Cheap flights, bargain travel deals: You need to take a holiday now
With flights hitting rock-bottom and bargain deals on cruises and accommodation, you can’t afford not to take a trip.
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Need a good reason to finally take that trip you’ve always dreamt of? Give this one a go: There’s never been a cheaper time to travel than right now – and it may never be this cheap again. You can’t afford not to take a trip. So what are you waiting for? Grab a bargain and start packing. Here are five reasons now is a great time to travel.
1. FLIGHTS ARE CHEAP. REALLY CHEAP
Airfares have been dropping to astonishing lows, thanks to factors including increased competition and cheaper fuel. Plummeting fares from Australia to the US in particular have stunned Flight Centre head of leisure travel Tom Walley.
“There are now five carriers out of Sydney to LA, and all five are putting out prices under $1000, which used to be the figure we’d be selling as a sale price,” he says.
New York flights too have dropped below $1000, with Virgin Australia launching a $999 return fare last month, while advertised fares to Hawaii dropped a dramatic 40 per cent last year.
It’s not only the US where Aussies are getting great deals. Bali and Fiji flights are among popular routes where prices have been slashed, and despite South America traditionally being one of the most expensive places for Australians to fly, return flights to Brazil over the Olympics period are as low as $1200.
Domestic routes haven’t escaped the downward trend, with greater competition pushing prices lower.
“We’ve gone from a one-airline country to a four-airline country, which has been great … on the main routes, there’s always a good fare to be had,” Walley says.
Although Qantas and Virgin Australia have recently announced they’ll be cutting back domestic flights, it doesn’t necessarily follow that fares will rise significantly in the short term, TravelTrends.biz director Martin Kelly says. However, they’re probably as low as they will go.
Walley says it’s hard to imagine flights could get much cheaper. “Can it go on forever? You’d think not, but there’s always going to be somewhere that offers good value,” he says.
2. CRUISES OFFER GREAT VALUE
With new ships being built and Australia a key target market, cruise holidays are becoming more and more affordable. Australia is hot property for cruise lines looking for new destinations, says Cruise Lines International Association Australasia commercial director Brett Jardine.
“Not only do we have fantastic ports to visit and great weather, we also have a population that can’t wait to cruise, and that’s encouraging more cruise lines to send more ships our way,” he says.
The greater choice results in better deals. Walley cites a recent three-night cruise from Fremantle offering fares as low as $230.
“More people who thought they couldn’t travel now can,” he says.
River cruises, for instance, are a popular holiday choice among Australians, but the cost used to be prohibitive for many, Kelly says.
“There’s a lot more competition and prices have come right down on river cruises,” he says.
3. PACKAGE DEALS ARE BACK
The cruise sector’s all-inclusive fares are helping spur on hotels, resorts and airlines to offer better deals to vie for travellers’ attention.
The rise of group buying websites, many of which focus on travel, has resulted in the re-emergence of package deal holidays that lost favour in the early days of internet bookings. A typical six-night deal including flights and three-star accommodation in Bali, for instance, is priced under $650 from Perth or $800 from the east coast.
“These package deals, which are clearly a great price, make things simple,” Kelly says. “They’re having a really big impact.”
4. ACCOMMODATION BARGAINS UP FOR GRABS
Whether you’re booking a private holiday rental or traditional hotel, there’s good news for your hip pocket. Airbnb has burst on to the scene, becoming Australia’s sixth-most popular means of booking accommodation, according to recent Roy Morgan figures.
“This can often be cheaper and more flexible than booking a hotel or some other kind of formally managed holiday property,” Roy Morgan’s Angela Smith says. And when it comes to hotels, the growth of online travel agencies such as Wotif.com and Booking.com has given holiday-makers greater ability to compare rates.
“Travellers have never had greater visibility into pricing,” Kelly says.
And fierce competition between hotels is helping drive rates down in some key tourist areas.
“They’ve built too many resorts in some places, particularly in Asia,” he says, which is a great thing for travellers who are being offered cheaper room rates.
5. THE DOLLAR ISN’T ALL BAD NEWS
Following the Australian dollar’s highs and lows is a frustrating game for travellers, and gone are the days where the Aussie dollar equalled its US counterpart. However, Walley says fluctuations in the dollar don’t tend to deter travellers from booking flights, but comes into play with activities when they’re away.
“We have seen absolutely no impact on travel to the US when the dollar changes,” he says.
