Cheap Flight

Insider's guide to low-cost airlines | Travel | News.com.au

RECENTLY Australians have seen a number of new low-cost airlines enter the domestic/international market offering to put you in the air for as little as zero dollars.

As international airfares plummet the numbers of Australians taking to the air for the first time soars.

"Around 10 per cent of our international flyers have been first time overseas travellers in the past year," chief executive officer, Jetstar Airways, Mr Alan Joyce says.

The often asked question is "how do they do it?"

Most low cost carriers operate on similar business models of operating a single passenger class on a single type aircraft such as Airbus A320s, A330s or Boeing 737s.

They fly into and out of airports when the charges are lowest such as early morning or late evening. They also use airports such as Coolangatta or Avalon where service costs are cheaper overall.

They often use overseas staff and centre operations off shore where costs are lower, they charge for all aspects of service such as food and entertainment, and strict rules govern boarding and cancellations.


Unfortunate to say, I have had my worst experiences with Qantas, ranging from cancelled flights to 3hr+ delays. This is despite paying the higher premium for service. Virgin and Jet...

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ben of sydney

Prices also vary widely according to how close to the flight you make your booking, and you need to be quick to get the best deals.

Other frequently asked questions of these carriers are "who are they, are they safe to fly with and what are the catches?"

All aircraft flying in and out of Australia need to meet the same exacting Australian standards, whether they are Qantas or a low cost carrier.

"They might be budget in terms of how they manage their business, but they aren't in terms of safety," says Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibbs.

Flying with flair

One big catch, and not the fault of the airlines, are airport taxes and surcharges that can add up to $400 on a published low cost airfare.

Online credit card transactions can also attract a small fee, usually of around $4.00.

After the failure of early low cost airlines Compass and Impulse, Australian air travellers finally got relief from high fares when Virgin Blue took to the skies and stayed there.

Besides their domestic service, Virgin Blue now operates the trans-Tasman Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue, a joint venture with the Samoan government.

Virgin Blue's chief executive Brett Godfrey says, "This means high quality, affordable travel between Australia and New Zealand and several South Pacific Island countries as we have extended Virgin Blue's low cost model beyond Australia to short haul international destinations."

Passengers on these services can expect the same culture and flair that differentiates Virgin Blue from its competitors, and also attract Virgin Velocity points that can be spent on flights, Europcar hire and hotel deals.

Onboard cash or credit-card will get you coffee or tea for $3, a Coke for $2.50 or a VB for $6. A hot breakfast can be had for $8.50 or a Chicken Caesar Wrap at $6.50.

Movies and television channels such as Channel V, Fox Sports and Nickelodeon costs another $9.90. A warning here that the movie channel is not on-demand.

Virgin run a tight ship when it comes to boarding times and only the "Corporate Plus" fare is fully refundable.

Asian arrivals

Viva Macau is a new livery in the sky that currently runs three services weekly between Macau and Sydney.

Owned by a private consortium made up of prominent Macau business people and a venture capital firm, it operates a fleet of modern Boeing 767s linking Macau with the southern China delta, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta and Korea.

"While Macau has fast become the world's travel hub for leisure, entertainment, events and exhibitions, it is also a convenient access point to Hong Kong and mainland China," chief executive officer, Viva Macau, Con Korfiatis says.

On a $249 one-way Sydney/Macau fare in economy passengers can expect to pay around $6 for a selection of food and drink and $3 for a blanket or in-flight entertainment headset.

The Premium class option from as low as $750 one way includes all the in-flight comforts.

Viva Macau has a no refund policy once a booking is confirmed, but do have loyalty points that can be exchanged for hot deals on hotels, car rentals and seasonal packages.

Tiger Airways roared into Australia from Singapore late 2007, and has been running hard to meet demand ever since.

Based out of Changi Airport, Tiger is partly owned by Singapore Airlines and currently flies a single class fleet of Airbus A320s connecting to 16 destinations in seven Asian countries.

Operating both domestic and international flights, Tiger connects to Singapore through Perth and Darwin.

