Jetstar releases 200,000 discount fares to get nation moving again as lockdown restrictions ease
Budget airline Jetstar has released thousands of discounted domestic fares with some as low as $19 one-way to get Aussies flying again as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease. FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GO
NSW
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Jetstar has released thousands of discounted domestic fares with some as low as $19 one way to get Aussies flying again as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease.
The discount carrier arm of Qantas is on Friday launching the sale on 200,000 fares with 10,000 of those at a bargain basement $19 for a one-way trip.
And Qantas is unveiling a special offer of triple frequent flyer points on all domestic flights until the end of October.
Qantas boss Alan Joyce said: “There is huge pent up demand for air travel, with people wanting to get away after months of being stuck at home.
“Our research tells us more than 75 per cent of Australians intend to fly in the next six months,” he said.
Jetstar is launching the sale on 35 routes across 15 destinations in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
The $19 fares from Sydney include flights to Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, Proserpine, Townsville and the Gold Coast from the middle of next month.
The announcement increases pressure on the Queensland Government to honour the July 10 date it has set to re-open its border.
Border crossing flights are scheduled from Melbourne to Proserpine, the gateway to the sun-drenched Whitsunday Islands, on that day for just $75.
Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said: “This is a clear message to the Queensland Government to open the border on July 10 – if not sooner.
“Failure to do so will be a death blow to many businesses who will miss out on the school holiday traffic.”
She welcomed the airfare sale and said it represented “a marvellous and wonderful opportunity for Australians to go somewhere on their bucket list or just visit one of their favourite places.”
Mr Joyce said Qantas was keen to support the Australian tourism industry. “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.
“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.”
The announcement comes as new Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that arrivals into Australia have dropped by 98.8 per cent on last year and Qantas has plans to mothball half of its A380 superjumbo fleet in the Mojave Desert.
But there are hopes travel and tourism within Australia will kick start the economy.
Qantas is offering its 13 million frequent flyers triple points on 92 routes to 57 destinations nationwide from June 27.
The airline has seen its passenger numbers double to 64,000 in the last week – still less than the 10 per cent of the passengers it normally flies around Australia.
“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,” said Mr Joyce.
“This is a great opportunity to go to the amazing places in our own backyard that you haven’t got around to seeing like the Barossa Valley or the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.