The cost of flying in and out of Australia is surging, and these stats are only from the past two months. Although most of this article refers to data for travel in and out of Australia at the moment, the hacks can be applied for anyone looking to fly near or far at the moment.
Air fares are at a premium at the moment, thanks to staffing issues post-Covid, airlines slow in restarting their schedules, fuel price surges, inflation and a few geo-political issues causing longer routing and cancellation of services.
According to travel search engine KAYAK, the average return economy international flight out of Australia, in the first 18 days of July, was A$1,761, an increase of about 14% compared to May this year.
Here are the international routes that have experienced the biggest price increases:
- Sydney to Copenhagen – approximately 47%
- Perth to Johannesburg – approximately 44%
- Melbourne to Denpasar (Bali) – approximately 33%
- Sydney to Athens – approximately 32%
- Melbourne to Bangkok – approximately 32%
- Sydney to Honolulu – approximately 32%
- Melbourne to Honolulu – approximately 31%
- Perth to Denpasar – approximately 29%
- Sydney to Istanbul – approximately 29%
- Brisbane to Denpasar – approximately 28%
When it comes to the most popular travel destinations for Aussies, Bali is number one.
Here are the average return economy flight prices between Australian cities and Bali in July compared to May…
- Sydney to Denpasar – approximately $967, up 26%
- Melbourne and Denpasar – approximately $850, up 33%
- Brisbane and Denpasar – approximately $753, up 28%
Europe is the second-most-popular travel destination for Australians, with London acting as a hub for onward travels around Europe…
- Sydney to London – approximately $2,534, up 10%
- Melbourne to London – approximately $2,468, up 18%
- Brisbane to London -approximately $2,712, up 22%
But some fares are actually coming down…
- Melbourne to Auckland – 6% down
- Brisbane to Nadi – 4% down
- Melbourne to Singapore – 1% down
- Sydney to Auckland – 1% down
- Sydney to Queenstown – 2% down
And here are a few other useful tips to avoid the worst of the airfare price hikes at the moment…
- The most affordable month to book an international flight for the rest of 2022 is October, around 21% cheaper than the rest of the year.
- The most affordable month to book a domestic flight (in Australia) this year is in November, around 22% less than the 2022 average.
- Be flexible with your dates, and consider flying mid-week and avoid weekends and holidays.
- Consider booking two one-way flights with different airlines to save money on return flights with the same carrier.’
Now for a few hacks to avoid the most expensive flights at the moment…
- If you can be flexible, choose “flexible” in the filters during your search. If you have a little wiggle room available, chances are you can save some money booking within a few days – before or after – of your preferred date range.
- Flying out and returning midweek vs the weekend can be cheaper on short-haul and longer-haul trips. Travelling on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday generally may be a lot more affordable than at other times of the week.
- Price alerts help travellers save money by alerting them when prices change for a flight or hotel they want. If a flight you’re eyeing drops in price, an alert will help you lock in that new price.
