for that cash, but its a hell of a lot better than some other quotes going around.
Just make sure before booking with anybody that you are entitled to cash back or a new flight and you wont be out of pocket.

Reading up i see about the delays in refunds etc... sounds like you are going to have to bite the bullet and take a gamble! I had a friend recently fly from melbs - Edinburgh with no issues but maybe he got lucky?

Getting out just requires paperwork from the government; getting in requires being one of the 50 (or what have you) allowed on the planes for that day landing in Brisbane. Loads of stories of people able to get out to visit sick relatives only to find themselves unable to go home afterwards.

You can leave Australia with permission from the government, there are no capacity restrictions on flights leaving.

Inbound, airlines across the world are still selling planeloads of 'cheap' tickets that they will be unable to deliver on while the strict flight cap is in place. I already have three 'flight credits', a fourth won't help.

And therein lies the rub.