Are the airlines in Australia pricing us out of the market.

[RayWitt001]

I haven't read through all the replies yet but we booked flights through Jetstar return to Sydney from Avalon (Tullamarine was $20 more), 4 people, 2 checked bags each way for a total of less than $400 when they had a recent "take a friend for free" sale. You have to jump on them though or they sell out fast. Yes we had to fly early or late in the day, but to us the savings were worth it.

Also, most people either don't know or can't be bothered but you can avoid the extra charges by doing a direct deposit instead of credit card. It is very simple to do - like any other BPay banking transaction.

[linanles]

We always fly Jetstar from Brisbane or the Gold Coast depending on which is cheaper. We live approx. half way between both airports. We are Club Jetstar members and have a Platinum Jetstar Mastercard and haven't had to pay airfares in years. Club Jetstar costs $40/year and you get a $30 voucher each year and access to Members Only sales from time to time plus you get notified by email of Friday Frenzy sales, usually most Friday afternoons for 4 hours. With the Jetstar Platinum Mastercard ($149/year) we get Jetstar Dollars instead of points and the dollars are redeemed for flight vouchers. We've just used a $200 voucher and have another $430 in vouchers to use before the end of the year.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

You have hit the nail on the head Kiwi Kruzer.

The day before and the day of the cruise, the Airlines have increased prices.

Makes the shorter cruises out of reach, if you have to fly in from anywhere in Australia.

 

Yes ...they have woken up to the fact that cruising is big business for them and its set to get even bigger.

When there was just one ship in port with say 800 passengers it did not mean much , but now you can have 3 or 4 ships in on the one day with thousands of passengers . ..and they get it twice with people flying in to embark and disembarking people flying out.

 

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

You have hit the nail on the head Kiwi Kruzer.

The day before and the day of the cruise, the Airlines have increased prices.

Makes the shorter cruises out of reach, if you have to fly in from anywhere in Australia.

 

I'm not sure that is completely true. In peak season there is at least one cruise ship in port every day in Sydney.

 

Are you saying that all airfares to Sydney increase during that period? Over the whole 4-5 months? I haven't noticed any problems getting reasonable fares, often under $100 each way, during the summer months.

[wombat13]

Like you I have to fly to Sydney to board the cruiseships.

 

As soon as I book my cruise I'm then on the lookout for "specials" from Qantas or Virgin. There is also Tiger flying from Coffs Harbour to Sydney but as they only have 1 flight per day and I'm worried that it could be delayed or even cancelled I don't consider them.

 

Even though I have FF points with both Qantas & Virgin, I'm happy to pay the $79-$85 fares to Sydney thereby accumulating more points for my flights to Perth each year to visit my family.

 

I've just booked and paid for my flights next February to meet the cruiseship. I've even looked at booking for next April for that cruise but there hasn't been a special for that month yet.

 

Gae

 

Hi Gae,

We are also in Coffs Harbour. For our upcoming trip friends are driving us to Brisbane going up the day before and staying with family. We did the same for them earlier this year. The preferred option is to fly to Sydney if you can get the flights on sale. Very difficult to get sale both ways.

Jean

[mr walker]

The day before and the day of the cruise, the Airlines have increased prices.

 

Find it hard to believe that the relatively small numbers of cruise passengers compared to 'regular' passengers would effect airline prices. As an example, I just looked & saw on a weekday 50+ flights scheduled from Melb to Sydney, just Qantas & Virgin. That's well in excess of 10,000 seats.

 

There are lots of reasons why prices vary - time of year, time of day etc etc - I don't think that the pricing guy at Virgin is checking the White Bay terminal schedule:)

Edited July 7, 2015 by mr walker

[MicCanberra]

The prices certainly spike around school holidays but a limited number of flyers go to school.

Edited July 7, 2015 by MicCanberra

[mr walker]

The prices certainly spike around school holidays but a limited number of flyers go to school.

 

Yes & lots of fmailies take hols in school holidays - you only have to be driving around Syndey the last week or so , and at Easter and Christmas also. GF week in Melb, Melb Cup week etc. Times when tens of thousands descend on or depart from the one place & there is no doubt that airlines, hotels etc take advantage of high demand and have high season rates. Can't see the same happening for domestic flights to/from cruises, but that's ok :D

[MicCanberra]

Yes & lots of fmailies take hols in school holidays - you only have to be driving around Syndey the last week or so , and at Easter and Christmas also. GF week in Melb, Melb Cup week etc. Times when tens of thousands descend on or depart from the one place & there is no doubt that airlines, hotels etc take advantage of high demand and have high season rates. Can't see the same happening for domestic flights to/from cruises, but that's ok :D

 

Yeah, school holidays get people travelling, petrol prices go up as well.:D

[The_Big_M]

Find it hard to believe that the relatively small numbers of cruise passengers compared to 'regular' passengers would effect airline prices. As an example, I just looked & saw on a weekday 50+ flights scheduled from Melb to Sydney, just Qantas & Virgin. That's well in excess of 10,000 seats.

 

There are lots of reasons why prices vary - time of year, time of day etc etc - I don't think that the pricing guy at Virgin is checking the White Bay terminal schedule:)

 

Agreed.

 

With hotels it could just be that more people have booked a certain hotel on that day, thus the price has risen due to availability i.e. by the time some look at booking they have sold out of the discounted price on that day that other less popular days still have.

