Flight Centre Advises Travellers to Lock in Airfare Deals Now

One of Australia’s largest travel agency groups, Flight Centre, has urged travellers to beat Qantas’s impending airfare price rises by locking in cheaper deals now.

Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said a family of four taking off to the United Kingdom or Europe could theoretically save more than A$500 by booking and paying for Qantas flights before 15 February 2012.

“On 15 February, Qantas’s fuel surcharge on international flights will increase between $20 and $60 per person each way, with the largest increases applying to flights to the UK, USA and Europe,” Mr Turner said. “Travellers flying to London or Frankfurt will also be required to pay an additional $7 - $3.50 per person each way - to cover carbon charges from the same date. The combined impact of these two charges is $127 extra per person on a typical flight to the UK or Europe. For a family of four this amounts to $508 in extra charges.”

Mr Turner said a family of four travelling to the United States could also save $480 - $120 per person – simply by locking in a Qantas deal under the current pricing structure.

Qantas’s domestic airfare prices are also set to rise this month, meaning travellers planning a holiday in Australia also need to act quickly.

“On domestic routes, the average price rise for Qantas flights is expected to be 2.5%,” Mr Turner said. “These rises will apply from 9 February, so the opportunity to save is actually smaller.”

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