Qantas, Jetstar’s warning ahead of busiest day of biggest holiday season in years

Qantas and Jetstar are preparing for their single biggest day of the holiday season this Friday – with an important message for travellers.

More than 150,000 passengers will fly on Qantas and Jetstar flights this Friday alone, expected to be the single biggest day of travel across the Qantas Group this holiday season.

The company is preparing for the busiest Christmas holiday period in years.

More than 8.5 million people are due to fly on Qantas and Jetstar services in December and January across almost 70,000 flights, which is more than half a million more people than the same time last year. It is the most passengers since the 2019-20 festive season.

To help cope with the surge in people flying and limit disruptions, maintenance has been brought forward on Jetstar and Qantas aircraft and up to 13 aircraft will be on standby as “operational spares”.

Qantas also said there was a “significant boost” to reserve staff who can be called on if there is unexpected sick leave.

This December and January, Qantas and Jetstar are expecting to fly more than half a million more people than the same time last year. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Seb Haggett

The national carrier and its budget airline are urging travellers to check-in online for domestic flights, arrive at least one to two hours before the departure of a domestic flight and two to three hours for an international flight, and stay within baggage limits for carry-on and check-in bags.

It warned bringing excess carry-on baggage on board can lead to flight delays.

Lastly, Qantas pleaded with passengers to be respectful and patient.

“With so many people travelling over summer some parts of air travel can take a little longer than normal, like security screening, so please be patient and be respectful to airport staff, crew and other customers,” a statement said.

It further warned bad weather and air traffic control issues could contribute to delays and cancellations.

This Friday will be the single busiest day for the airlines. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Some of the most popular international destinations Qantas and Jetstar customers are flying to these holidays include Bali, Auckland, Singapore, Tokyo and London, while the Gold Coast, Cairns, Melbourne and Perth are most popular among the domestic network.

For those who have not yet booked their holiday flights, Qantas recommends looking at midweek fares to find the best value.

Qantas is urging passengers to be patient and respect staff. Picture: Mark Stewart

Sydney Airport revealed last week it is expecting to have its biggest holiday period in four years with 2.6 million passengers anticipated between December 14 and January 3.

There are 1.1 million passengers expected to pass through the T1 international terminal — almost 300,000 more than last year or a 34 per cent increase.

Meanwhile, a total of 1.5 million domestic passengers are forecast to pass through the T2 and T3 domestic terminals, around 200,000 more than last year or a 16 per cent increase.

Sydney Airport is rewarding baggage handling companies with up to $250,000 in December to get passengers’ bags to the carousel quicker.

As baggage handling companies are contracted by airlines and not Sydney Airport, management hopes the initiative can influence performance.