New Zealand's borders fully open after long pandemic closure

I tried to book a ticket. ¥400000+ and 32 hours. Many flights full. Then to leave Japan you need a tracking app and a PCR test. On arrival you need another PCR test, sign a document and then have a second PCR test between 5-6 days. You also need a tracking app on your smartphone which involves installing a SIM card which many Japanese can’t except because they are locked. Then there is coming back to japan with limited entry numbers and airports. Not vaccinated so the flight via Singapore means about 12 hours in transit, can’t enter the duty free restaurant areas.

i wait to next year…

Does it mention whether you have to be vaccinated or not to enter? I would presume fully open means no vaccination or other requirements? Seems odd considering the NZ government is still in a full media scare campaign about how bad the latest covid wave is.

Honestly didn't expect that the holdouts would eventually win.

Even after the reports from the beginning that all of the measures were going to be temporary anyway?

@Rodney - who were you looking to fly with? No pre-departure testing is required for NZ, 32 hours is ludicrous (direct flights only for me) and checking prices for August it is expensive but I haven’t seen one over ¥320,000 (still too expensive though)

At these prices only the wealthy will be able to travel, which if I am not mistaken is exactly the type of tourists the Adern goverment wants to attract so go figure.

Flight prices are up everywhere but Japan is especially badly affected because of the continuing nonsense border restrictions here that mean far fewer international flights and so higher ticket prices.

@Eastman. Reasonable details here.

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/travel-requirements-new-zealand

so?

so flights are more expensive these days. Routes are more complicated with stayovers.

Many economy RT flights to NZ this month for about JPY120,000.

That's cheap for any time of year, especially for a flight this distance.

wallaceToday  11:21 am JST

so?

so flights are more expensive these days. Routes are more complicated with stayovers.

I think the "so" is in reference to your waaaay off topic comment about:

checking flights to the Isle of Lweis in Scotland. ¥1 million round trip. Economy class and 45 hours.

because a quick look at the title of the article shows the theme is:

New Zealand's borders fully open after long pandemic closure

Regardless, there are RT flights to the Isle of Lweis for about JPY300,000, taking only 25 hours each way.

who were you looking to fly with?

I guess you could be right, I only spent three whole days checking and searching after a relative died and I couldn’t go to the funeral. I wish you could of helped me get there, but too late now. I don’t need vaccination for NZ, not that they work anyway.

I guess you could be right, I only spent three whole days checking and searching after a relative died and I couldn’t go to the funeral.

So, at least a couple of months ago you checked? Pre-departure tests haven’t been required for at least that long. I’ve checked today. You know, because the article is about the border being fully opened since midnight.

now. I don’t need vaccination for NZ, not that they work anyway.

If you'd spent as long studying data relating to vaccines as you claim searching for a flight to New Zealand, you would know that they do work, as well as making you less infectious to others, which is the important thing.