Government to halve flight prices in $1.2bn tourism plan

[milehighclub]

Just saw this on ABC News.

EDIT: Link to article Government to slash domestic airfares to get more Aussies to holiday at home

"The destinations are the Gold Coast, Cairns, the Whitsundays region, the Sunshine Coast, the Lasseter region which includes Uluru, Alice Springs, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, Broome, Avalon, Merimbula and Kangaroo Island.

Routes and the precise number of tickets will be driven by demand and are still being discussed with airlines, but it is estimated an average of 46,000 half-price fares will be offered each week mostly with Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar."

 

[aus_flyer]

In other news... Qantas to double fares on some routes

 

[Seat0B]

In other news... Qantas to double fares on some routes

Sad but probably true. I’ll be watching for details with some interest though as a lot of the destinations look potentially attractive. Mind you I’m still concerned about arbitrary border closures so for me it’s not a total no brainer just yet. Still bearing scars of multiple trips to Vic and Qld affected/prevented by closures.

 

[Scarlett]

Very interesting.
I foresee long weekends to BME and CNS in my future, probably during winter.

I guess key will be which actual routes are subsidised, eg: will it be only PER-BME, or will east coast to BME be allowed. Does 'Whitsundays' mean just PPP or HTI as well? How long before the first AFFer has a spreadsheet of best value SC per subsidised route?

So many questions, so many options, so few leave days...

 

[Scarlett]

<sets alarm for 01 0001 Apr 21>

(which is a Thursday btw)

 

[Mattg]

There was a media embargo on this announcement until 10.30pm AEDT. Now being covered by lots of outlets and will no doubt be front page news tomorrow.

Cheap flights: Cut-price plane tickets to send 800,000 travellers to the regions

Airline tickets will be sold at half price to 800,000 travellers in a federal bid to help the tourism industry recover from the pandemic.

www.smh.com.au

Half-price flights: tourism sector to get 'ticket to recovery'

The government will spend $1.2 billion on a package designed to support the tourism and aviation sectors until...

www.canberratimes.com.au

Looks like the main points are:

• Half-price flights to 13 tourist destinations around Australia from 1 April, up to 800,000 tickets in total
• Qantas & Virgin to receive payments to keep around 8,600 workers in jobs until international travel resumes, which the government is apparently now predicting to happen at the end of October - the same time as Qantas (that's new to me)
• A new interest-free loan scheme for small businesses "graduating" from JobKeeper this month
• Support for domestic & regional air routes to continue, including the waiving of security & Air Services Australia charges for airlines extended until September
• Payments to airport services providers to keep ground handlers in work

 

[CaptJCool]

<sets alarm for 01 0001 Apr 21>

(which is a Thursday btw)

April Fools ?

Hot off the Presses a first by @milehighclub

 

[RooFlyer]

From the Oz online:

 

[jakeseven7]

This is good news hopefully it’s enough.

And hopefully our moronic state premiers stop shutting borders...

QLD CHO has said in a few weeks when all the healthcare workers and elderly are done they will not be closing borders anymore period so other states should follow.

 

[Pushka]

Guarantee to keep state borders open?

 

[jakeseven7]

Guarantee to keep state borders open?

QLD has made a ‘commitment’ to keep borders open regardless of any outbreaks in about 4 weeks time when highly vulnerable and frontline vaccinations are completed but please we can’t even spell guarantee

Other states nothing yet. I’m sure NSW would make a similar commitment.

 

[jakeseven7]

These half price tickets are going to be snapped up in 5 seconds flat....

When you think about it 800,000 isn’t actually that many!

I predict all 3 airline websites will crash under demand when it launches.

 

[RooFlyer]

These half price tickets are going to be snapped up in 5 seconds flat....

When you think about it 800,000 isn’t actually that many!

I predict all 3 airline websites will crash under demand when it launches.

I think they will be released a certain numbers over some weeks.

Restrictions on the number you can buy??

 

[hydrabyss]

These half price tickets are going to be snapped up in 5 seconds flat....

When you think about it 800,000 isn’t actually that many!

I predict all 3 airline websites will crash under demand when it launches.

Its not a huge saving and I doubt there will be sales fares running the same time so on a holiday from Sydney to Cairns you may save $400 on airfares for 2 people but still have over a $1000 on car hire and accommodation for a 3 night stay.

I have changed some of my stay dates in case all goes smoothly and I can get some cheaper airfares but I will wait and see if it only applies to economy tickets.

 

[aus_flyer]

QLD has made a ‘commitment’ to keep borders open regardless of any outbreaks in about 4 weeks time when highly vulnerable and frontline vaccinations are completed but please we can’t even spell guarantee

Other states nothing yet. I’m sure NSW would make a similar commitment.

When did the QLD Chief Health Officer say this?

 

[jakeseven7]

When did the QLD Chief Health Officer say this?

Couple of weeks ago - think I posted the article in the Australia Virus Spread thread (and at that point in time she said 4-6 weeks no more border closures)

 

[Mtchrs]

3 destinations in TAS?
Did the government find a new colour coded spreadsheet..?

 

[Pushka]

QLD has made a ‘commitment’ to keep borders open regardless of any outbreaks in about 4 weeks time when highly vulnerable and frontline vaccinations are completed but please we can’t even spell guarantee

Other states nothing yet. I’m sure NSW would make a similar commitment.

Guarantee to keep state borders open?

Couple of weeks ago - think I posted the article in the Australia Virus Spread thread (and at that point in time she said 4-6 weeks no more border closures)

SA must follow then both for inbound and outbound.

 

[jb747]

It smacks of the Chinese famine theory. There are vast swathes of the country which are being ignored here, with most of the support going to a state which was mostly guilty of "own goals".

Chinese famine theory. You have a famine, and only enough food for half of the population. You have two villages. You give all of the food to one of them. At the end of the famine they'll love you, and the other village will have died out, so who cares.

 

[Saab34]

It smacks of the Chinese famine theory. There are vast swathes of the country which are being ignored here, with most of the support going to a state which was mostly guilty of "own goals".

Chinese famine theory. You have a famine, and only enough food for half of the population. You have two villages. You give all of the food to one of them. At the end of the famine they'll love you, and the other village will have died out, so who cares.

They said it’s just a start. More aspects as the year passes.

Take a chill.