Jetstar offers $31 flights as airlines go head to head in sales battle

Flight prices are plummeting with more than a million discounted seats up for grabs as airlines battle to lure Aussies on board with rival sales.

Flight prices are plummeting with more than a million cheap seats up for grabs as airlines battle to lure Aussies on board with competing sales.

Jetstar has just launched a “1 Million Seats” sale, offering fares from as low as $31 in a bid to get Australians travelling.

Flights start from $31 for one-way flights from Adelaide to Melbourne (Avalon), with other popular routes on sale including Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Hobart from $41, Sydney to the Gold Coast from $45, and Jetstar’s soon-to-launch Melbourne to Margaret River route from $109.

As international airlines grapple with the coronavirus crisis, Australian airlines are ramping up the focus on Australian and New Zealand routes. Qantas, Virgin Australia and Tigerair are each running their own domestic airfare sales.

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Qantas’ “Explore Australia” sale features fares starting from $109 on routes including Sydney to Coffs Harbour, Tamworth or Port Macquarie, and Brisbane to Newcastle.

Virgin Australia’s “Tropical Escapes” sale includes flights starting from as little as $75 (Sydney to Ballina Byron), or $89 (Sydney to Gold Coast; Brisbane to Proserpine).

Meanwhile, low-cost carrier Tigerair, which last week axed five of its routes, is offering flights starting from $49 (Melbourne to Hobart) and $51 (Sydney to Gold Coast), as part of a 48-hour flash sale that ends March 6.

Jetstar has launched a “1 Million Seats” sale, with fares from $31. Picture: Jetstar

The latest Australian domestic sales follow last week’s New Zealand flight sales frenzy, which saw Australia’s airlines compete with Air New Zealand in a race to rock-bottom prices on trans-Tasman routes, followed by Air New Zealand offering domestic flights as low as $9.

Airlines globally have been dropping fares, with Asian low-cost carriers doing it especially tough. Malaysia-based AirAsia last week slashed its international fares from Australia to as low as $80, and offered Malaysian residents unlimited flights for a year for RM499 ($181).

Meanwhile, Chinese low-cost carrier Spring Airlines has reportedly offered Chinese domestic fares as low as $6 on its Shanghai to Chongqing route.

The latest batch of Australian flight sales come as hotels across Australia cut prices in the wake of the dual blows of bushfires and coronavirus, with major travel agents such as Flight Centre, Helloworld and Webjet all running sales on domestic holiday accommodation packages.

Some of the hot Aussie airfares on sale now include:

Jetstar’s 1 million seats sale

Melbourne (Avalon)-Adelaide $31

Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Hobart $41

Sydney-Gold Coast $45

Gold Coast-Cairns $75

Sydney-Cairns $89

Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Busselton Margaret River $109

Adelaide-Cairns $129

Perth-Cairns $129

Fares are for select travel dates between now and March 2021. Sale ends March 10. See jetstar.com

Tigerair’s 48-hour flash sale

Melbourne-Hobart $49

Sydney-Gold Coast $51

Sydney-Melbourne $65

Brisbane-Cairns $69

Melbourne-Gold Coast $75

Melbourne-Canberra $85

Brisbane-Canberra $85

Melbourne-Cairns $109

Sydney-Perth $149

Fares are for select travel dates in May and June, 2020. Sale ends March 6. See tigerair.com.au

Qantas’ Explore Australia sale

Sydney-Coffs Harbour $109

Sydney-Tamworth $109

Sydney-Port Macquarie $109

Brisbane-Newcastle $109

Melbourne-Sydney $119

Adelaide-Sydney $135

Sydney-Perth $209

Fares are for select travel dates during 2020. Sale ends March 9. See qantas.com

Virgin Australia’s Tropical Escapes sale

Sydney-Ballina Byron $75

Sydney-Gold Coast $89

Brisbane-Proserpine $89

Canberra-Gold Coast $129

Sydney-Cairns $139

Sydney-Darwin $169

Melbourne-Darwin $169

Fares are for select travel dates during 2020. Sale ends March 8. See virginaustralia.com

See also:

• Insider’s guide to cheap flights

• 22 hottest Aussie holiday deals for 2020

• Qantas’ new rule a game-changer

• Best Aussie holidays to take right now

• Aussie wonders you have to see to believe

Originally published as Jetstar offers $31 flights as airlines go head to head in sales battle