[The_Big_M]

Yeah, school holidays get people travelling, petrol prices go up as well.:D

 

Not always. Petrol prices were at their lowest for a while last week, which was the first week of the holidays. :D

[MicCanberra]

Not always. Petrol prices were at their lowest for a while last week, which was the first week of the holidays. :D

 

Maybe not always but generally it does, and it has here.:D

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Not always. Petrol prices were at their lowest for a while last week, which was the first week of the holidays. :D

 

Thats an old marketing trick.......

drop the price at the start of holidays and long weekends so everyone fills up and drives away , then hike the price when its time to head back:D:D

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

The prices certainly spike around school holidays but a limited number of flyers go to school.

 

Let's be realistic.

 

The cheap prices for flights are DISCOUNT prices. Most airlines only release a certain number of seats at that price. When those are sold the price goes up to the next price break level. In school holidays there are more people travelling so the cheap seats sell out quickly.

 

It's exactly the same with cruising. You want a cheap cabin? Then get in while the lowest categories in each class are still available. Once those are sold the lowest available price is higher. Actually the cruise lines mess around with pricing far more than the airlines do. Over the past month or so the lowest prices for my upcoming cruise went like this $1809 -> $2209 -> $2049 (cheapest category now sold out) -> $2980 - all lowest available category inside cabin guarantees on Princess.

[MicCanberra]

Let's be realistic.

 

The cheap prices for flights are DISCOUNT prices. Most airlines only release a certain number of seats at that price. When those are sold the price goes up to the next price break level. In school holidays there are more people travelling so the cheap seats sell out quickly.

 

It's exactly the same with cruising. You want a cheap cabin? Then get in while the lowest categories in each class are still available. Once those are sold the lowest available price is higher. Actually the cruise lines mess around with pricing far more than the airlines do. Over the past month or so the lowest prices for my upcoming cruise went like this $1809 -> $2209 -> $2049 (cheapest category now sold out) -> $2980 - all lowest available category inside cabin guarantees on Princess.

 

Except that airlines never offer discounts during school holidays. Cruises of course the prices fluctuate more to do with supply and demand this is apart form the supposed sales where prices seem to go up just before being dropped for the sale and subsequently being a similar price.

[The_Big_M]

Except that airlines never offer discounts during school holidays.

 

Agreed, there's two different things referred to.

 

There are different grades of seats at regular price, and the cheaper ones sell out first.

 

However, you're referring to the sale prices that are for the non-regular seat classes. Although there are rare exceptions, it's the case that the sales exclude holiday periods. e.g. all those $105 Syd-BNE specials don't exist at all for holiday periods. It's not that they're sold out - they're just not excluded from the sale so not offered.

[gaechann]

Hi Gae,

We are also in Coffs Harbour. For our upcoming trip friends are driving us to Brisbane going up the day before and staying with family. We did the same for them earlier this year. The preferred option is to fly to Sydney if you can get the flights on sale. Very difficult to get sale both ways.

Jean

 

Hello to a fellow townsperson! All that talk about re-instating flights Coffs-Brisbane return has apparently amounted to nothing!

 

If departing from Brisbane we drive up the previous day, stay in a motel in Hamilton, leave our vehicle with long term car park nearby then use their shuttles to & from the cruise ship or airport.

 

Sure adds to the cost of the cruise but what else can you do once you get the "cruise fever" :)

[MMDown Under]

If departing from Brisbane we drive up the previous day, stay in a motel in Hamilton, leave our vehicle with long term car park nearby then use their shuttles to & from the cruise ship or airport.

 

Sure adds to the cost of the cruise but what else can you do once you get the "cruise fever" :)

 

Could you find a motel which would let you park for free, whilst you are on your cruise?

[icat2000]

Well I just got airfares to Europe. Into London, Out of Venice on combination of Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Qantas for $1590 leaving 3 September, return 7 October.

[wombat13]

Hello to a fellow townsperson! All that talk about re-instating flights Coffs-Brisbane return has apparently amounted to nothing!

 

If departing from Brisbane we drive up the previous day, stay in a motel in Hamilton, leave our vehicle with long term car park nearby then use their shuttles to & from the cruise ship or airport.

 

Sure adds to the cost of the cruise but what else can you do once you get the "cruise fever" :)

 

Yes I agree ☺ I did have a choice of departing from Syd or Brisbane but this cruise was last minute and not a lot of time to wait for a cheap flight to Syd.

 

I was also crossing my fingers re: Coffs-Brisbane....maybe one day. Which long term car park do you use? I looked at the airport one it was not too bad but we will be away for 41 days ...adds up.

[wombat13]

Well I just got airfares to Europe. Into London, Out of Venice on combination of Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Qantas for $1590 leaving 3 September, return 7 October.

 

That's a great price well done☺

[icat2000]

That's a great price well done☺

 

Yeap. I'm happy, you just have to check every day.

[rkmw]

i booked a cruise from Brisbane to Sydney next april and booked the flight thru Princess and i have up till 45 days from the flight to cancel out if a cheaper flight became available but i'm not holding my breath because its between easter and when the kids break up from school and the Princess price was a few dollars cheaper than Qantas

[MicCanberra]

We have also just purchased some flights for Europe for April/May next year and have picked up a nice Qantas/Swiss multi-city combo with some intra continental flights as well.:D