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    Qantas Gives Aussie Riders Hope For 21/22 Ski Season Travel Abroad

    Michael FultonMichael Fulton·2 Mar 2021

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    At the very end of February Qantas gave all the aussie riders who have been itching to plan their 21/22 ski season something to look forward to. With an announcement that they plan to resume most of their international operations by October 2021 this should see standard operations come late December to Early February which is when most riders head north to make the most of the northern winter.Services to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Vancouver (YVR) and Tokyo (NRT/HND) which put riders into the main gateways to majority of the resorts are all planned to be running again by the end of the year. All the services will be operated by Qantas’s newest aircraft the Boeing 787. Qantas still has their larger Airbus A380 locked away in storage in the Mojave and we aren’t likely to see those aircraft operate again until 2023. If you are currently holding onto a Qantas credit which was issued because your travel was cancelled due to covid you can look to use these for your 21/22 ski travel. To book your early season 2021 travel or mid season 2022 travel head to Qantas.com

    Qantas October 2021 Flying.jpg
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    Flying north for the winter ski season is a pilgrimage that a lot of Aussie and Kiwi riders take each year and on the Qantas 787 there are a range of cabins you can choose to fly in. Those wanting to spend more at the resort or on the slopes can opt for economy travel, or for those who want to splurge on the travel experience can head up the aircraft to premium economy or even business class.

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    Qantas 787 Economy Image credit - traveller.com.au

    Qantas 787 Premium Economy Image credit - traveller.com.au

    Qantas 787 Business Class Image credit - traveller.com.au Here is the full press statement from Qantas Flights to most international destinations to now resume late October 2021Trans-Tasman flying to ramp up from July 2021New flexibility for international bookings, with unlimited flight date changes Qantas and Jetstar are now planning to restart regular international passenger flights to most destinations from 31 October 2021 – a four month extension from the previous estimate of July, which had been in place since mid-2020.The date change aligns with the expected timeframe for Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to be effectively complete.Capacity will be lower than pre-COVID levels, with frequencies and aircraft type deployed on each route in line with the projected recovery of international flying. International capacity is not expected to fully recover until 2024.The Group remains in close consultation with the Federal Government around the reopening of international borders and will keep customers updated if further adjustments are required.Qantas is assessing the use of digital health pass apps to help support the resumption of COVID-safe international travel. The CommonPass and IATA Travel Pass smartphone apps are being trialled on the airline’s international repatriation flights.Qantas networkQantas is planning to resume flights to 22 of its 25 pre-COVID international destinations including Los Angeles, London, Singapore and Johannesburg from 31 October 2021.Qantas won’t initially resume direct flights to New York, Santiago and Osaka, but remains committed to flying to these three destinations. In the meantime, customers will be able to fly to these destinations under codeshare or oneworld arrangements with partner airlines.Jetstar networkJetstar plans to resume flights to all of its 13 international destinations. Frequencies will be adjusted in line with the projected recovery of international flying.Trans-TasmanQantas and Jetstar are planning for a significant increase in flights to and from New Zealand from 1 July 2021.The Group has the ability to respond to travel bubbles that may open.Additional flexibility and extension of credit vouchers Qantas has today announced additional flexibility for international bookings to enable customers to book flights with confidence.Qantas’ updated Fly Flexible policy (previously only available for domestic and Trans Tasman flights) now applies to international flights booked from today until at least the end of April 2021. The flight date can be changed to any available for sale at the time (up to 355 days in advance). Qantas will waive the change fee however a fare difference may apply.Qantas has also extended credit vouchers to enable travel until 31 December 2023 on domestic or international flights, with Jetstar doing the same for vouchers issued due to COVID-19 disruptions.Customers with international bookings impacted by cancellations will be contacted directly and offered alternatives.Make sure you follow us on our socials

    About the author

    Michael Fulton

    Michael Fulton

    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    50+ resorts visited15 years skiing
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