Domestic Flights
Due to the vast distances, domestic flights in Australia are unavoidable — unless you have a lot of time. The good news: domestic flights are often surprisingly affordable.
Airlines
- Qantas: Australia's national airline. Good network, higher prices, but reliable. Frequent flyer program: Qantas Frequent Flyer.
- Jetstar: Qantas subsidiary, low-cost. Cheap base prices from 60 AUD, but luggage extra (from 30 AUD per route). Ideal for short distances.
- Virgin Australia: Good value for money, a middle ground between Qantas and Jetstar.
- Rex (Regional Express): Small routes, also Melbourne–Sydney affordable.
- Bonza: New budget airline for regional routes not served by other airlines.
Important Routes & Flight Times
| Route | Flight Time | From approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney → Melbourne | 1:25 h | 80 AUD |
| Sydney → Cairns | 3:00 h | 120 AUD |
| Melbourne → Uluru | 3:00 h | 150 AUD |
| Sydney → Perth | 5:00 h | 180 AUD |
| Cairns → Sydney | 3:00 h | 120 AUD |
| Brisbane → Whitsundays | 1:30 h | 100 AUD |
💡 Tipp
Book domestic flights 4–8 weeks in advance. Jetstar sale tickets (from 49 AUD) are available regularly — subscribe to the newsletter. For multi-stop routes, a Qantas Multi-City ticket is worthwhile.