The MIQ Chronicles: Prelude.

MIQ: Managed Isolation and Quarantine — The official Kiwi acronym for the current 14 days compulsory quarantine for all international arrivals to New Zealand.

Back in October 2020, and on the urging of my sister in Singapore, I decided to begin booking a Christmas break in New Zealand to visit my ninety-year-old parents, travelling from Sydney where I currently live. There was a sudden sense of urgency as on 16 October, Australia had begun allowing quarantine free entry into New South Wales (NSW) for New Zealanders.

Before this date flying to New Zealand meant effectively a months quarantine: 14 days on arrival in Auckland with an additional 14 days on the return to Australia. It quickly became obvious it was better to book sooner rather than closer to the holiday period, due to the actual greatly reduced number of trans Tasman flights and, more importantly, quarantine hotel availability in Auckland.

We all live overseas and had been taking turns to visit my parents on a vague rotating basis multiple times a year since they retired to New Zealand 20 years ago. They are very well looked after in a retirement village but were naturally getting anxious about not seeing any of us for this extended period.

The virus has effectively turned the whole booking process on its head.

Firstly, you register with the MIQ website, which in turn confirms your legibility to travel (mainly Kiwi passport, although other passport holders may comply). Once that’s obtained, you input your preferred date of travel, (with the website going through the usual geeky ‘thinking’ thing), finding (yeh!) there is quarantine hotel availability on your preferred travel date. You now have 48 hours to book your flight, come back to the MIQ website, and input your flight number and flight reference code (airline record locator). A voucher is then issued (to be printed off) without which you cannot board your flight.

All was good to go, except it wasn’t.

A week or so after booking the flight and the printing of the voucher, the airline advises by email that there has been ‘an itinerary change’. Actually a change of flight number: same flight, same record locator, different flight number.

What??!!

OK, so no big deal. Wait! Yes, it is, as there is now an incorrect flight number on that all-important voucher!

Panic. Calls to the airline (‘What’s this about?!!!’ Ummm. Operational procedural update, sir. ‘Do you release…!!??’ Yes, sir but…‘OK, forget it!!!’). To MIQ itself (yes, you need to cancel the original voucher application and reapply and re-book. ‘Yes, I’ll do that. Thanks so much!!’) Great!!!

I then passed an anxious time cancelling (never an easy website thing to at the best of times), re-checking availability and re-booking a hotel place for the now booked flight, with the different flight number.

God, bureaucracy, save us all!

Fortunately, my preferred travel date was still available and there were no issues checking in, although judging by a number of irate passengers at the counters yesterday when I checked in, I wonder how many had been caught out by this very same issue.

Next.

The MIQ Chronicles: Travel Day— to be continued…