Travel news: beginning of the end of this annoying travel requirement

Anyone who has ever gone overseas has had to deal with one of the most irritating and pointless tasks on their return: the incoming passenger card.

This buff-coloured card is the icing on the irritation cake that is flying back home after a holiday.

First you have to have a pen. Luckily, I always carry one with me, but I have passed mine around a whole row of strangers new to this pointless exercise and who were not expecting to fill it out.

Then you have to fish out your flight details and passport, and a whole bunch of other personal information that will no doubt never be used.

And you have to hope the people in front of you in customs have filled it out properly. We once took an hour to get through one customs gate as a package tour of Chinese people were instructed – in English – that they had not filled their cards out properly. Of course they hadn’t, the card must be filled out in English and no-one spoke English. It was a nightmare.

But, finally, we may be seeing the end of this tedious exercise.

This week, Qantas customers travelling from New Zealand will be the first to trial a new digital replacement for this paper incoming passenger card. Yay!

The option is available for eligible passengers travelling from Auckland to Brisbane (initially on flight QF126). The program will be expanded to include customers travelling from other New Zealand cities to Brisbane in the coming days ahead of additional Australian destinations joining the program early next year.

Instead of filling out a card on the plane, passengers can complete the documentation up to 72 hours before arrival in Australia. Upon completion, customers will receive a QR code (via email and in the Qantas app) that can be shown to Australian Border Force officers, instead of the paper incoming passenger card.

Qantas is looking to expand the program to other countries over the next year. I, for one, welcome the new regime.

Win for Tassie town

Travel publishing icon Lonely Planet has named its Best in Travel Destinations list and the only Australian town listed was Launceston.

The judges named its proximity to local vineyards and natural wonders including bush walks and the Cataract Gorge in its round-up of this Tassie favourite.

Our highlights of ‘Launnie’ include the weekly harvest market, with some Australia’s best produce, period architecture and epic chairlift across the gorge.

It’s quite the achievement for this Aussie favourite, as other winners included Swiss stunner Valais and gorgeous French favourite Toulouse.

What do you think of the incoming passenger card? Glad to see it go? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?

Also read: Tasmania has hundreds of fading and vanishing towns. Where did they go wrong?