Jetstar launches huge return for free sale

The budget airline has just announced a massive sale across its entire domestic and international network with prices starting from $86.

Jetstar will have more than 200,000 return for free fares across 64 domestic and 33 international destinations. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Jetstar turns 20 next month and to celebrate it’s dropping a massive sale.

The budget airline will have more than 200,000 return for free fares across 64 domestic and 33 international destinations.

Club Jetstar members will get first dibs and have 12 hours exclusive early access. Travel dates vary per route but include mid-January to late March 2025 for domestic flights and mid-June 2024 to late March 2025 for international services.

Jetstar have dropped a massive return for free sale. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

The sale will run for 48 hours starting on Wednesday, May 1 at 12am AEST and ends at 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, May 2, unless sold out prior.

The airline anticipates seats to sell fast with the cheapest route Sydney to Ballina (Byron Bay) from $86.

It’s followed by Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Launceston from $87, Sydney to Gold Coast from $99 and Newcastle to Melbourne (Tullamarine) from $124.

Those keen to get to the Gold Coast from Perth can do so from $262.

The cheapest route is Sydney to Ballina (Byron Bay) from $86.

If you have plans to head overseas, particularly to New Zealand, there’s services from Gold Coast to Wellington from $243 and Brisbane to Auckland from $266.

However, if an Asian destination is on your list, Perth to Bangkok starts from $309, or if you prefer the Thailand hotspot Phuket it’s from $329.

Perth to Bangkok starts from $309, or if you prefer Phuket it’s from $329.

There’s also Adelaide to Bali (Denpasar) with flights from $349. If you want to explore more of the “lay-over” destination Singapore, then you can do so from $399 from Melbourne.

Meanwhile, there’s also Sydney to Honolulu from $449, Brisbane to Seoul (Incheon) in South Korea from $479 and Sydney to Osaka from $548.

If you’re keen on exploring NZ there’s flights from Gold Coast to Wellington from $243 and Brisbane to Auckland from $266.

If you do plan on heading to Japan, now is a great time with the yen at a 10-year low.

As of today’s market exchange rates, one Aussie dollar is still buying 102 Japanese yen.

“To put that into perspective, this time last year 1 AUD was exchanging for around 87 JPY. And five years ago, it was only exchanging for around 63 JPY,” Travel Money Group general manager Scott McCullough told news.com.au.

“At current retail exchange rates, a mid-range holiday in Japan that may have cost around $4,000 12-months ago, is costing only around $3,500 today.”

Prices for Sydney to Osaka start from $548.

Jetstar’s huge sale comes as the airline releases a remake of its original ‘Let’s Fly Jetstar’ advertisement from 20 years ago.

“Since launching in 2004, Jetstar has enabled hundreds of millions of Australian passengers to travel to more places, more often for less,” Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said.

“Jetstar’s annual Birthday Sale is always one of our biggest sales of the year and has grown increasingly popular with customers over the past two decades.

“As we celebrate our 20th birthday, we’re excited to be embarking on a new era of low fares travel with more new aircraft, new routes and a new uniform to come this year – all while still offering incredibly low fares.”

Jetstar first took to the skies in 2004 and has since flown more than 400 million customers across its domestic and international network.

And while it has battled with on-time flight performance and cancellations, recent figures reveal the budget airline has pushed forward.

According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE), released on Tuesday, more than 80 per cent of Jetstar’s domestic flights arrived on time and 78.3 per cent departed on schedule in March.Its cancellation rate also dropped to 1.5 per cent, marking the airline’s lowest cancellation rate in almost five years and highest on time arrival rate in more than two years.