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Overview
This Air New Zealand ticket was used by Alan Gibson to fly from the United States to New Zealand on 9 October 2021. Purchasing the ticket was the just first step in crossing New Zealand’s strictly controlled border during the Covid-19 pandemic. He then needed to secure a spot in Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).
Managed Isolation and Quarantine are key parts of New Zealand’s border control strategy. Until mid-November 2021, international arrivals to New Zealand were required to stay in managed isolation for 14 days, and be clear of Covid-19 symptoms for at least 72 hours before they could leave (four Covid-19 swab tests were conducted during Alan's 14 days: Day 0 (arrival day), Day 3, Day 6, and Day 12). MIQ is a legal requirement under the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Order 2020. MIQ systems have evolved throughout the pandemic as new information and new variants have emerged. Since July 2020 the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has been responsible for MIQ facilities, supported by almost 1000 defence personnel.
Alan Gibson holds dual citizenship in New Zealand and the United States, and was returning to New Zealand to reunite with his partner whom he hadn’t seen for 19 months because of Covid-19, and to reconnect with family. He had worked from home in San Francisco since March 2020, and had carefully avoided contracting Covid which was rife in the United States. He wrote the following about his experiences of booking his tickets and securing an MIQ spot:
‘I booked my MIQ slot on the first day a new tranche of slots became available for September/October 2021. The MIQ website was straightforward and I easily secured a spot, pending flight confirmation within 48 hours. However, complications arose when I booked a return flight with United Airlines, only to find that the MIQ website did not recognize the inbound United Airlines flight. At that point, courtesy of a friend with MIQ connections, I learnt about the concept of “ghost flights.” These were flights offered by United Airlines that had not yet received landing permission from New Zealand and so were not entered into the MIQ system. While they might be approved in the future, the risk would be that they would not be approved in time to secure a remaining MIQ slot. So I had to cancel that ticket (luckily within the 24-hour 100% cancellation window) and then purchase [an] Air New Zealand flight that was definitely in the MIQ system. Once I could cite that specific flight, I was able to finalize my MIQ slot on July 27, 2021 (NZ time). Luckily, at that stage, there was not the pressure on MIQ slots that has subsequently developed so it was possible to take a couple of days to resubmit a request. I received my MIQ voucher electronically.’