It's going to be a long and expensive ride for any expats coming back to Ireland from Down Under.
Due to lower capacities, lack of demand, and restrictions in each country, getting on a flight home to Dublin is going to be harder in 2020 than any other recent year.
The current advice for those living abroad is not to come home - but if they do and are coming from Oz, they're going to have to go deep into their pockets.
At the moment those coming Australia will also be required to quarantine - there should be some leeway for those who've get pre-flight negative tests done.
If they don't though, they could find themselves coming back only to sit two weeks alone, then get a few days with their families, then back on a long trip.
Here's how much it would cost to fly back from Australia
Melbourne (to Dublin)
Cheapest: €2,082 - One month back home. Flights out on December 2 and back on January 2.
Perth (to Dublin)
This would be on Dec 10th and back on Jan 2nd. The return would be a whopping three-stop 60-hour trip and costs €2,282 for spot.
You'd have to change airport in Paris on the way over and change again in London on the way back.
But the fastest way is half the time and costs €9,371. Beggars can't be choosers.
And Qantas has announced that anyone wishing to fly with them will have to prove they’ve had the COVID vaccine once it’s widely available.
The Australian airline’s Dublin born CEO Alan Joyce says compulsory vaccinations will be a “necessity” once they become available to the public.
And Joyce told Channel 9’s A Current Affair that he believed that rival carriers would also follow suit and insist that passengers had taken the Covid jab.
You can find his full statement here.
