Over the last few weeks, I traveled through the Philippines, Thailand and Kazakhstan and not once did I fill in any paper-based immigration or customs forms, despite multiple entry and exit border crossings. It was a totally seamless effort to fly between those countries, with the most taxing being navigating, for the first time, the Philippines eGOV eTravel app.
Australia is finally catching up
That blissful approach to border control relied on digital applications, but not in my home country of Australia, where it was back to a pen-and-paper system and long queues at the airport. Trying to find a pen in a dark cabin in the middle of the night at the tail end of a long-haul flight is a frustration endured by many travelers arriving in Australia, and ticking the wrong box will only add to the misery further during the airport checks.
Photo: Vidit Luthra | Shutterstock
However, today, I learned that Qantas customers traveling from New Zealand have become the first to experience a fast-tracked arrival process. This gives me hope that I may one day enjoy experiences in Melbourne similar to those I had in Kazakhstan, Thailand, the Philippines, and many other overseas destinations.
Related Qantas Unveils A321XLR Cabins And Crews Start Training For 2025 Launch Qantas expects to receive the first of 28 Airbus A321XLRs in April 2025 and has started training pilots on its new simulator.
In a joint initiative with the Australian Government, Qantas is the first to pilot the digital Australia Travel Declaration, which is a digital replacement for the current paper Incoming Passenger Card. The pilot program has commenced and is now available between New Zealand and Australia on Qantas flight QF126 from Auckland Airport (AKL) to Brisbane Airport (BNE).
Photo: Brisbane Airport Corporation
Qantas said that the use of the digital Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) will be expanded to include passengers traveling from other New Zealand cities to Brisbane in the coming days. Additional Australian destinations will be added to the ATD program early next year, while more international destinations will be added in the coming months.
Qantas agrees that finding a pen is an issue
Qantas Chief Customer and Digital Officer Catriona Larritt said that Qantas is delighted to partner with the Federal Government to make flying into Australia that little bit easier for millions of tourists and Australians each year. She added:
Qantas First To Pilot Australian Digital Travel Declarations
