To mark the start of the 2019 footy season, Qantas has added more flights and larger aircraft along with a special ‘Back Your Team’ sale for footy fans to get to Melbourne over AFL Grand Final weekend in September.
The national carrier has today added six flights (three return services) between Perth and Melbourne and will use larger aircraft (A330 instead of 737) on another three flights – adding more than 800 seats in each direction – due to demand for travel on the route that weekend.
One-thousand of these additional seats are available for footy fans for the next four days or until sold out at $349 one-way. Qantas is waiving the standard $99 flight change fee on these fares so that fans can put the fare towards any other flight (route or time) over the next 12 months if their team doesn’t make the Grand Final. Fans in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane will have a similar offer.
Qantas Domestic CEO Andrew David said the ‘Back Your Team’ sale meant footy fans can secure a great fare to Melbourne for the Grand Final but if results don’t go their way can travel at another time or go somewhere else.
“Our forward bookings show that West Australian fans are clearly confident this year. Demand for flights across Grand Final weekend is 20 per cent higher at the start of this season than it was at the start of last season,” said Mr David.
“Because fans do not know if their teams will make it until a week before, and it’s the busy school holiday period, there are generally only a small number of seats left one week out from the big game and they are often the more expensive fares.
“By booking well in advance, fans can enjoy avoid a last-minute dash to purchase flights and enjoy the season knowing they have locked in a great fare to Melbourne with the option to change their flight in the unlikely event that their confidence is misplaced.
“Footy fans should get in quick as we expect these special fares to sell out quickly.”
The AFL Grand Final is being held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday 28 September 2019. The ‘Back Your Team’ fares are for travel from Perth to/from Melbourne between 25 September and 30 September 2019 at $349 one-way. Sale fares are also on offer for customers travelling from airports in regional Western Australia.
