Some Qantas and Jetstar customers have had their Christmas travel plans thwarted as the airlines scale back flights to and from New Zealand. The companies say the decision is based on managed isolation facilities in New Zealand reaching capacity.
Before Covid-19 hit, Qantas was operating about 130 flights across the Tasman a week and Jetstar was operating 48 a week.
But in a statement issued today, the companies said border restrictions and limited managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities in New Zealand meant that flights would be less.
"Qantas will operate two services a week between Sydney and Auckland, with Jetstar to operate two to three flights a week from Sydney to Auckland until the end of January," the statement read.
"This may change with extra flights added if a two-way bubble between Australia and New Zealand is introduced."
Customers who already have a voucher for managed isolation and who have had a cancelled flight will be re-accommodated by Air New Zealand services or moved to another Qantas or Jetstar flight.
All other customers will receive a credit to the value of their booking, valid to the end of 2022.
A Qantas group spokesperson told 1 NEWS the company is "working with New Zealand authorities to ensure that our schedules align with available quarantine spaces".
"We’d also like to remind passengers who are looking to book flights that they must have an allocated quarantine space before they purchase a flight," the spokesperson said.
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