Find out the best and worst days to fly this Easter—save a fortune on flights!
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Easter is a time of joy, reflection, and often, travel.
Many of us look forward to spending the holiday with loved ones, perhaps in a different city or even a different state.
However, with the excitement of planning an Easter getaway comes the daunting task of booking flights—and if you're not careful, the costs can be as high as the planes themselves!
For savvy Aussies who are considering taking to the skies from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane this Easter, we've got some insider tips that could save you a bundle.
Number-crunching experts at Compare the Market and data from Skyscanner have revealed the most expensive and cheapest days to fly during the Easter period.
If you're flying out of Melbourne on March 25, or Sydney and Brisbane on March 28, you might want to rethink your dates.
These days are showing the highest ticket prices to popular destinations like Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Hobart, Cairns, and Darwin.
It seems that the lead-up to Easter, particularly between March 25 and 28, is when prices soar and airports buzz with activity.
Chris Ford from Compare the Market pointed out that this spike in demand not only inflates flight prices but also increases activity at terminals.
‘While Easter is a time that people enjoy spending with their loved ones, it also means there’s increased demand for flights, which is why we see these inflated prices around this period,’ he said.
‘To make matters worse, it also increases foot traffic at our terminals, which means it can take longer to get through security, check-in baggage and get to your flight on time.’
To avoid the rush and potential stress, it's crucial to give yourself plenty of time to navigate through the airport. And don't forget to consider travel insurance, even for domestic trips—it's always better to be safe than sorry.
That said, Mr Ford also stressed that the price differences in the days before Easter can be staggering.
‘The exact dollar difference is going to depend, but our research found that there was a $280 difference for someone flying to Adelaide from Brisbane, more than a $250 difference flying between Sydney and Darwin and a whopping $338 if flying to Cairns from Melbourne, at different times,’ he said.
But fear not, dear members, because there's a silver lining.
If you're flexible with your travel dates, you could save significantly.
According to Compare the Market’s research, the cheapest days to fly this Easter from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to other major urban centres are between March 18 and 22, before the Easter rush, and from April 4 to 12, after the holiday period has settled down.
For example, the most affordable Melbourne to Sydney flights were found on April 3 and 9, starting at just $46.
Melbourne to Brisbane was cheapest on March 16, 19, 20, and April 10 and 11, with fares from $89.
Sydneysiders can fly to Melbourne or Brisbane for as low as $46 and $66 respectively on March 26.
And for Brisbane residents, the best deals to Sydney were on March 19 from $66, while flights to Melbourne were most economical on March 25 and 26, and April 3 and 9, starting from $89.
To snag these deals, it's essential to act fast and keep an eye out for early morning flights or consider airlines you might not usually fly with.
And remember, as Aussie TV presenter and travel expert Catriona Rowntree advises, be prepared for the unexpected.
‘I have loved ones who had booked a trip to New Zealand and have just learned their flights have been delayed a whole day. It’s completely thrown out their plans… If that happens to you, be the squeaky wheel that gets the oil!’
‘Airports are stressful at this time of the year. Remember that to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is “Holy cow, we’ve missed the plane.”’
So, before you start packing your bags and dreaming of Easter egg hunts in a new locale, take a moment to plan your flights strategically. By choosing the right days to fly, you could save enough money to treat yourself to a few extra holiday indulgences— perhaps a fancy Easter brunch or an extra chocolate bunny (or two).
We'd love to hear from you, our seasoned travellers. Have you found any great deals for Easter travel, or do you have any tips for navigating the busy holiday season? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Many of us look forward to spending the holiday with loved ones, perhaps in a different city or even a different state.
However, with the excitement of planning an Easter getaway comes the daunting task of booking flights—and if you're not careful, the costs can be as high as the planes themselves!
For savvy Aussies who are considering taking to the skies from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane this Easter, we've got some insider tips that could save you a bundle.
Number-crunching experts at Compare the Market and data from Skyscanner have revealed the most expensive and cheapest days to fly during the Easter period.
If you're flying out of Melbourne on March 25, or Sydney and Brisbane on March 28, you might want to rethink your dates.
In Sydney Airport alone, an estimated 1.5 million domestic passengers travelled through in a single day in the 2023 Easter season. Image Credit: Shutterstock
These days are showing the highest ticket prices to popular destinations like Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Hobart, Cairns, and Darwin.
It seems that the lead-up to Easter, particularly between March 25 and 28, is when prices soar and airports buzz with activity.
Chris Ford from Compare the Market pointed out that this spike in demand not only inflates flight prices but also increases activity at terminals.
‘While Easter is a time that people enjoy spending with their loved ones, it also means there’s increased demand for flights, which is why we see these inflated prices around this period,’ he said.
‘To make matters worse, it also increases foot traffic at our terminals, which means it can take longer to get through security, check-in baggage and get to your flight on time.’
To avoid the rush and potential stress, it's crucial to give yourself plenty of time to navigate through the airport. And don't forget to consider travel insurance, even for domestic trips—it's always better to be safe than sorry.
That said, Mr Ford also stressed that the price differences in the days before Easter can be staggering.
‘The exact dollar difference is going to depend, but our research found that there was a $280 difference for someone flying to Adelaide from Brisbane, more than a $250 difference flying between Sydney and Darwin and a whopping $338 if flying to Cairns from Melbourne, at different times,’ he said.
But fear not, dear members, because there's a silver lining.
If you're flexible with your travel dates, you could save significantly.
According to Compare the Market’s research, the cheapest days to fly this Easter from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to other major urban centres are between March 18 and 22, before the Easter rush, and from April 4 to 12, after the holiday period has settled down.
For example, the most affordable Melbourne to Sydney flights were found on April 3 and 9, starting at just $46.
Melbourne to Brisbane was cheapest on March 16, 19, 20, and April 10 and 11, with fares from $89.
Sydneysiders can fly to Melbourne or Brisbane for as low as $46 and $66 respectively on March 26.
And for Brisbane residents, the best deals to Sydney were on March 19 from $66, while flights to Melbourne were most economical on March 25 and 26, and April 3 and 9, starting from $89.
To snag these deals, it's essential to act fast and keep an eye out for early morning flights or consider airlines you might not usually fly with.
And remember, as Aussie TV presenter and travel expert Catriona Rowntree advises, be prepared for the unexpected.
‘I have loved ones who had booked a trip to New Zealand and have just learned their flights have been delayed a whole day. It’s completely thrown out their plans… If that happens to you, be the squeaky wheel that gets the oil!’
‘Airports are stressful at this time of the year. Remember that to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late and to be late is “Holy cow, we’ve missed the plane.”’
So, before you start packing your bags and dreaming of Easter egg hunts in a new locale, take a moment to plan your flights strategically. By choosing the right days to fly, you could save enough money to treat yourself to a few extra holiday indulgences— perhaps a fancy Easter brunch or an extra chocolate bunny (or two).
