Virgin Australia has fired the latest shot in the raging airfare war, with a $999 return fare to New York. Picture: John Grainger
THE international airfares war being waged among airlines has intensified with Virgin Australia slashing the cost of a return ticket from Australia to New York, to $999.
The price has stunned even travel agents, who have declared the fare the cheapest they’ve ever seen for that route.
Just over a year ago, travellers were paying three times that amount to fly to the Big Apple and back.
Fierce competition among airlines, particularly on the trans-Pacific route, is fuelling the low fares which may still fall even further.
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The entry of American Airlines on the trans-Pacific route has triggered the ongoing price war. Picture: James MorganSource:News Corp Australia
Flight Centre Head of Leisure Travel Tom Walley said the latest Virgin Australia fare had “come out of the blue and was easily the cheapest price they had ever seen to New York”.
“The (fares) are seemingly unnecessarily low as the city is such a desirable destination for Aussies that there isn’t the need to drop the price to drive business,” said Mr Walley.
He believed the bargain fare was not really part of the current price war but something more symbolic.
“What we’re seeing here is the action of a dominant airline flexing their muscles and making a statement to consumers and the travel industry alike that they are the market leader and airline to choose for competitive pricing on a quality product,” Mr Walley said.
New York City is one of Australian travellers’ top picks to visit. Picture: Lonely PlanetSource:Supplied
The fare was being made available until April 30 for travel between October 4 and December 8.
Students or people aged under 26 could fly even more cheaply, with a return fare of $899 available from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to New York with Student Flights.
“This is definitely amazing news for consumers and yet another reason why there has never been a better time to be a traveller,” Mr Walley said.
Managing Director of the Wotif Group Australia and New Zealand, Daniel Finch said it was not just US-bound travellers reaping the benefits of the fierce competition among airlines.
“We’ve seen average flight fare prices decrease over the past year to some of the most popular destinations for Australian travellers, such as Bali and Fiji,” said Mr Finch.
Bali is another favourite of Aussie travellers, reaping the benefits of fierce competition among airlines. Picture: iStockSource:Supplied
“The competition among carriers and airfare discounting means there are some great deals. My advice is to book early and be flexible with airlines, departure times and routes.”
He pointed to an $891 fare from Sydney to Los Angeles return with Fiji Airways.
“We know there’s an appetite for Australians wanting to travel to the US, with Wotif research finding the US is the top international destination Australians want to visit in 2016,” Mr Finch said.
“You can find return fares to the US for under $1000 a person, for travel in coming weeks and the increase of the Australian dollar against the Greenback makes for more spending money when you get there too.”
The dollar is currently worth 77 US cents, nearing a nine-month high.
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