Captain Ron

Yes, i know.. and we have two boys as well!! Im very worried, Lol!!!

Any tips or advise on travelling with a very cute but oh so busy, stubborn, compulsive climbing girl-tot turning 3 in November? (with new rules and restrictions)... Sigh Hoping to fly in November - will book next week! Thank you!

Im not sure to be honest. We are only flying November but have been told by a few people and travel agents that Singapore airlines are the most consistent at the moment and not to go with anyone else. Fingers crossed for you and good luck with the new job start in Perth!!

Hi, yes we are using Petair UK and they will sort her flight, fingers crossed. Do they chop and change their flights too?? sigh...

Thank you for your input. That is very helpful. We are a family of 5 with a cat in tow so we will have to stick with Economy . Fingers crossed for your September flight!!

Our PR Visa's were granted today and I am looking for advise on how best to book flights? Im interested to know if others are using travel agents or booking directly with airlines and how reliable the flight schedules are at the moment. Also, anything else we need to consider? We are flexible with travel dates between August and December. Thanks

That was my point...Emirates said they don't have their own rules, which apparently some airlines do. Emirates only care whether you meet the criteria of entry for the countries you are entering. Which tbh I would have expected as standard, but when I spoke to BA yesterday they said I needed 6 months on my passport regardless of where I was travelling. It might just be that this is what airlines recommend in order to avoid these kinds of issues? I should mention that I am aware that the best route forward is to renew my passport, which I have submitted an application for. But unfortunately being a South African this process is very unpredictable and can take more than a year when applied for abroad. Keeping a family of 5 in sync is almost impossible. So the only reason I've asked this question is because currently all our passports are valid and meet the entry requirements for Australia, so I don't want to wait another year to travel if I can avoid it.

What confused me was that depending on which airline you talk to, some will say you need 6 months regardless of your destination and some say you need to meet the entry requirements of the country you're entering. There seems to be a separation between the embassy/government policy and airline policy and airlines can make decisions independently. So ultimately, its an over simplification to say its the travellers responsibility to meet requirements, when some airlines have their own rules. Which is why I got clarification from Emirates.

I've spoken to Emirates and they confirmed that they do not enforce their own rules. You only need to satisfy the entry requirements of any countries you wish to enter on your journey. Because I only intend to pass customs in Australia and the requirement is only to have a valid passport on arrival this seems to be enough. Thanks for the advice on passing immigration, this is important because several stop over flights have overnight stays or connections that require passing through immigration. Most recommend that you book all flights on a single ticket to ensure the airline are aware of your transfer requirements and can advise accordingly. Also worth mentioning that Doha is an integrated airport, so all international transfers can be made without passing through immigration.

From what I've read the rules are dictated by the country and countries you are traveling too. The airlines only police it because they are fined if they allow someone to board, that then gets turned away with invalid documents at their destination. If you meet the entry requirements of your destination and don't enter any countries along the way that you don't meet requirements for, then you should be ok, but I've also seen reports that airlines that don't want to take responsibility for knowing the requirements of every destination country throw a blanket 6 months requirement on travellers. Hopefully this is not the case for the major carriers. I think it's safest to contact the airline I book my flights through before hand and get confirmation from them in writing that I'll be able to board as I already know I'll meet the criteria for getting into Australia. Hopefully I don't end up with someone in a call centre that has no idea how this works. Thanks for you help!

Okay, thank you Paul. The concerning part is that the requirements are checked when you board your initial flight not when you land in each connecting country and each connecting country appears to have different rules for transit. So I suspect this will very much come down to which route and airline we choose. For example: Passengers will be able to transit through Hong Kong if: Their itinerary is contained in a single booking; They meet the entry requirements of their final destination; They have their baggage checked through to the final destination; They have been issued their onward boarding pass(es) from their origin; and The connection time between flights is within 24 hours. Do you know who enforces this when you board your initial flight, is it the airline or some other body? I think I need to contact someone and get more info but the airlines have not been very helpful so far.

We are waiting for our PR visa's to be issued. My husband's current SA passport expires in January next year. (we have applied for another one). I am aware that going into Australia there is no minimum validity period required for entering Australia only that you need a valid passport and Visa. Some countries require 3/6 months left on a passport in order to enter the country. Does anyone know if this still applies if you're not leaving the airport and only transferring onto your next flight. For example, flying to Australia via Singapore or Doha. Thank you for any feedback!

Oh wow, okayyy! So many things to consider here - (have to get our cat's permit before we can book her quarantine space too - still waiting on her bloods!) sigh... so much to do Thanks for the heads up.

Does it open up internationally in April? We will booking flights in June to fly in Sep/October (so my fingers are crossed quarantine is over by then) eeeek

Oh really, wow! I must say we don't know what is in store for us! No flying direct to Melbourne at the moment and quarantine is still a thing... So we going to wait till around June to book flights and see what happens. I hope you are enjoying your time over there now! Im moving a cat and 3 kids

Oh i see, that is great, thanks for sharing your daughter's experience with me! I feel good about it.

Thanks for your input, i appreciate it. High school is new territory for me having both boys in primary school in UK still and its hard enough finding a school here let alone in a new country. Im actually thinking how much better it will be for him to do Grade/Yr 6 'again' (don't know how else to put it) with kids his own age and settling in that way rather than high School to begin with. And like someone else mentioned, it will give me some time to get more familiar with the High Schools in the area. I can't even think of Uni, omg the worry never ends!!

Thanks so much. You make total sense about when he gets older! We are hoping to travel to Melbourne in September so will take the time then to look at areas and schools and hopefully find something nice...

Thank you for telling me, it does make me feel better hearing how your daughter got on, especially having started high school and then back to primary! May I ask how you managed to get a school sorted prior to arriving?

Thanks Cal, very true. School and friends are so important and if he can make some buddies before going into high school that would make me feel at ease and his transition that much smoother!

Thank you - yes i think this is what i need to find out. I have emailed one high school in this regard and I am waiting to see what they have to say - just to give me some idea.. My middle child is currently in YR 2 and at the right age to go into Grade 3 in Melbourne - but My eldest misses it by 2 months or so.. So it is a case of, am i looking at high school for one or primary for them both.. :)... Im okay with him doing the Grade 6 in Oz to be honest, he is one of the youngest in Year 6 here. Hope you are enjoying Adelaide! Did you go before or after covid? Very interested to find out about your journey over there!!

Hello, thank you - We will be moving to Melbourne which is April, and his birthdate is June - so not by too much but ive read how rigid it is. I have emailed one high school to see what they say!!

Ok got it! No I meant 'again'.. as in doing year 6 'again', but doing it differently - Im also okay with it.

Thanks so much. It has been something that I have had to get my head around - Going in to high school vs doing yr 6 'again' - but i understand now how the age with peers and different curriculum as you mentioned is more important. Are the Years and Grades the same? So UK year 6 the same as saying Australia Year 6?