Aviation: Australia’s flying itch takes hold, if you can afford to scratch it

Remember how airlines promised $19 flights once the pandemic was over? Those prices, like a vaccine, are a long way off.

Domestic flights are available, but at quite a price. Picture: Getty

Remember how the airlines were promising $19 flights once the pandemic was over?

Well, those fares aren’t here yet.

A browse through the Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar website this week shows that the Aussie itch to fly has taken hold, with every seat from Sydney to Melbourne on Jetstar now booked out, between now and 8 June.

There are no seats, not on any of the flights, on any of the days. Here’s the screen grab, showing seat availability from Sydney to Melbourne on Jetstar, ie: none.

 

You could choose to fly on Qantas, but it will cost you a minimum $435, one way, unless you want to go today, when it’s $922 one way.

There’s nothing tomorrow, and Friday’s flights are also almost $1000 one way:

 

Flying the other way – Melbourne to Sydney – anytime next week? It’s also $922 one way.

 

The border between Sydney and Melbourne has never closed, but airlines are running only limited services, with social distancing on the planes,

Demand is increasing, especially now that you can have people in your home in both cities.

The border between Sydney and Brisbane is technically still closed, except for essential travel, but you can get there by Jetstar, except that demand is tight, and many flights are already full:

 

Plenty of people think that Virgin isn’t flying but Virgin’s website says: “We’re still here to get you home.”

“We’ll continue to fly a limited domestic service,” it says, and limited is the word for it.

You can fly Sydney to Melbourne on Saturday, but only business class, and it will cost in excess of $1199, one way:

 

You’ve got slightly better options on the way back.

There is a $399 flight from Melbourne to Sydney (that’s one way) two weeks from now, on 14 June:

 

If you need to go to Perth, prepare to pony up. It’s $700 one way if you can wait until Saturday.

There is a (relatively) cheap seat available – $391 one way – on Sunday.

 

You can get better deals flying longer distances: Melbourne to Brisbane is available on 2 June for $512 one way.

There’s a midweek flight the following week, for $222 one way.

 

Early in May, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce hinted at post-virus bargains, designed to stimulate demand.

“On Melbourne-Sydney you could see Jetstar have $39 airfares, you could see $19 airfares and we’ll still cover our cash costs on those flights,” he said, during an investor call.

Qantas confirmed it was looking one-way flights from Perth to Sydney or Melbourne starting at $89. It would also cut the cost of a one-way flight to Adelaide to $79. We shall see. Certainly not yet.