How to save on holiday airfares as prices go through the roof

It’s the busiest time of the year for travellers – but if you’re smart it’s still possible to save hundreds of dollars on airfares.

Jeremy Piercetourism reporter

@GoldCoastBureau

3 min read

December 11, 2022 - 5:58AM

The Sunday Mail (Qld)

Lifestyle

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Savvy travellers are beating the Christmas crush by snapping up flights hundreds of dollars cheaper than peak holiday prices.

For the first Christmas in three years, holiday-makers are free to travel without the threat of border closures or snap lockdowns, with more than five million passenger movements expected through Queensland airports over the coming weeks.

Brisbane Airport is expecting its busiest holiday season in years. Picture: David Clark

The soaring demand has been met with surging prices, but according to data from Flight Centre, it is still possible to book last-minute return flights through the Christmas-new year period to some of the country’s busiest destinations for less than $300.

During peak periods over the same time frame, the same journey could cost almost $2000.

The coronavirus sent many regular Christmas travellers into a two-year slumber, with many now caught out by high prices.

However, Christmas Day flights to Sydney and Melbourne from Brisbane and the Gold Coast are still available for as little as $90 one way.

New Year’s Eve is also noticeably cheaper than the days before and afterwards.

A Flight Centre spokesperson said there were some simple strategies to landing the best airfare deals at what is traditionally the most expensive time of year.

“If you are looking to take off, consider flying when others don’t want to,” they said.

“Christmas Day is a good example, or late at night.

“Midweek is also better than weekends if you’re flying to a holiday destination.”

Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Brett Fraser said the prospect of expensive airfares was “a good problem to have” for the sector.

“It means the demand is there and even though those prices are high, it’s showing there is a big appetite to travel to and within Queensland,” he said.

“This sort of thing (price surge) is nothing new, but for some people it has probably been a while since they have been away for Christmas and we’re seeing that they are prepared to pay.”

QTIC chief executive officer Brett Fraser

At Brisbane Airport, domestic passenger capacity is back to about 90 per cent of pre-Covid levels, with more than three million passenger movements (both incoming and outgoing) over the holiday period.

Brisbane Airport’s Stephen Beckett said busy domestic and international terminals were good news for tourism operators.

“People are eager to travel,” he said.

“When Brisbane Airport is busy, Queensland is busy, and that’s great news for the state’s tourism industry.”

Gold Coast Airport is expecting almost 1m passengers across the coming weeks while some Sunshine Coast Airport routes are already tracking at stronger than pre-Covid.

Not everyone is taking to the skies.

The traditional Christmas camping trip is also back with a bang.

According to the Caravan Parks Association of Queensland, many of the state’s campgrounds and tourist parks are at more than 90 per cent occupancy, though vacancy rates are higher at venues in west or northern Queensland.

RACQ’s head of public policy Dr Michael Kane said the holiday rush meant drivers should be careful on the roads.

“We’re seeing a continuation of what began back in 2020, during Covid, when many people set off on road trips instead of flying due to the high cost of airfares and low availability of airline seats,” he said.

“We definitely expect more vehicles and caravanners on the road throughout December and January, so drivers need to give themselves more time to complete their trips and be patient.”