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5 months ago
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Qantas has announced a travel bonanza with airfares slashed and a new flight route launched for its low-cost airline Jetstar.
Jetstar announced on Monday it would introduce two new trans-Tasman routes with flights from Queensland to New Zealand.
Planes will begin flying from Maroochydoore to Auckland in December, while flights from Cairns to Christchurch will start from April next year.
The budget airline has launched a 24-hour sale blitz to celebrate the announcement while its parent company Qantas has slashed prices on one million domestic flights.
Queensland Tourism minister Michael Healy said the new routes launched by Jetstar were a massive win for holidaymakers.
Tickets for flights between Cairns and Christchurch (pictured) are starting from $229, with the discounted airfare as part of a 24-hour sale blitz launched by the budget airline on Monday
The sale also includes reduced airfares for flights from Maroochydore, on the Sunshine Coast to Auckland (pictured) from $215
'We're excited to see yet another international service booked for Cairns with a three-year commitment by Jetstar for three weekly services from Christchurch to Cairns, starting in April 2025,' he said.
'The flights will go some way to alleviating the pain of losing Bonza Airlines from the local market.'
Tickets for flights between Cairns and Christchurch are starting from $229.
Queenslanders can choose from more than 130,000 low cost seats when the services get underway.
The sale only covers fares for a one-way trip and checked baggage is not included. All other conditions apply.
Meanwhile, Qantas has placed nearly one million domestic flights on sale with airfares starting from $109 for a one-way ticket between the Gold Coast and Sydney.
Prices on more than 30 routes have been dropped to less than $150, including flights from Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $129.
Flights from Adelaide to Melbourne will cost as little as $139 while a trip from Albury, on the NSW-Victoria border, to Sydney costs just $149.
Passengers flying business class can also choose from discounted airfares with flights from Canberra to Melbourne starting at $399.
Other reduced fares include business class seats from Brisbane to Sydney from $449.
Aussies can book a one way ticket from the Gold Coast (pictured) and Sydney from just from $109, as part of the Qantas one million seat sale
Qantas has dropped prices to less than $150 across 30 domestic routes including flights from Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $129 (stock image)
Seats will be discounted until 11.59pm on Sunday June 30, unless they're sold out earlier.
Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said the new flight routes will give the biggest boost to the airline in more than a decade.
'We're excited to be expanding our operations in Queensland with the launch of new trans-Tasman services from Cairns and the Sunshine Coast,' Ms Tully said.
'The new services will bring more Kiwi tourists into the state, helping to boost the tourism economy and support local tour operators, hotels and hospitality venues.'
The new flight routes are the 33rd and the 34th travel routes funded by the Queensland government's $200million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.
The program was created in 2022 to help tourism operators in the Sunshine State bounce back from the effects of the Covid pandemic that brought international travel to a standstill.
The Cairns to Christchurch service will get underway in April 2025 with flights to run twice a week before it is ramped up to three times a week.
The Sunshine Coast to Auckland service will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
More than 1.2million Aussies visit New Zealand every year making Australia the largest overseas tourist market in New Zealand.
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