Home > Our Publications > Travel Australia and New Zealand > Feburary 2004

Boost to Oz and NZ

AIR FARES between Australia and New Zealand (trans-Tasman) and in both countries are due to fall dramatically in coming months as both Virgin off-shoot, Pacific Blue and a new Qantas domestic budget airline put hundreds more cut-price seats into the air.
Virgin Blue has already helped to cut domestic airfares in Australia and its sister international airline, Pacific Blue is set to do the same on the popular trans-Tasman route.
And it is already talking about taking its budget fares on new routes between Australia/New Zealand and some of the popular South Pacific islands, such as Fiji and Vanuatu and possibly New Caledonia.
On top of this, Qantas is all set to introduce its budget domestic airline on selected Australian routes in the next few months in a full-out bid to take on the low fares of Virgin Blue.
Australia has previously been accused of having some of the highest domestic airfares in the world, but now it is due to have some of the lowest, which will certainly boost domestic travel and allow international visitors to get around more easily and more cheaply.
To add to the bargains, retail travel agent, Flight Centre has started its own charter flights between some Australian capital cities and major domestic holiday destinations - something that has only been done on an ad hoc basis previously. Like UK charter flights, you have limited flights but accommodation and air fares are included in the package.
Pacific Blue has just started flights between Brisbane/Christchurch and early March will include Sydney/Christchurch and Sydney/Wellington and then bring the other Australian capital cities, plus Townsville and Launceston on-line. Mid-week fares, on Tuesday and Wednesday, will be the lowest, ranging from $219 to $299 one-way, plus taxes. Passengers also will be
able to buy packages include accommodation and car hire.
Add to these fares, Air New Zealand's own budget airline, Freedom Air with low fares and award-winning Emirates, which also flies the Tasman, and you have a huge choice of airlines and fares.
Virgin is also seeking to enter the New Zealand domestic market, while Qantas is due to expand its services there in coming months.
Flying, it seems, will never be the same again - fortunately.