As Australia’s border closures begin to lift, you can expect to see the price of domestic flights drop to less than a takeaway pizza.

In a recent open letter to travellers and stakeholders, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has announced that Australians could be flying for as little as $19 once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. It’s just one of three things the national carrier’s CEO has promised once this unprecedented suspension of services is reversed.

Alongside the dirt-cheap $19 Jetstar fares between Melbourne and Sydney, Joyce mentioned that tickets from Perth to Sydney could cost you as little as $89 one way. Finally, flying from one side of Australia to the other will hit the hip pocket less than a casual flight to Bali.

“Airlines will be keen to stimulate travel demand to get their people and aircraft back to work and restart their cashflow pipelines, repairing the damage done by the devastating and sudden drop in revenue. That’s good news for consumers because it means plenty of good deals.”

Alan Joyce, Qantas CEO

In stark contrast to the predictions that have been circulating of late, Joyce speculates that “airfares could be half of what they are today”. Even with Virgin Airlines teetering on the brink of collapse, Joyce is confident domestic airfares will remain affordable; though he was quick to say that competition is vital in keeping prices low. Lowering airfares is a move that not only stimulates the demand for travel amongst consumers again, but one that ensures a cash flow injection for Qantas and other tourism providers in Australia.

For a pretty minimal output, you could be doing a heck of a lot of good for both your sanity (we all need to get out of our lounge rooms stat!) and the future of Australian tourism. So, save up your spare pennies and start counting down the days until you can fly cross country!

Feature image: Hendri Lidayani on Unsplash

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