COVID-19: South Australia to open borders with NSW from 24 September

Yipee! I will be off to Adelaide as soon as I can, to visit family and conclude some business! That is as long as NSW confirms on Wednesday (22 September) that there have been no new cases of community transmission of COVID-19.

Arrivals from NSW into South Australia will no longer have to complete 14 days of self quarantine.

To celebrate this opening, Qantas Group’s low-cost carrier is expected to have a flash sale in the next 24 hours according to news.com outlets.

Content of this Post:

Qantas Flights

Qantas, who haven’t been flying between Adelaide and Sydney since July has already scheduled flights from Thursday 24 September:

QF735 – Sydney to Adelaide 9:15 am
QF740 – Adelaide to Sydney 11:40 am

Prices are over AU$200 each way for a Red e-Deal, and up around the AU$500 mark for flexible fares.

I watched the lower fares disappear in front of my eyes a few minutes ago!

Jetstar Flights

These are running with one direct flight a day to Adelaide, and sometimes a second flight out of Adelaide:

JQ768 – Sydney to Adelaide 14:50
JQ761 – Adelaide to Sydney 09:25
JQ767 – Adelaide to Sydney 17:10 (from October?)

Jetstar is expected to increase flights from 5 times a week to twice daily from October 1st and then increase again to 3 times daily form 1 November.

Jetstar Flash Sale

Expect this in the next 24 hours

Virgin Australia Flights

Virgin continues to run one direct flight a day to Adelaide from Sydney:

VA426 – Sydney to Adelaide 15:45
VA409 – Adelaide to Sydney 08:00

These flights are around AU$352 return or about AU$176 per leg.

Virgin return flights from Adelaide to Sydney will increase to daily from October 2, and to twice a day from 2 November. You can book these flights from tomorrow (23 September).

COVID related near empty Qantas Sydney Business lounge back in March 2020

2PAXfly Takeout

Well, I did predict this would happen soon, and it looks like they left it until the beginning of 2023 to make the announcements.

I’m very excited to be catching a plane, and going to see my family and friends in Adelaide for the first time since mid-March 2020! I just hope I don’t feel that COVID related anxiety in the lounge and on the plane that I felt back in March.

This also indicates a further relaxation of state border restrictions, which will help the airlines, and other businesses in their recovery.

I’m excited like a child – which incidentally is part of my family business – meeting my new 3-month-old relation!