Save on Australian budget airlines

Travellers save an average of just $21 flying with budget carrier Jetstar instead of Qantas on standard fares, according to recent flight sales data across a series of domestic routes. And even those savings may be quickly eaten up, with Jetstar charging $12 for a light meal and $6 for a beer - a total of $18. The Qantas fares include meals and drinks. The ticket prices, supplied by Flight Centre, cover 24 regular domestic routes between April 24 and June 30 this year and are standard fares including baggage costs. Ingrid Just from consumer advocacy group Choice said the price comparison shows that passengers should not assume they will save more on a budget airline. Ms Just said extra fees and charges quickly added up and it could be better to use a full service airline. “You have to go in with your eyes open,” she said. “Do those sums in your head before you sign up and when those super cheap sales are on that is probably where you’ll find the savings.” According to the sales data for the Melbourne to Darwin route the price difference came in as little as $7 - at $224 on Qantas and $217 on Jetstar. Virgin Australia offered the cheapest flight on this route at $201 but charged $10 for a sandwich or wrap and $7 for a beer. The difference on the Brisbane to Darwin route was also insignificant at $8. Meanwhile on the Sydney to Adelaide route the saving was just $15 in both directions and $16 for Adelaide to Brisbane. The cheapest route supplied was Jetstar’s Sydney to Melbourne fare for $77. Ms Just said budget carriers like Tiger often do cut price deals that can be much lower than the standard advertised fares but warned they could sell out quickly and varied dramatically. The sale fares also come loaded with special conditions which make price comparisons harder. Ms Just said comparison sites could also be helpful but advised travellers to keep an eye on extra fees they may impose. “If you are purchasing some of these sale fares through a comparison site like Webjet be mindful of the potential fees - processing or admin fees and any other rules there are around refunds and cancellations,” she said. When it comes to scoring a cheap airfare Flight Centre recommends booking early, doing your research, signing up to newsletters and keeping an eye out for sales and well as reading the fine print to make sure you know what you’re paying for an whether there are any extra charges. The fares compared above do not include sale fares as they run out quickly and are prone to fluctuation. The fares will also change depending on availability.