Great Aussie flight myth busted

OK WE admit it, we’ve been wrong about this for some time. So have you. And it’s well and truly time to quit whinging about this topic.

FELLOW Aussies, it’s time to quit complaining about the price of airfares, with new data showing that we actually have it pretty good.

Travel search engine Kayak.com.au has crunched the numbers to finally bust the great Australian flight myth; that we pay more to travel on the same routes than our overseas counterparts.

Their team of data analysts selected some of the most popular flight routes Australians have taken over 2015, and discovered that the savings are aplenty.

Overall, we pay on average six per cent less for return airfares than travellers overseas flying in the opposite direction, and when you look at certain regions the savings are quite impressive.

Surprisingly, it turns out that we pay a staggering 25 per cent less to fly to the US than our American counterparts do when coming to Australia. We also have a pretty sweet deal when it comes to flight connections, paying 18 per cent less to fly to the major hub of Dubai, UAE, than those flying in the opposite direction.

Australians also pay on average four per cent less to fly to and from popular Asian destinations such as Japan and China. For example, those flying from the Gold Coast to Tokyo pay 18 per cent less than Japanese travellers heading Down Under.

Meanwhile, Melbournites travelling to Hong Kong pay a fifth less for their return ticket, but Sydneysiders aren’t as lucky, paying the same as their overseas counterparts.

So on the flip side, where are we paying more? As you probably expected, Europe hits our hip pockets the hardest including favourites such as London and Paris, with Sydneysiders forking out nine per cent more to get to London than the Brits do when coming to Sydney.

Aussies are paying a whopping 35 per cent more than South Africans flying in the opposite direction.

Crunching the numbers.

The savings are everywhere.

Yep, we have it pretty good.

Debby Soo from Kayak’s Asia Pacific division said the results of the number crunching will surprise many.

“Our research shows the assumption that Aussies pay more for flights than people from other countries is incorrect,” she said. “In reality, the prices are quite fair, especially when Aussies do their homework and plan ahead.

“Not only are the prices competitive, for many of the analysed flight routes Aussies are privy to significant savings and pay much less for their airfare than travellers from other countries who are flying in the opposite direction.

“The good news for Aussies planning a trip to the US is that Australians pay on average 25 per cent less for their return tickets than Americans travelling the same route in the opposite direction. In fact, Australians can find great offers on flights to some of the most popular destinations in the US including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Denver.”

“In situations where Australian travellers do pay more for their airfares, the mark-up is generally minimal and not as large as many would think. For example, Sydneysiders pay only nine per cent more to visit London than vice versa.

“If travellers allow themselves enough time to investigate, compare different airfares and don’t leave booking flights to the last minute; Aussies should be able to snag themselves a good deal.”

To maximise our flight savings, she recommends the use of flight comparison sites and planning holidays outside of peak periods.