Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: MIQ demand drops, but Australia unvaccinated returnees have few options

LATAM Airlines remains the only carrier not requiring vaccinations on links between Australia and New Zealand. Photo / Brett Phibbs

New self-isolation rules and shorter stays have meant demand for MIQ spaces has plunged. However, some returnees from Australia will still be required to receive an allocated space in MIQ in spite of new home-quarantine from Monday.

The last allocation on February 17 had "the lowest number of people participating since MIQ's online lobby releases began", a spokesperson said.

Just 75 of the 965 international passengers with allocations were from Australia.

As another 4500 spaces were released for the end of February, March and April, MIQ predicts that demand from Australia will drop further, given the option for vaccinated travellers to bypass MIQ from February 28, but it will not stop completely.

"There are people in Australia who continue to need MIQ in order to travel to New Zealand."

Unvaccinated travellers, even with a vaccine exemption, will still need to book a place in MIQ.

For unvaccinated passengers without an exemption there will be limited commercial options for returning from Australia.

From February 28, the only flights carrying unvaccinated passengers from Australia in the Managed Isolation Allocation System are with Latam airlines.

Latam is not due to return to Auckland until the end of March, with spaces aboard their stopover service from Sydney to Santiago.

"Latam will adhere to all New Zealand Government protocols, as it does with other countries it operates in. Latam will operate services from 29 March and passengers with travel exemptions will be able to fly with Latam to/from New Zealand," said Chris Ellis, Latam Airlines' area manager for Oceania.

"LATAM will transport unvaccinated passengers if the country permits," said the airline.

Passengers travelling from Australia with a valid vaccination exemption are asked to email flightchanges@miq.govt.nz, with their proposed date of travel and your vaccine exemption at least 48 hours before flying.

Travellers are advised to make sure their airline accepts exemptions and is willing to fly you.

Air New Zealand says it will review exemptions on a case-by-case basis. Exemption forms need to be submitted to the airline by the passenger and their doctor, no later than 7 days before departure.

• For more details visit miq.govt.nz

Self-isolation and RAT pilot reveals findings

From 11.59pm on February 27, vaccinated New Zealanders and eligible travellers from Australia will be able to enter New Zealand without staying in MIQ.

The findings of a pilot study of 79 passengers trialling self-isolation were published last Thursday.

It was described as a "high-trust model", with minimal oversight from the monitoring service.

Although the report by MBIE identified no breaches during the trial, both participants and those monitoring expressed concerns it would be "possible to evade the monitoring if you wanted to".

Participants said they were "satisfied or very satisfied with their self-isolation experience," although some reported that they found the required isolation time "excessive".

The trial period took place between November 1 and December 18.

From the perspective of passengers, the option for self-isolation was far preferable to MIQ.

"The successful completion of the pilot is due to the commitment of all partners," MIQ head Chris Bunny said.