1. Search for flights
Use whatever method you prefer for your flight quote, whether through an online search, your favourite travel agent or directly through an airline company.
2. Check each flight number – has it been flying into Australia?
It is possible that the one or more of the flights on your flight quote are not currently flying to Australia. If this is the case, it could be that the airline is planning for the flight to fly, possibly based on the assumption that international arrival caps will raise or be abolished by the time of the flight. To give yourself the best chances of flying, you may wish to make sure all the flight numbers on your planned itinerary have been flying regularly into Australia.
To perform step 2, choose one of the following (as shown by your itinerary)…
- One direct flight to Australia (no stopover)
- Two legs on your flight to Australia (one stopover)
- Three legs on your flight to Australia (two stopovers)
- Check that flight by using this tool – this flight will have an Australian capital city (e.g. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth) as the destination. This is the most important flight number for you to check; if the flight has not been flying in regularly to Australia and the current or similar international arrival caps remain in place, the chance of this flight being cancelled is very high.
- First leg: Check the first leg of your journey by using this tool – as the destination of this flight (your stopover city) is not an Australian capital city (and not subject to Australian arrival caps), the chance of this flight being cancelled is low.
- Second leg: Check the second leg of your journey by using this tool (it is different to the first tool) – this flight will have an Australian capital city (e.g. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth) as the destination. This is the most important flight number for you to check; if the flight has not been flying in regularly to Australia and the current or similar international arrival caps remain in place, the chance of this flight being cancelled is very high.
- First leg: The first leg cannot be checked using the tools provided on this website. As the destination of this flight is not an Australian capital city (and not subject to Australian arrival caps), the chance of this flight being cancelled is low.
- Second leg: Check the second leg of your journey by using this tool. As the destination of this flight is not an Australian capital city (and not subject to Australian arrival caps), the chance of this flight being cancelled is low.
- Third/final leg: Check the second leg of your journey by using this tool (it is different to the first tool) – this flight will have an Australian capital city (e.g. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth) as the destination. This is the most important flight number for you to check; if the flight has not been flying in regularly to Australia and the current or similar international arrival caps remain in place, the chance of this flight being cancelled is very high.
3. Decide whether to buy the ticket
If the flights you are considering to purchase have been regularly flying into Australia (you hopefully checked this in step 2), you may feel more confident buying your ticket at least knowing that you are choosing flights that will most likely fly. However, closer to the departure date, the flight to Australia may still be cancelled (or you may be bumped from the flight, or the flight may become cargo-only). Only buy the ticket if you are prepared to accept these possible outcomes. You may have less chance of being bumped from a flight if you buy a first or business class seat.
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