Around here, waiting for big time travel-related announcements is all kinds of exciting. (With a splash of anxiety… for good measure.) So last week’s bombshell from Alan Joyce - CEO of Qantas - announcing that COVID vaccines would be a compulsory requirement for all travellers on Qantas flights when international travel resumes, was definitely one that roused the senses. 

Can an airline do that? Not everyone seems to think so. The backlash that we’ve read so far includes scathing lines such as “it’s child abuse” and “they have no authority to do so”. Come on now, no one’s forcing anyone to fly with Qantas, are they? Feel free to park your unvaccinated butt on another international airline. Best of luck at the other end. 

Joyce’s decision to boldly step forward with a never-before-seen prerequisite for international travel is - in our opinion - simply the first major one out of the gate. Exactly how the international travel industry will be regulated when it comes to COVID-related measures remains to be seen, but if we’re to take this thing seriously when the time comes for us to have the ability to travel abroad again, surely that’s best for all and sundry.

We’d love to know your thoughts - comment below or send us a message. If you had to have a COVID vaccine before travelling internationally again, would you do it?