Every week we're going to check in with Travel Josh Engstrom, Travel Expert from Liberty Travel to get an update on flights between the United States and Australia. This is the update for the week of the 3rd of June, 2020.
Information is changing regularly so be sure to check back each week for updates.
Please note that all flights coming into Australia, have reciprocal flights leaving, so while the schedules will be different, if you see an airline coming in – they will also be leaving to go back to point of origin.
Airlines that have changed flights or plans
United (UA)
Still the most reliable route to Australia for New York-based expats. Daily service from San Francisco to Sydney through June/July – still have not had any problems with these flights.
Unfortunately, it looks like due to domestic travel issues, some days (not all) the flights no longer connect – meaning an overnight in SFO would be required.
Qantas (QF)
Have an update here, LAX route starts again August 1st (SYD/MEL/BNE), great result!
Delta (DL)
Running daily from NYC – SYD (via LAX) from July 2nd – great result!
Airlines and flights that have stayed the same
Emirates (EK) & Etihad (EY)
Have announced plans to operate a select number of international flights from 21 May 2020 – including routes to Sydney & Melbourne The airline has cautioned that travelers from Australia will only be accepted on flights if they comply with the eligibility criteria requirements of their destination countries. This is a work in progress, as they are not yet flying from NYC – Dubai, it’s expected to start very soon (hopefully).
Singapore Airlines (SQ)
Changi Airport is going to open its airport soon to non-Singapore Nationals, this could also be a great option moving forward for non-Sydney residents who don’t want to do the Sydney quarantine (i.e. MEL/ADL/PER/BNE/DRW/CNS residents) again – WIP.
Air New Zealand (NZ)
Still operating services from NYC – SYD/MEL/BNE (via AKL) 2-3 times weekly.
Other news
Airlines continue to offer flexible booking terms for changes, which hopefully help with peace of mind and getting people less fearful of travelling.
Most airlines are now taking serious steps to do social distancing on board, with domestic US services being severely disrupted/selling out as they have decreased their seats on board up to 40%, with mandatory vacant seats between guests.
This is making it difficult to plan even domestic trips away, as the availability has drastically been slashed.
Questions & Bookings
Do you have questions? Do you need travel advice? Contact Josh by his email, [email protected]
