Airfares soar but package deals offer some respite

Airfares for the upcoming holiday season are up to a massive 74 per cent above the same period in 2019 — but there are still good packages on offer.

A recent Sunday Times survey of five domestic and five international destinations also found that for flights to Singapore there was almost no change since 2019.

The high airfares are caused by a range of factors including limited capacity and higher fuel costs with all the cheaper fares long gone.

Airlines use a system of fare levels depending on how close to departure the booking is made, flexibility of booking and class of travel.

On a three-class aircraft there could be as many as 14 fare levels and once the allocation of the cheapest seats within a fare category is sold the price jumps to the next level.

This is sometimes referred to as “fare gouging” but is the way airlines have priced seats for decades.

While most flights are full thus attracting the highest fares, wholesalers such as Webjet.com have secured seats which it combines with hotel deals to offer attractive packages such as 7 days in Bali from $1166 per person twin share and a five-star resort deal costing $1822 per person based on twin share.

In 2019 over 400,000 West Australians went to Bali and Webjet has 1398 hotel/airfare packages for the island paradise for January.

Biggest airfare jump is from Perth to Hobart with the average return airfare in December 2022 costing $985 compared to $565 in 2019 a leapt of 74 per cent.

Melbourne and the Gold Coast are up 53 and 50 per cent respectively, while Bali is up 40 per cent.

Most popular domestic destinations from Perth in December are Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns and Hobart, while internationally Bali, Queenstown, Christchurch, Singapore and London are being booked.

For a holiday starting on January 3, 2023, the Sunday Times found that a Webjet seven-night package with air fares to Broome cost from $1344 per person twin share for Moonlight Bay Suites while Exmouth cost from $2052 per person twin share at Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort.

Further afield a similar Webjet Dubai package cost from $2851 per person twin share, Singapore $2708, Hobart $2035, and Queenstown $2722.

If you’re not planning a getaway then now is the time to book ahead with Black Friday sales due to launch this week.

Another survey by the Sunday Times found one-way fares to London for $1034, Paris for $1022, Melbourne for $285, Brisbane for $287 and Bali for $229.

These fares were found on the websites of Qatar Airways, Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar in the months of February through May.

The high airfares are expected to ease soon — at least in economy.

For instance, Air New Zealand will have all its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft back by late February, while Qantas is getting more A380s back into service next and new 787s will be delivered from Boeing..

However airlines are now bringing back pre-COVID terms and conditions such as non-refundable fares for the cheapest tickets.

In the southwest of Western Australia availability is very tight.

On Booking.com there is no availability for a seven-night stay starting Januray 3, only 10 properties in Albany from $1118, three in Margaret River from $1660 and one in Dunsborough from $2869.