Overview
With international travel banned indefinitely and many Australian states and territories closing their borders, travel is in no one's immediate plans — and the airline industry is responding accordingly.
In late March, Qantas and Jetstar suspended all international flights and cut domestic flights by 60 percent, temporarily stepping down two-thirds of their 30,000-person staff in the process. Virgin Australia also suspended all international flights from March 30 — and cut domestic flights by 50 percent — but is now reducing its local capacity even further.
From yesterday, Friday, April 10, Virgin Australia has suspended all domestic passenger flights except for a return service between Melbourne and Sydney, running once daily except Saturdays. In a statement on the airline's website, the group said "Demand for travel has continued to decline with border restrictions and the need for people to stay home due to social distancing measures."
Tasmania, WA, SA, NT and Queensland have all closed their borders to non-essential travel and require interstate visitors to quarantine for 14 days. And, as of yesterday, Queenslanders are required to obtain a permit to cross back over the border from interstate, too.
These measures are similar to those currently in place for Australians returning from overseas, which mandates compulsory 14-day isolation periods for all international travellers
Qantas and Jetstar haven't yet announced further cuts to their domestic flights, and all three airlines currently working with the government to help bring stranded Australians home. Qantas is helping bring Aussies back from Peru, Argentina and South Africa, while Virgin Australia is running flights to Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
If you have ticket for travel up to June 30, 2020, Virgin Australian will let you change your booking or cancel and request a travel credit with no change and cancellation fees. You can find out more about this on its website.
For more information about Virgin Australia's reductions, visit its website. For further details about Qantas and Jetstar's plans, visit the company's website.