Are you excited for the international borders to finally open so you can travel overseas??
Now before you start booking your flights or packing up, you have to be aware that there are actually extra hidden costs Aussies will have to pay in order for them to visit popular international destinations this year.
Australian travellers who have been eagerly anticipating to travel overseas are being warned to look at the finer details before they start to book for their next international destination in order for them to avoid paying extra hidden fees brought upon by the Covid pandemic.
According to the Daily Mail, as of November 1, fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents will be able to travel to countries such as Fiji, the UK, and the US without the need to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel when they return to Australia.
All other states and territories are preparing to allow international travel once they reach 80 percent double-vaccinated rates. Victoria and Tasmania are on track to reach the 80 percent vaccination target in early November, with South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory expected to reach their target in December.
But before you get too excited and start booking flights overseas, travel experts are reminding Australians to first read the fine print so that they don’t get shocked if additional charges are needed to be paid.
Covid PCR tests are mandatory for returning travellers, according to Clinical Labs, the current price is $150 per person.
If you want to travel to Fiji, it is mandatory to initially stay at an approved hotel for three days before then moving on to your chosen destination. Travellers in Fiji will also be required to provide a rapid Covid test result within 48 hours as well as confirmation of a negative Covid result before boarding a flight home – which roughly costs around $225 as per Daily Mail.
In countries like Indonesia, some hotels will not accept guests if they don’t have proof of travel insurance – and if you happen to, unfortunately, contract Covid during your stay, you must apparently isolate yourself in a hotel at your own expense. And with limited staff at various resorts in Fiji, some people have recommended not heading to Fiji until at least next February 2022 as the ‘guest experience may fall short of expectations.’
Lisa Perkovic from Expedia advised that you need to be thoroughly prepared before booking any flights internationally. She told Nine News that you need to “plan and research where you are going…You need to know what is required for the country you are going to.”
Photo by Alexandr Podvalny from Pexels
