Government to halve flight prices in $1.2bn tourism plan

[hydrabyss]

I have accommodation booked for Cairns for a few stays this year but with the flight times that are available are either early am or late pm departures for the 1/2 price fares. So with the recent announcement of travelling to NZ starting soon I am thinking of going there instead. The only real issue is VA don't fly there until October but considering I don't need the status credits for some time I suppose I can fly with someone else.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I had a look at the 'sale' fares to NZ and cheapest from East Coast to anywhere Kiwi appeared to be around $350-$400 each way.

Couldn't find direct CNS-AKL flights in May, but one SC sweet spot was CNS to AKL J via BNE for about $1,150 and 140 SCs. Hardly a bargain but it's all relative. I didn't bite.

Hey, AFF is alive again!

cheers skip

 

[Mattg]

I had a look at the 'sale' fares to NZ and cheapest from East Coast to anywhere Kiwi appeared to be around $350-$400 each way.

Couldn't find direct CNS-AKL flights in May, but one SC sweet spot was CNS to AKL J via BNE for about $1,150 and 140 SCs. Hardly a bargain but it's all relative. I didn't bite.

Hey, AFF is alive again!

cheers skip

I suspect the airfares to New Zealand will come down a bit in a few weeks or months.

In the meantime, all seats on Qantas flights are currently available to book using points (but for the first 3 days only).

 

[PineappleSkip]

All economy seats maybe. I couldn't find a J award anywhere, but plenty of J fares. Possibly the have all been snaffled, but seems unlikely - I was looking in mid May

Cheers skip

 

[Mattg]

All economy seats maybe. I couldn't find a J award anywhere, but plenty of J fares. Possibly the have all been snaffled, but seems unlikely - I was looking in mid May

Cheers skip

Sorry, my wording was very clumsy and I've updated my post. The Points Planes (all seats available) are only from 19-21 April. On other dates for the rest of 2021, award availability to NZ is supposed to be 50% higher.

 

[burmans]

All economy seats maybe. I couldn't find a J award anywhere, but plenty of J fares. Possibly the have all been snaffled, but seems unlikely - I was looking in mid May

Cheers skip

I got in quite early as I'm keen to see some family. When I was looking both economy and business rewards were available though business was showing as 'only a few seats left'.

 

[jakeseven7]

I got in quite early as I'm keen to see some family. When I was looking both economy and business rewards were available though business was showing as 'only a few seats left'.

Whilst I haven't been game (don't trust a trigger happy NZ more than anything) my family has and have grabbed 4 A330 J class classic rewards.

They had no problem finding them, but imagine they won't last as appears to be doing a healthy business...

 

[wendlle]

So the sale fares have ended and today I found out I need to fly from Merimbula to Melbourne and the flights were $99 and now they are double that
Anyone think this might be extended or offered again? Is there any data to show how many tickets weren’t taken up?
Failing this I can also fly from Canberra but prices are high with both Qantas and virgin
Do sale fares come up often? Dates are in mid June

 

[aikman]

So the sale fares have ended and today I found out I need to fly from Merimbula to Melbourne and the flights were $99 and now they are double that
Anyone think this might be extended or offered again? Is there any data to show how many tickets weren’t taken up?
Failing this I can also fly from Canberra but prices are high with both Qantas and virgin
Do sale fares come up often? Dates are in mid June

The sale is still going. Surprisingly there are still seats left eg. MIM-MEL $95 on June 17.

 

[wendlle]

Oh yes my bad sorry I really only looked at the dates I wanted and nothing came up so I just assumed it finished Also found some with REX for the same price so if Qantas have some the same would rather them as I still have lounge access with the fast track application

 

[AIRwin]

Looks like the Jetstar bundles are also 50% off.

Guess it's not surprising that the 50% difference in the bundle is also charged for any changes if there are no longer half price fares on the new flight which I've just discovered...

 

[CaptJCool]

I figured tics were on sale til at least 31 July

So here’s a data point for you

immediately after the Adelaide event at star of Siam I took a look and there were Zero half price fares to Melb for the following weekend.... by Tues or We’d there were...

go figure .
presumably as fares aren’t bought they are re-allocated to a future date ?

 

[AIRwin]

Just received an email from QF that more seats have been added for August/September travel...

 

[aikman]

When a half price fare is more expensive than a normal fare.

 

[MooTime]

When a half price fare is more expensive than a normal fare.

View attachment 248333

But it's 5mins longer trip for the $6 saving.

 

[blackcat20]

But it's 5mins longer trip for the $6 saving.

Or $6 for a sleep in....

 

[Spongbob]

Really early morning flights are almost always cheaper than mid-morning flights.

 

[AIRwin]

Half price fares out of BNE still included BME yesterday but I just noticed that it's no longer advertised...

 

[OZDUCK]

Half price fares out of BNE still included BME yesterday but I just noticed that it's no longer advertised...

Possibly very little accommodation available so bookings are down?

 

[Mattg]

Next Saturday, 31 July is the last date to book the half-price flights, for travel until end of September.

There are still lots of half-price seats available on some routes, e.g. MEL-HBA, MEL-LST, MEL-ADL, ADL-KGC or ADL-OOL.