Classy upgrades

For just $300 you might be lucky enough to purchase a flight upgrade at the airport on a Qantas subsidiary Jetstar International flight between Australian and Bali or Bangkok.

You can also use your Qantas frequent flyer points to purchase fares on Jetstar economy or StarClass Premium, though you can't trade them for an upgrade.

StarClass offers passengers 39 inch (99 centimetre) pitch leather seats equipped with in-seat power for laptops etc, plus priority check in and luggage allowance of 30kg. Meals costs are included in the fare and tickets earn Qantas frequent flyer points.

"Jetstar International appeals to travellers who are looking for an Australian airline that is differentiated by low fares, award winning services and choices models so you only pay for what you want," Alan Joyce says.

Jetstar economy features include leather seats with a 31 inch (78.7 centimetre) recline and passengers have access to all menus and entertainment on offer in StarClass for an additional fee.

Pre-purchase Feed Me food packs cost $30 and onboard meals cost $15 and light meals such as pies and frittatas are $10. Passengers can bring their own food on-board, excluding hot drinks, but must purchase on-board alcohol.

Video on Demand units can be reserved on booking for $10 per sector and Comfort Me packs with blanket, eye mask, socks, toothbrush and ear plugs an additional $7.

Connecting the world

AirAsia X is a Malaysian long haul budget airline offering low cost flights for as little as $99 between the Gold Coast and Kuala Lumpur.

Affiliated with AirAsia and Virgin Group, its ownership is made up of a Malaysian business consortium and Sir Richard Branson.

Flying an all new fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft, AirAsia X is "great value for any traveller to fly a true low cost airline into Malaysia and then connect onto AirAsia that offers over 88 destinations throughout the SEAN region," manager, AirAsia X, Mr Darren Wright says.

Fares to KL are around half those of major carriers, and passengers can experience the comfort of normal business class by upgrading to Premium Economy XL class from $1,323 return, plus purchase extra baggage allowance up to 40kgs for around $180.

Even as Freedom Air ceases trans-Tasman flights early in 2008, Australians wanting to fly overseas have never had it so good.

In the next few months all the low cost carriers will be looking to extend services to new Australian airports, while AirAsia X plan to add China and Europe to their destinations and Virgin will launch their US service, Virgin V.

Oasis Hong Kong is also joining the list of low cost airlines coming into Australia.

At last the world is opening up at a price we can all afford.
Comments on this story
ben of sydney Posted at 12:29pm June 12, 2008

Unfortunate to say, I have had my worst experiences with Qantas, ranging from cancelled flights to 3hr+ delays. This is despite paying the higher premium for service. Virgin and Jetstar both offer fantastic value for what you pay for and when it's a short trip, you can't beat them. I would however like to see our local airline industry protected against unfair players like Emirates and Etihad (who pay no taxes).

Ryan of Hobart Posted at 3:38pm May 19, 2008

I fly quite regularly for leisure and use Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue. Quite simply, if you want a 'free meal' and free in-flight entertainment, fly Qantas. If you see a plane as just a form of transport, use a buget carrier. I have never had a bad experience with Jetstar, however have had my baggage lost by Virgin Blue and once Qantas changed me to a Jetstar flight and refused to reimburse me the difference of the fare until I kicked up a stink. If you shop around and look regularly it is easy to pick up cheap fares, especially with Jetstar. In the past few months I have flown Hobart-Sydney for $49, Melbourne-Darwin for $79, Melbourne - Perth for $49 and Hobart-Melbourne for $39. Compare this to the two-airlines days of the 1980's and 1990's and flying today is fantastic.

Scott of Gold Coast Posted at 11:53am May 07, 2008

I have flown to Japan and New Zealand on Jetstar and China on AirAsia X. All of these flights have been fine, nothing special, food is average and check in is very strict. Other than that they are fine. Don't kidd yourselves into believing delays and lost bags only happen on the low cost airlines, they happen on all the big airlines as well. At the end of the day most of us used to spend 12-14 on a bus to get to Sydney, as we could not afford the high prices charged by our national airline. Airlines these days are basically flying buses and provide the same services that the buses do. Enjoy the savings so that you can have more spending money.