Flying to Australia is a challenge at the moment, thanks to limitations imposed by the Australian Government on international arrivals. Qatar Airways even quantified how many people it was permitted on each flight. Happily I have my ducks in a row and I should manage to fly.

It has been an interesting journey since I originally booked my airline tickets back in February. There have been changes in origin, destination, connecting points and more, thanks to schedule changes and cancellations.

With My Ducks In A Row, Here’s The Plan

Things will kick off in locked down Ireland, with an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to London Heathrow. After a few hours in the Galleries First Class lounge, I will head off on British Airways to Stockholm Arlanda.

That evening, I will be a guest of the Radisson Blu Airport Terminal Hotel at the airport. Next morning, I have an early flight on Qatar Airways from Stockholm to Doha. After a few hours at the Al Mourjan Lounge in Doha, I will be on board a flight to Adelaide.


For the next 14 days I will be in mandatory hotel quarantine, unable to leave my hotel room. It’s not ideal, but it is part and parcel of arriving into Australia right now. Once released, I have a night in the brand new Crowne Plaza Adelaide before flying the next morning to Sydney on Qantas.

I will spend just shy of three weeks in Sydney before flying back to Dublin via Doha on Qatar Airways. Everything is now planned, all that remains to be seen is whether I’ll make it on board.

Why Wouldn’t You Make It?

Anything can change between now and flight time. There have been many documented reports of people being bumped from the Australia flights due to the arrivals restrictions I mentioned before, for example.

For this reason, I booked flexible rates with the hotels so I can cancel without penalty. The airlines will also allow me to swap for vouchers, so financially I am relatively protected if it all goes pear shaped. What with rising Coronavirus cases throughout Europe, it remains to be seen if I will get away.

Overall Thoughts

With my ducks in a row, it is entirely possible things will work and I will fly as scheduled. I’ve used my airline booking reference so many times that I know it off the top of my head at this point.

I am pleased that my 21 hour layover in Doha, which would have meant three days of travel, was changed by Qatar Airways to a better set of flights without prompting from me. The trip is as efficient as it can be, so fingers crossed I get away. Otherwise those ducks in a row will be at risk of being hunted!

Are you planning any travel before the end of the year? How are you finding the whole flight and booking situation? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Featured image via Aviation24.be.
Adelaide by Normangerman via Wikimedia Commons.