After two years of border closures, Singapore opened its borders with Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL). However, many Singaporeans may be still hesitant to travel while the pandemic continues with Omicron and potential new variants. Travel anxiety may be very real, especially for older folks who may not be familiar with travel procedures, language and navigating around new environments.
One VTL destination has been closely watched by my family: Australia. The birth of the family’s first grandchild meant that we were anxiously waiting for the Australia VTL to open up. Thankfully, the Australia VTL Australia was not derailed by the Omicron variant and my mum (Grandmother) and I made our plans to travel to Australia as the first family representatives to visit Baby S in February 2022.
Read Also: How Much Does It Cost To Travel Via Singapore-Malaysia VTL, Land Or Air
Pre-Departure Jitters
Border control measures are constantly evolving and even the best laid plans can be derailed by something out of your control. In the few weeks right before our departure, the dreaded COVID virus made its round in my family. Thankfully, we are all fully vaccinated (and boosted). Grandmother had mild symptoms and fully recovered in time for trip. I was issued a Health Risk Warning and thankfully managed to remain COVID negative throughout.
Grandmother was officially COVID positive.
Right up to the very week of our flight departure, there was a low-level nervousness about whether we could travel. We had booked flight tickets with unlimited date changes (just in case). I repeatedly checked the various government websites for the required travel procedures and declarations. Applying to enter Australia required us to download two apps and make two different travel declarations – the ETA and ATD, buy adequate travel insurance and take a pre-departure COVID-19 test. We also had to notarise our vaccination certifications.
Notarised vaccination cert
Keeping an eye on travel announcements paid off as the week before our departure, the Australian immigration changed their entry requirements for pre-departure COVID-19 test from PCR to Rapid Antigen Test (or what we know as ART). Given that everyone in the family had gotten COVID except me, I was utterly relieved when my pre-departure test results came back negative and I was cleared to travel.
$60 notarised ART pre-departure COVID-19 test results
Smooth Departure And Flight
Once we had all the paperwork and test results in order, checking in to the airport was relatively smooth and painless. Unlike pre-pandemic period, the airport was devoid of the usual crowds. There were dedicated staff ready to assist and clear signages as to where to go. However, it did take more time than usual due to the checking of travel declarations, vaccination status and COVID test results.
Staff assisting Grandmother
A clear sign of the slump in aviation, our flight had plenty of empty seats. Both my mum and I were able to score an entire row of seats to ourselves and enjoyed a restful flight to Australia. Aside from being constantly masked, except when eating or drinking, the flight experience was no different from any pre-pandemic flights.
Regardless, in preparation for any flight delays, I made use of Revolut’s Smart Delay feature* that gives complimentary lounge passes if your flight is delayed by more than one hour. I just needed to input my flight details in the app, and Revolut would keep track of the flight’s departure time and issue the complimentary passes when applicable. Thankfully, our flight took off as scheduled and we were off to Brisbane.
Having fully prepped our travel documents, our arrival at Brisbane Airport was cleared without a hiccup. Again, the process took a little longer than usual, due to additional COVID measures. As we had bought a full tin of Bengawan Solo kueh lapis as a gift, we had to go through bio-security clearance. Aside from a second sniff by the security dog at my cat-scented luggage, we cleared customs uneventfully.
Arriving with gifts
Fresh Air Of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Still the most important reason for our travel was the all-important meeting with the family’s first grandchild, Baby S. If not for Baby S, we would not have travelled out of Singapore due to all the uncertainty.
Grandmother’s first meeting with Baby S
Arrival in Brisbane was a breath of fresh air, literally. Unlike Singapore, Queensland only requires mask-on for indoor settings. Once we exited the airport, we were free to take off our masks and take in the sweet scent of fresh outdoor air. Our arrival also coincided with the removal of check-in entry requirements (their equivalent of SafeEntry), so it was a breeze to go out and about our travels. Naturally, we took full advantage of this freedom to enjoy the sights of Brisbane with Baby S.
Strolls with Baby S, mask-free outdoors in Brisbane
Baby S having a blast at the beach
Beautiful shoreline of the Sunshine Coast
While the best things in life may be free, like outdoor strolls with your new grandchild, we will need to pay for things in life. This is where a good multicurrency card, like Revolut, can come in handy. The great thing about multicurrency cards, like Revolut, is the absence of additional forex transactions fees and favourable exchange rates. For example, Grandmother was able to exchange even small amounts of money at a rate close to the interbank forex rate.
Exchanging $100 at close to interbank forex rate
This means she was able to spend without worries about exchange rates when overseas. Even when her Australian dollars amount was insufficient for the transaction, Revolut would instantly convert her available Singapore dollars to fulfill the transaction, thus avoiding any awkward moments at the cashier.
Grandmother shopping for daily essentials, new clothes for Baby S, new shoes for more strolls
Seafood feasting, market shopping and café hopping in Brisbane
Duty Free Shop Online
Returning to Singapore is less anxiety-inducing as we are returning home and a place of familiarity. Still, it bears noting that Singaporeans also must submit an electronic health declaration and obtain a negative COVID test result.
Note: currently, there is an exemption from pre-departure COVID testing for recently recovered COVID-19 patients who were infected 7 – 90 days before the date of departure for Singapore. Travellers will have to show proof of a positive COVID-19 infection via a professionally administered PCR or ART test or a medical discharge memo issued by a relevant state authority or licensed medical professional. Please check SafeTravel for updated information.
If you intend to do duty free shopping at Changi Airport, do note that you can also buy online and get your goods delivered in Singapore or collected at the airport. As a present for my niece and sister-in-law, I ordered a Hegen milk bottle set through iShopChangi for their upcoming trip to Singapore to visit the extended family.
Read Also: Complete Guide To Shopping At iShopChangi – What You Can Buy And Do You Really Save Money?
How Difficult Is Travelling During A Pandemic For A Grandmother?
For Grandmother, the presence of a travel companion/assistant (yours truly) did ease her worries significantly as she would have found it difficult to navigate the various travel procedures, declarations and changing regulations. Regardless, it is still doable as the aviation staff are very helpful and understanding. Just remember to buffer sufficient time for your pre-departure COVID tests and fill up the necessary declarations.
One thing she did not worry about was currency exchange as we made full use of the Revolut card. For her, using the Revolut card was no different from using a normal credit card. As the exchange rates were more favourable than going to a money-changer, Grandmother was very happy to use the Revolut foreign exchange function. She could top up her account easily using the app and track her expense, which gave her peace of mind as she was worried about all the cases of overseas fraudulent transactions. Additionally, I could also top up her account as a fellow Revolut user. The added feature of Smart Delay also made it handy for any potential flight delays.
Travelling during a pandemic isn’t as scary as it seems, even for a senior. We just need to ensure we are up to date with the latest requirements and pay more attention to our preparations. It was well worth the effort as it was a joy to take a break from Singapore and enjoy the fresh air of Australia.
If you are interested, you can sign up for the Revolut card here.
*Smart Delay feature is only available to Revolut Premium and Metal customers.
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