However, if you’re seeking better bang for your buck, some countries still offer Aussie travellers a good deal, according to MoneyMe head of marketing Roberto Boschiroli.
“The Australian dollar is still down from its highs of a few years ago, however there are still plenty of affordable places to visit, even for a shoestring budget,” he says.
South Africa, Mexico and Brazil are among Boschiroli’s suggestions for destinations where currencies have fallen against the dollar. The South African rand dropped 19 per cent in the year to April.
WHERE YOU CAN GO
PHUKET
Phuket was named one of the most affordable overseas destinations by TripAdvisor. You will save even more with this eight-night deal from TravelOnline. Save 50 per cent on your holiday when you pay from $399 a person, twin share at the Patong Merlin Hotel.
You’ll also get buffet breakfast daily, free Wi-Fi and 10 per cent off resort food and beverages. For sale until June 30, 2016, and travel until October 31, 2016.
Ph 1300 883 887 or see travelonline.com
FIJI
Pacific island destinations offer savings at this time of year to lure Australians wanting to escape winter. This eight-night offer at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort is from $1990 a person including flights from Brisbane and buffet breakfast daily, and includes $1500 in bonus value. Bonuses include a $F1000 wine, dine and spa credit. Book by June 30, 2016, and travel in select dates from November 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017. The price departing Sydney is from $2090 a person; from Melbourne $2190; from Adelaide $2390 and from Perth $2590.
Ph 1300 003 454 or see myfiji.com
VIETNAM
Head to popular Vietnam and spend four nights at the five-star Vinpearl Ha Long Bay Resort and three nights at the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi for $1699 for two people, down from $3595. Receive breakfast and dinner daily at Vinpearl plus spa treatments, a sunset cruise, all airport transfers and more. Book by June 18, 2016, and travel until December 2017.
Ph 1300 889 900 or see LuxuryEscapes.com/halongbay
BALI
Competition from airlines, greater demand and affordable on-the-ground expenses make Bali the cheapest winter destination for Aussies. A week-long holiday at the Breezes Resort & Spa in Seminyak includes massages and two free nights from $479 a person, twin share. Valid for sale until August 8, 2016, and for travel on select dates from October 1 and December 25, 2016.
Ph 1300 799 783 or see escapetravel.com.au
EUROPE
Even a European holiday is cheaper today than it was a year ago. A seven-night rail trip taking in London, Paris and Amsterdam is reduced by $320 a person to $899 a person. Based on August 2016 departures, the itinerary includes London for two nights, Paris for three nights and Amsterdam for two nights. The price includes three-star accommodation, rail transport and breakfast. Book by June 22, 2016.
Ph 1300 653 618 or see gate1travel.com.au
DISNEYLAND
A high-traffic destination such as LA means competition from airlines will bring fares down. Book a Disneyland package from $2619 a person, twin share, and stay five nights at the
4.5-star Disneyland Hotel. Also get breakfast, return airport transfers, a five-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper ticket and a $US200 Disney gift card. Book by July 5, 2016, for travel between August 14 and September 27, 2016.
Ph 300 939 414 and quote ‘4119114’ or see flightcentre.com.au
PACIFIC/HAWAII CRUISE
Cruising prices include meals and entertainment. This 27-night voyage sails from Sydney to Seattle with a cruise-fly-stay package from $2849 a person, twin share, inside cabin. You will cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas stopping at New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and Hawaii, with post-cruise accommodation in Seattle and return flights to Sydney. The trip departs on April 22, 2017.
Ph 1300 596 345 or see cruise1st.com.au
CANADA/ALASKA
APT have released earlybird offers to Canada and Alaska with their 2017 brochure, including return flights from $995 on a range of holidays. For example the 18-day Majestic Rockies and Alaska Cruise is priced from $9595 a person, twin share, and comprises a 10-night land journey from Victoria to Vancouver and a seven-night Inside Passage cruise. Offer is valid until November 30, 2016.
See aptouring.com.au
MYANMAR
Online companies such as TripADeal.com.au pass on savings they make from having no shop front rents, and partner with airlines and tour operators worldwide to offer big savings. This 11-day journey to Myanmar is priced from $2599 including return flights from Australia, a saving of 48 per cent. Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, see the temples of Bagan and take a two-night cruise on the Irrawaddy River. Travel from March to September 2017.
Ph 1300 008 747 or see tripadeal.com.au
Originally published as Cheap flights, bargain travel deals: You need to take a holiday now
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