Since the Australian Government introduced restrictions for returning travelers in July this year, the lives of Australian’s abroad have been thrown into chaos. More than 30,000 people who call Australia home are currently living in uncertainty as more flights are being cancelled and airlines are quietly suspending their services to Australia.
At any one time there are approximately 1 million Australians living and working abroad according to the Government's Smartraveller website. Many of whom are raising families, pursuing careers or are highly skilled in professions not offered on Australian shores - yes, these are some of the most skilled Aussies.
A great number of these Australians abroad have already endured the worst of the global Coronavirus pandemic, experiencing strict lockdown measures and stay at home orders since well before Australia. These Australians have already spent most of this year unable to see their loved ones, following the Australian consulate advice to “stay put” if they have homes and livelihoods established in a foreign country.
As the months have passed by and situations change, many Aussies are desperate to return home to Australia, only to be struck with the harsh reality and the ongoing effects of the Government’s flight caps.
Price Gouging
With current restrictions of between 30 to 50 passengers per flight, many airlines are taking matters into their own hands, meeting the high demand for flights with excessive ticket prices and priority given to Business Class passengers. Throughout October and well into the new year, many of the remaining flights to Australia will set you back between $9,000 and $30,000 per person for a one-way ticket. This comes in addition to the $3,000 mandatory hotel quarantine costs, making the journey near impossible for so many hoping to return home anytime soon.
Cancellations and Flight Bumps
Unfortunately, the uncertainty continues even after travelers have secured an airline ticket. Horror stories of young families turned away at their boarding gate while wealthier business class passengers are given priority is just the beginning of the unfolding disarray, and a situation that is becoming far too common for Aussies all over the world. With a weekly limit of passengers, flights later in the week face the possibility of being cancelled altogether or a number of passengers being turned away at the gate to comply with the Australian Government’s restrictions.
Lengthy Refunds
Airlines are taking weeks, sometimes months to return money from cancelled flights to customers, leaving many Australian’s without money and in some cases homeless until they can book their next flight. For those who can afford it, many travelers are booking multiple flights with the expectation that at least one flight will likely be cancelled, giving them a backup option already in motion. Many travelers have experienced countless cancellations and increasing difficulty to find a reliable flight route.
In July this year Australia's national airline, Qantas announced it will ground all international services in response to the pandemic, leaving customers stranded and out of pocket. With international carriers inflating ticket prices, Aussies desperate to return home and so many Qantas staff furloughed, it begs the question; why isn’t the Australian Government and Qantas working to bring stranded Aussies home?
There’s no denying the Australian Flight Caps have put Australia on the world stage for all the wrong reasons, being the only country in the world to turn their citizens away from returning. It seems near impossible for Australian’s abroad to still call Australia home.
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