SYDNEY, Australia — Airline prices have plummeted to record lows as increased competition and the global slowdown uncovers lucrative bargains for Australians. International airfares to some destinations have almost halved in the past five years with the global economic slowdown decimating air travel numbers, forcing the major carriers into a low-cost showdown. Jetstar yesterday offered an unprecedented $19 (USD $15) one-way ticket from Sydney to Melbourne as it eyeballed new budget rival Tiger Airways, The Daily Telegraph reports. And the world's biggest carrier Delta Airlines yesterday started cut-price return flights to Los Angeles from Sydney, with experts saying prices will plunge to well below $1000 due to the new competition. Tiger Airways began new $78 return flights between Sydney and Melbourne yesterday, saying it was time Jetstar and its parent company Qantas and rivals Virgin Blue stopped overcharging passengers on one of the world's busiest routes. About seven million people fly the route every year and Jetstar's dramatic move to launch a four hour web-only $19 one-way ticket special indicated the desperate grab for passengers was well and truly on. Flight TT526, the first Tiger Airways passenger flight from Melbourne to Sydney, landed 14 minutes late due to strong winds at Sydney Airport yesterday. But departing passengers told The Daily Telegraph they were impressed by the carrier's low cost and no-frills. The Giannopoulos family have arrived in Sydney for a family christening over the weekend. Nick Giannopoulos said he chose to fly Tiger Airways because the cost was low for his family of four. "It's cheap - but to me a plane is a plane and if the price is right then that's what I'll go on," he said. He said if prices remained low he'd fly more often from Melbourne to Sydney to visit family. "It's the best option for a family of four like mine," the 42-year-old said. "It's cheaper to fly than to drive these days. The competition between airlines is definitely a good thing for passengers. And although the price is low, it's just like an ordinary flight with Qantas or Jetstar." | | The bargain-basement prices are likely to reappear, according to Jetstar. "These type of cheap fares are offered regularly, we will always seek to lead the market," spokesman Simon Westaway said. Tiger Airways managing director Shelley Roberts hit back, saying it was time Sydney-siders paid budget prices for budget travel on a more consistent basis. "What happens with other carriers is they have started to creep (higher) with airport lounges and other extras that everyone ends up paying for," she said. "Our model is different, we just want to fly people A to B with the lowest possible fare." Sydney passengers can also expect jaw-dropping cheap prices to the US, after Delta Airlines yesterday began flying low-cost flights to LA from Sydney. The LA route, once dominated by Qantas, now has four airlines battling for customers, with return flight specials likely to drop to as low as $800 in coming months. Travellers booking a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles have seen a price cut of 41 per cent since 2004, according to research released last month by Flight Centre. |
