Second, you are going only to Perth and seem to have no wish for a break along the way. You want a
straightforward commodity (a return trip from London to Perth) rather than a complex travel product (eg a
different city stopover in either direction). So you can happily wait until 24 hours ahead and see what is
around. A glimpse at tomorrow shows some silly prices, with a cluster of £700 return deals on Malaysia
Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai.
The Qantas nonstop, which may appeal because it avoids any stopover, is priced at more than twice as
much. But at this stage a connection in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok looks reasonable and low risk.
While international airports are, relatively speaking, hazardous because of the vast range of potential
infections brought in from around the world, scrupulous personal hygiene can help minimise the threat.
Third, no one knows how widely the coronavirus will spread in the next two months. I can see no pressing
reason to make a commitment on travel well in advance, and that means it is probably worth postponing a
decision. Finally, the later you leave a decision, the less likely you are to find that the flight is subsequently
cancelled due to lack of demand. A Wizz Air trip that I had for April (which was booked well ahead) has just
been grounded, and I am now having to find some kind of replacement.
So I would provisionally ask your family in Australia to get the barbecue prepared, but wait for a signal
about when exactly you will touch down.
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