Friends living in Australia should know that Australia is a vast area with few people, the cities are more scattered, most cities are far away from each other, the fastest means of transport between cities is still a plane, the competition for airlines in Australia is fierce, and when it comes to air ticket promotions, the price is even lower than taking a bus. So, where do you usually go to book tickets in Australia? How about the Australian air ticket website? Which is the most affordable website for buying air tickets in Australia? Which is the best website to book air tickets in Australia? Where can you buy cheap air tickets in Australia?
How to Book Flights in Australia
I. Visit the Official Website of the Airline to Buy
Australia is a vast country with scattered cities, so cheap flights are popular. Due to the fierce competition among air carriers in Australia, flying is sometimes cheaper than other modes of transport when there are air ticket promotions. Flying not only saves money but also saves time. Currently, there are three major airlines in Australia:
Australia’s Largest Airline-Qantas
Australia’s largest airline and the largest airline in the southern hemisphere is Australia’s national airline, with Sydney and Melbourne airports as its main hubs. It has a long history and is considered one of the major airlines with the best safety record in the world.
Features: It is slightly more expensive but offers a full range of routes and more passenger choices. Qantas sometimes offers special fares.
Official website address: https://www.qantas.com/au/en.html (upper right corner can switch language to Chinese)
Customer Service Hotline: 1300 650 729 (24 hours online, no holidays)
Tips: Press 1 directly after dialling; be prepared for a long wait before calling.
Virgin Australia
Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, is ranked behind Qantas. Economy class within Australia is operated on a low-cost basis. The business class operates in a mixed mode, while regional, medium—, and long-haul international routes operate traditionally. Virgin is becoming less and less of a low-cost airline.
Features: It provides cheap air tickets within Australia and New Zealand, with relatively low prices and more routes.
Customer Service Hotline: 13 67 89
Official website address: https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/beta/
Jetstar in Australia
A wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, it is a budget airline (low-cost carrier) founded in 2003. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and provides domestic and international flights in Australia.
Characteristics: The frequency of flights to and from New Zealand from Australia is very intensive, changing routes every week. The flights are pretty cheap, and routes to Southeast Asia and Japan often have special prices, which are easily snapped up.
Customer Service Hotline: 131 538
Official website address: https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home
II. Go to a Third-party Ticketing Company to Buy
In addition to the official websites of major airlines, you can also find the most affordable air tickets on third-party ticketing websites. Like our domestic Ctrip, book tickets on the regular ticketing website. We will recommend a few more reliable third-party websites for air ticket booking.
Australia Booking Website Recommendations
Skiddoo in Australia
Website introduction: Skiddoo is an Australian online travel agency that offers discounted domestic and international airfares for adults and students. The user ratings are not bad, and the company has a company office address and customer service phone number on its official website. After purchasing a ticket, you will be automatically reminded to apply for the relevant visa and other features. It is important to note that although there are no hidden fees for international flights purchased through them, there is a surcharge if you pay by PayPal. There is a booking fee of A$29.95 if you use the site to buy a low-cost Australian domestic airline ticket.
Website address: https://www.skiddoo.com.au/
Lastminute AU in Australia
Website introduction: This Australian travel website mainly offers air ticket purchases, holiday services, hotel bookings, gifts, show ticket pre-purchase, and other business services.
Website Address: https://www.lastminute.com.au/
BudgetAir in Australia
Website Introduction: At BudgetAir Australia, you can compare over 800 airlines that fly to over 9000 destinations worldwide. Whether you leave Australia or go elsewhere, you can search for flights from international and local airlines, including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways and more.
Website address: https://www.budgetair.com.au/
Cheapflights in Australia
Website Introduction: In October, it had been around for over 20 years and is considered an old-fashioned airfare website. The website mainly provides cheap, special-price tickets, more than 1,000 flights, and travel agency cooperation; Australia is an excellent place to buy cheap air tickets.
Website address: https://www.cheapflights.com.au/
Flight Centre in Australia
Website Introduction: Flight Centre (FCTG) is one of the world’s largest travel agency groups, with over 2,000 leisure, corporate and wholesale businesses in 11 countries/regions. In addition to the air ticket business, it can also book hotels, car rental services, etc.
Website address: https://www.flightcentre.com.au/
StudentUniverse in Australia
Website Introduction: StudentUniverse was launched in 2000 and is designed to provide memorable travel products for students and youth. The website has more than 90 airlines around the world, including United Airlines (United Airlines), American Airlines (AA) in the United States, China’s Air China, HNA, Cathay Pacific, Europe’s Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss Air China, Hainan Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swissair in Europe, Emirates, Qatar Airways in the Middle East, etc. Tailor-made student special fares are one of the ways international students in Australia can save money on air tickets.
Website address: https://www.studentuniverse.com.au/
Useful Airfare Comparison Websites
Skyscanner in Australia
Website Introduction: Booking international flights from Australia is easy, fast and free with Skyscanner. Find the cheapest flights, then click directly on the websites of agencies and airlines to book international flights from Australia. In addition to airfare comparison services, Skyscanner offers hotels, tickets and car hire! (Skyscanner Skyscanner booking process and enquiry method (with discount code + FAQs))
Website address: https://www.skyscanner.com.au/
Webjet in Australia
Website Introduction: This website is excellent; all Australian air tickets are on it. You can find a reasonable comparison of many flight companies, and it is easy to find cheap air tickets.
Website Address: https://www.webjet.com.au/
When is the Cheapest Time to Buy Flights in Australia?
It is also essential to buy air tickets at the right time. The price may be different if you buy early or late.
