The launch of Qantas and Jetstar’s massive sale comes at the perfect time for millions of Australians cooped up at home or desperately missing interstate family and friends.
Budget airline Jetstar has released 10,000 one-way fares for $19, servicing 22 routes including Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Gold Coast, Melbourne to Byron Bay (Ballina), Brisbane to Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) and Adelaide to Cairns.
Other fares available for sale from 9.00am Friday until Monday night, unless sold prior, is a $49 flight from Brisbane to Mackay as well as $79 from Sydney to Hamilton Island and Brisbane to Darwin.
More discounted flights will be released to service Western Australia and Tasmania once the border restrictions are eased.
Qantas is offering its 13 million frequent flyers triple points on all flights nationwide across 92 routes and 57 destinations from 27 June until 31 October 2020.
“There is huge pent up demand for air travel, with people wanting to get away after months of being stuck at home,” Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said.
“Our research tells us more than 75 per cent of Australians intend to fly in the next six months.
“We know that these low fares will encourage even more people to get on a flight to take a short holiday or visit family and friends.
“We’ve already seen our flights from Sydney to Cairns fill up on the days after the proposed Queensland border opening date of 10 July 2020, so we’re adding more.”
Mr Joyce said it was a perfect opportunity to take advantage of state borders opening up and visit those local gems, such as the Barossa Valley in South Australia and Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.
“As the national carrier we have an important role to play in driving tourism and reviving the industry that has been devastated by COVID-19,” he said.
“There are one million people who work in tourism across Australia.
“The entire industry, from hotel providers to small tourism operators, are struggling to make a post pandemic comeback.
“We have a lot of aircraft on the ground with fixed costs attached to them, so if we can put some of them back in the air by offering special fares, it’s a positive for us, for our people, for tourism and for consumers.”
Both airlines are offering customers greater flexibility when they book, with the ability to change the date of their flight once, without paying a change fee.
Customers will have to cover any fare increases, if relevant, for a new booking.
The sale is based on state borders opening up in the coming weeks. On Thursday the Northern Territory government said it would reopen its borders to interstate travellers on July 17 with no need to quarantine. Queensland’s border is set to open on 10 July if the COVID recovery remains on track.
There are no current restrictions on entering NSW, Victoria or travelling to the ACT from within NSW. South Australia quarantine requirements will eased on 20 July.
However WA’s borders remain closed except for those with specific exemptions. Those entering Tasmania for non-essential reasons also still have to quarantine for 14 days.
Check the latest state border requirements here.
$19 FLIGHTS
• Adelaide – Melbourne 21 July – 17 Sept, 7 Oct – 31 Oct
• Adelaide – Sydney 21 July – 17 Sept, 7 Oct – 31 Oct
• Adelaide – Cairns 13 August – 17 Sept, 7 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne (Avalon) – Gold Coast 15 July – 10 Sept, 7 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne (Avalon) – Sydney 21 July – 17 Sept 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Brisbane – Sydney 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Brisbane – Proserpine 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Brisbane – Townsville 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne – Ballina 14 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Sydney – Ballina 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne – Cairns 14 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Cairns – Gold Coast 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Sydney – Cairns 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne – Sunshine Coast 14 July – 24 Sept, 13 Oct – 31 Oct
• Sydney – Sunshine Coast 16 July – 24 Sept, 13 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne – Newcastle 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne – Gold Coast 14 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Melbourne – Sydney 4 August – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Newcastle – Gold Coast 21 July – 17 Sept, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Sydney – Proserpine 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Sydney – Townsville 21 July – 17 Sep, 6 Oct – 31 Oct
• Sydney – Gold Coast 21 July – 24 Sept, 13 Oct – 31 Oct
