Coronavirus Qld: 70,000 flights sold as holiday makers snap up Jetstar’s discounted offers

Qantas and Jetstar have sold more than 70,000 tickets in just five hours after launching a sales blitz aimed at reigniting Queensland’s ailing tourism industry. SEE WHERE AND WHEN YOU CAN FLY

MORE than 70,000 Jetstar flights have been sold in less than five hours since the airline announced a massive flash sale.

In a massive shot in the arm for domestic tourism, tickets were selling at the extraordinary rate of 220 per minute as wannabe travellers snapped up bargains across the network.

More than 10,000 tickets selling for just $19 sold out by lunchtime Friday, while parent company Qantas reported a doubling in domestic bookings after advertising special fares and triple points credit on its frequent flyer program.

Prime Minister says Queensland has set date for border reopening

Cut-price deals to lure Aussie domestic travellers

It was a single day sales record for Jetstar and demonstrated a much-needed vote of confidence in the Australian travel scene, which will be music to the ears of tourism operators smashed by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jetstar will offer 10,000 seats for just $19, while Qantas will also launch heavily discounted fares and triple credit frequent flyer points. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Qantas and Jetstar launched the sales blitz to help reignite Queensland’s ailing tourism industry.

Jetstar offered 10,000 seats for just $19, while Qantas also launched heavily discounted fares and triple credit frequent flyer points as part of a nationwide price slash on 200,000 seats.

The increase in flights – and the tantalising carrot of bargain fares, are just the tonic for a tourism industry bleeding millions of dollars a day due to border closures and other travel restrictions introduced during the coronavirus pandemic.

While international travel is off the table – at least in the short term, tourism bosses are ramping up campaigns to encourage Aussies to explore their own backyard.

Jetstar is launching a sale on 35 routes, across 15 destinations linking Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the NT with interstate flights from the Sunshine State to take effect from after the supposed end of the border blockade on July 10.

There were 10,000 fares for $19 one-way on 22 routes including Sydney to Gold Coast, Brisbane to the Whitsundays, Adelaide to Cairns as well as traditional interstate links between Melbourne and Sydney.

The sale will run until Monday unless available seats sell out first, Qantas Group CEO 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,” Mr Joyce said.

“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 July 10, so we’re adding more.

“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.

“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.”

Passenger numbers on the group’s domestic network have doubled over the past week – from 32,000 to 64,000 – and are expected to increase again in the weeks ahead.

Flights involving WA and Tasmania will come online once the states give firmer indications about the easing of their own border restrictions.

It comes as Alliance also ramps up flight capacity while the Queensland government is also pursuing new deals with Air New Zealand to coincide with the launch of a trans-Tasman bubble, which is likely to come in to effect in the coming months.

Originally published as Coronavirus Qld: 70,000 flights sold as holiday makers snap up Jetstar’s discounted offers