Important holiday travel update you can’t afford to miss!
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Do you have travel plans for the Christmas season? Hopefully, your holiday itinerary gives you a much-deserved break with your loved ones!
Unfortunately, not all travellers will be so lucky this year with the hot demand and fewer seat availability.
According to data, seat availability is down 25 per cent, with some flights being twice as expensive as pre-pandemic prices.
'This lack of capacity, particularly to Europe and North America, is driving these airfares up because this demand is much more than the actual supply,' Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner said.
But why is seat supply so low? Unfortunately, it’s a combination of factors that have caused the high prices.
According to Turner, during the pandemic, many planes were stored in the desert. Now, it’s taking some time to get them ‘back on the tarmac’. It’s also taking time to get pilots and crew trained and ready to go back to work.
‘A lot of these airlines were shut down for two years, pretty much,’ Turner shared.
Furthermore, Turner explained that ‘Australia is one of the last to come back, just because we’re a bit more isolated, we had much stricter lockdowns than most countries,’ which means competitively-priced fares are hard to come by.
Economy fares are 'somewhere from 40 per cent, up to 100 per cent higher than pre-COVID', according to Turner.
Other long-haul routes are not faring much better. Emirates is only flying about 70 per cent of its capacity at the moment, and North American routes are at 85 per cent.
‘[There’s] a big shortage through the Middle East through Europe. That’s one of the reasons the airfare prices are so high to Europe,’ Turner shared.
Return economy flights from Sydney to London were $2,320 in 2019, but now these same flights are priced much higher at $3,260 in 2023.
One couple, Roger McMahon and his wife Vicky, even spent $8,000 on return flights to London. Mr McMahon shared his surprise, stating, 'It staggered me, the price we paid.'
Melbourne to Los Angeles flights have risen by more than 60 per cent and now cost $2,710, while Sydney to Los Angeles flights are now 59 per cent more expensive, costing $2,465.
Singapore fares from Brisbane have also increased 46 per cent and now cost $1,795. Turner explained that ‘Singapore has come back to a certain extent, and it’s putting more capacity on, but not until April next year.’
So what’s the solution?
Turner recommends to book as far in advance as possible for the best chance of finding affordable flights.
The government is also putting flight prices under a microscope, with a Senate enquiry taking place on Tuesday to investigate why a controversial decision was made to block Qatar Airways’ bid to double the 28 weekly services it currently offers in Australia after being lobbied by Qantas.
Tuesday’s hearing will also focus on consumer concerns, such as the allegations from the consumer watchdog that Qantas cancelled flights to keep take-off and landing slots at the Sydney Airport.
Are you travelling this Christmas season? Do you have any tips or stories to share about how to save money on flights? Please let us know in the comments below.
Unfortunately, not all travellers will be so lucky this year with the hot demand and fewer seat availability.
According to data, seat availability is down 25 per cent, with some flights being twice as expensive as pre-pandemic prices.
'This lack of capacity, particularly to Europe and North America, is driving these airfares up because this demand is much more than the actual supply,' Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner said.
Travellers can expect higher flight prices during the Christmas season. Credit: Shutterstock
But why is seat supply so low? Unfortunately, it’s a combination of factors that have caused the high prices.
According to Turner, during the pandemic, many planes were stored in the desert. Now, it’s taking some time to get them ‘back on the tarmac’. It’s also taking time to get pilots and crew trained and ready to go back to work.
‘A lot of these airlines were shut down for two years, pretty much,’ Turner shared.
Furthermore, Turner explained that ‘Australia is one of the last to come back, just because we’re a bit more isolated, we had much stricter lockdowns than most countries,’ which means competitively-priced fares are hard to come by.
Other long-haul routes are not faring much better. Emirates is only flying about 70 per cent of its capacity at the moment, and North American routes are at 85 per cent.
‘[There’s] a big shortage through the Middle East through Europe. That’s one of the reasons the airfare prices are so high to Europe,’ Turner shared.
Return economy flights from Sydney to London were $2,320 in 2019, but now these same flights are priced much higher at $3,260 in 2023.
One couple, Roger McMahon and his wife Vicky, even spent $8,000 on return flights to London. Mr McMahon shared his surprise, stating, 'It staggered me, the price we paid.'
Travelling during the holidays will require careful planning to save on costs. Credit: Shutterstock
Melbourne to Los Angeles flights have risen by more than 60 per cent and now cost $2,710, while Sydney to Los Angeles flights are now 59 per cent more expensive, costing $2,465.
Singapore fares from Brisbane have also increased 46 per cent and now cost $1,795. Turner explained that ‘Singapore has come back to a certain extent, and it’s putting more capacity on, but not until April next year.’
So what’s the solution?
Turner recommends to book as far in advance as possible for the best chance of finding affordable flights.
The government is also putting flight prices under a microscope, with a Senate enquiry taking place on Tuesday to investigate why a controversial decision was made to block Qatar Airways’ bid to double the 28 weekly services it currently offers in Australia after being lobbied by Qantas.
Tuesday’s hearing will also focus on consumer concerns, such as the allegations from the consumer watchdog that Qantas cancelled flights to keep take-off and landing slots at the Sydney Airport.
Are you travelling this Christmas season? Do you have any tips or stories to share about how to save money on flights? Please let us know in the comments below.
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