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- The cheapest time of the day: The price of air tickets fluctuates thrice daily. The best time to buy an inexpensive air ticket to fill a vacant seat is in the morning. It is recommended that you monitor the price of an air ticket every five hours. On weekends, the best time is Saturday morning and 5 p.m.
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- The slowest times of the week are Monday and Friday, which are also the most expensive, as many business trips leave on Monday and return on Friday. When purchasing tickets, you should always watch which time of day is the least business travelling.
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- The most accessible time of the year is March, April, September, and November. Travelling staggered after the Spring Festival, November, and other golden week-long holidays is economical and a better way to enjoy the journey. “Australia in November and December is the peak of students returning home, January and February are also the peak of the return to Australia, so choosing the off-season will be much more cost-effective” from September to November and March to May.
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- You can buy special tickets three or four months in advance. Australian air ticket prices do not depend on when you buy, but according to the sale of air tickets at the time, generally speaking, booking tickets three months in advance makes it easier to get cheaper tickets.
Tips for Buying Cheap Flights in Australia
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- Book your tickets as early as possible
The earlier you buy a ticket, the lower the discount. Early ticket purchases are usually divided into five grades: 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 days in advance; generally, the more days before the purchase, the lower the discount, the longer the time, and the greater the price fluctuation. For example, buying a special air ticket to Australia may cost more than $3,000 if you book today and more than $4,000 a month later.
- Book your tickets as early as possible
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- Choose connecting flights
Generally speaking, direct flight tickets are more expensive than connecting flight tickets, and the price difference will be even greater if the transit place is different.
- Choose connecting flights
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- Purchase a round-trip ticket.
Suppose you have already decided the time of your return journey. In that case, you can buy a round-trip ticket because the price of a one-way ticket is usually 70%-80% of a round-trip ticket, which is more affordable in terms of cost-effectiveness.
- Purchase a round-trip ticket.
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- Subscribe to airlines’ email newsletters.
Many airlines have regular offers so that you can receive promotional information promptly.
- Subscribe to airlines’ email newsletters.
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- Exchange points for miles
Get a co-branded credit card with an airline and redeem points for mileage. Fly with the target airline as much as possible to accumulate points and miles.
- Exchange points for miles
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- Change your usual IP address
Airfares vary significantly from country to country and are cheaper in countries with a lower standard of living. If you’re flying from Los Angeles to Madrid, you can use an Indian virtual network to fabricate an Indian IP address. Just remember to buy your ticket in the local currency and use a credit card that doesn’t have foreign transaction fees.
(Note that using the ticket is risky if you book a fare restricted to “residents” only.)
- Change your usual IP address
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- Booking Early Flights
Flights departing between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. are usually very cheap. If your early flight is oversold, you can voluntarily abandon it and change to the next later flight, resulting in vouchers, upgrades, lounge access, and even cash compensation.
- Booking Early Flights
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- Take advantage of the Qantas Low Fare Guarantee
Some airlines in Australia promise to offer a 10% lower fare than their competitors if there is another airline with a cheaper price within 1 hour, you can call them to enquire or chat with them on the internet.
- Take advantage of the Qantas Low Fare Guarantee
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- Exchange free tickets or upgrade
Don’t waste your international airline miles—they can be used to redeem free tickets or upgrades! Keep an eye on The Australian Frequent Flyer Online Community forums; if you fly more, you may be eligible for elite membership! And because Qantas is a member of the Global Alliance, members can redeem points on other partner airlines.
- Exchange free tickets or upgrade
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- Download your favourite airlines’ apps.
Check the airfare information of your favourite airlines at any time and learn about the latest airfare offers from the airlines. In addition, through the low price reminder function set up, you can check and receive the low fares of commonly used airlines for the first time. For example, in the early morning of 17 November last year, the official website and APP of China Eastern Airlines had a sudden system vulnerability, and many netizens who stayed up all night snatched some air tickets in first class and economy class with discounts ranging from 0.3-0.8% off.
- Download your favourite airlines’ apps.
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- Choosing red-eye flights
Fares are higher on weekends and holidays, while Red Eye flights in the early morning are more favourable.
- Choosing red-eye flights
Notes on Booking Air Tickets in Australia
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- Ten per cent GST will be levied on local air tickets within Australia, so buying internal flight tickets before entering the country is better.
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- Pay online in Australian Dollars. Otherwise, there will be an additional 2% exchange fee.
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- Checked baggage requires a separate baggage ticket with different rates for different weights.
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- Low-cost airlines do not provide meals on board due to the short flights.
In conclusion, the landscape of affordable travel within Australia has been revolutionised by a range of websites and apps dedicated to offering the best deals on flights. These platforms not only simplify the process of finding and booking flights but also provide an array of options to ensure travellers can secure the most cost-effective and convenient travel arrangements.
FAQ
What is currently the most popular app for booking flights in Australia?
Webjet is widely regarded as one of the most popular and convenient apps for booking flights within Australia.
Can you name a cheap website for booking international flights from Australia?
Skyscanner is highly recommended for booking cheap international flights, offering an extensive comparison of prices.
Which website offers price alerts for flights to Australians?
Kayak offers a price alert feature, allowing users to track flights and get notifications on price changes.
Is there a platform that combines accommodation and flights for Australians looking for package deals?
Expedia is a popular choice for Australians seeking package deals that combine flights and accommodation, often leading to savings.
Which service offers extensive airline reviews alongside booking options?
TripAdvisor not only allows Australians to book flights but also offers comprehensive reviews on airlines and travel experiences.