Half price airline tickets Australia: Government bid to revive regional tourism - Travel Australia

Mar 31, 2021

Can’t talk, packing.

800,000 half price domestic airfares are about to go on sale to some of your favourite domestic holiday destinations, thanks to the federal government’s subsidised flights scheme. Here’s everything you need to know about it and how to get your hands on a ticket.

The half price domestic flight sale explained

The federal government has announced a $1.2 billion tourism package that will offer 800,000 half price airfares, in an attempt to boost domestic travel post-pandemic.

Prime minister Scott Morrison announced the package on March 11, saying it would offer a “shot in the arm” to travel, tourism and the aviation sector, especially with the JobKeeper program coming to a close at the end of this month.

“… In the aviation, in the travel, in the tourism sectors, we know it will continue to be tough, particularly in those parts of the country most reliant on international tourism,” he said.

“To keep people in jobs, we’ve got to put planes in the air, and we’ve got to put tourists on the ground,” said Mr Morrison.

The package is aimed at encouraging more Australians to travel domestically, and to spend money in some of the areas that have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When will the half price flights be available?

The flight sale commences on April 1 and runs until July 31. The roll out is expected to be over a seventeen week period, with approximately 46,000 tickets offered each week.

What time do the half price flights go on sale?

The half-price flights go on sale at midnight tonight, Wednesday March 31st.

Which locations are the half price flights going to?

Currently, the package targets these twelve regions: the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, Cairns, the Whitsundays and Mackay (including Proserpine and Hamilton Island), Kangaroo Island in South Australia, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie in Tasmania, Broome in WA, Avalon, Victoria and Merimbula in New South Wales, as well as the Northern Territory regions of Lasseter and Alice Springs.

The regions were chosen based on their heavy reliance on incoming domestic tourism between the months of April and July.

Where do the government half price flights go? A full list of destinations

Gold Coast

Adelaide – Gold Coast
Melbourne – Gold Coast
Sydney – Gold Coast
Canberra – Gold Coast
Avalon – Gold Coast

Tropical North Queensland

Melbourne – Cairns
Sydney – Cairns
Darwin – Cairns

Whitsundays and Mackay region

Sydney – Proserpine
Sydney – Hamilton Island
Sunshine Coast (Queensland)
Sydney – Maroochydore
Melbourne – Maroochydore
Adelaide – Maroochydore

Lasseter and Alice Springs

Adelaide – Alice Springs
Sydney – Uluru
Brisbane – Alice Springs
Melbourne – Alice Springs
Perth – Alice Springs
Sydney – Alice Springs
Brisbane – Uluru
Melbourne – Uluru

Launceston, Devonport and Burnie

Melbourne – Launceston
Sydney – Launceston
Brisbane – Launceston
Melbourne – Devonport
Melbourne – Burnie

Broome

Darwin – Broome
Sydney – Broome
Melbourne – Broome

Avalon (Victoria)

Gold Coast – Avalon
Sydney – Avalon
Merimbula (New South Wales)
Melbourne – Merimbula
Kangaroo Island (South Australia)
Adelaide – Kingscote

How many half price flights are available?

There’ll be 800,000 tickets up for grabs, with the number allocated to each region being driven by demand. The roll out is expected to be over a seventeen week period, with approximately 46,000 tickets offered each week.

How to book half-price government flights?

Everyone loves a cheap airline ticket, so they’re bound to sell quickly.

To secure your half price airfare, simply book through any major airline website, including Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin, from April 1 and July 31 and select an economy ticket on an approved route before September 30 this year.

Although the exact process for applying the discount is yet to be confirmed, airlines have indicated that they will mark which routes and fares are eligible for the discounts, and apply the half-price discount at the checkout.

When do the half-price domestic flights end?

The half price flight subsidy ends on July 31st, although deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has indicated that the tourism package would be reliant on state premiers keeping borders open.