Latest news with #MarkusSvensson
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Qantas and Virgin Australia launch week-long sales from $65 in domestic airfare battle
Two of Australia's biggest airlines have gone head-to-head with week-long domestic sales. Qantas and Virgin Australia kicked off discounted fares to destinations across the country, available for booking from Monday. Travel dates for both sales run from October 2025 through to June 2026, covering the January summer school holidays and Easter. Travellers can snap up one-way fares starting from just $65. Qantas Qantas dropped its sixth sale this year, offering more than 1 million discounted seats to over 60 destinations nationwide. Fares start from $105 one-way for flights from Byron Bay to Sydney, $119 from Gold Coast to Sydney, $135 from Melbourne to Gold Coast, and $145 from Brisbane to Sydney. All fares include checked baggage as well as complimentary food and beverages. 'This will be our sixth network-wide domestic sale this year and we're thrilled to be offering over 1 million discounted seats for customers,' said Qantas Domestic chief executive Markus Svensson. 'Whether you're travelling to visit family and friends or to explore our very own backyard, there is something for everyone. It's also a great chance for Australians to get in early and book their holidays next year, with travel dates over the January school holidays and Easter available.' The sale runs until 11.59pm on August 18, unless sold out prior. Virgin Australia Meanwhile, Virgin Australia is focusing its sale on flights to and from Melbourne, with a special extra discount on late-night departures. The one-week sale offers one-way Economy Lite fares starting from $65 on selected routes to and from Melbourne. The cheapest fares are between Melbourne and Launceston, starting at $65, followed by Hobart and Gold Coast from $89, Sydney and Adelaide from $99, Canberra from $105, Brisbane from $129, and Perth from $219. Travellers can also get up to an additional 5 per cent off on flights arriving Melbourne after 8pm using the code LFC05. The sale runs until 11.59pm on August 17, unless sold out prior. For the full list of sale fares and travel dates, customers are encouraged to visit the Qantas and Virgin Australia websites.
Herald Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Qantas launches million-seat domestic sale with fares from $105
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Qantas has announced a major domestic airfare sale, offering more than one million discounted seats across its extensive domestic network for one week only. One-way fares start from as low as $105, covering more than 60 destinations nationwide, including new routes like Newcastle and Hobart to Perth. Notably, some discounted fares are available for travel during busy peak periods, including the January 2026 summer school holidays and Easter, making it an ideal time for Australians to plan an outback adventure, coastal holiday or city escape. One standout fare offers one-way economy seats from Ballina (Byron Bay) to Sydney starting at $105, with travel dates available from October 2025 through to June 2026. Qantas frequent flyers can also benefit from the sale, with Classic Plus reward seats available across the network. For example, customers can book from Launceston to Melbourne for 5200 points plus $57 or from Coolangatta (Gold Coast) to Sydney for 6100 points plus $58. All Qantas fares include checked baggage and complimentary food and beverages. The sale fares are valid for travel on selected dates between October 2025 and June 2026 and will be available until 11.59pm (AEST) Monday, August 18 or until sold out. Qantas Domestic chief executive Markus Svensson said it was the airline's sixth network-wide domestic sale this year. 'We're thrilled to be offering over one million discounted seats for customers,' Mr Svensson said. 'Whether you're travelling to visit family and friends or to explore our very own backyard, there is something for everyone. 'It's also a great chance for Australians to get in early and book their holidays next year, with travel dates over the January school holidays and Easter available.' For a full list of sale fares and travel dates, customers are encouraged to visit Originally published as Fly cheap across Australia: Qantas launches massive fare sale
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Coalition accuses Qantas of ‘cherrypicking' data in Senate inquiry into pay-on-delay scheme for customers
The Coalition and consumer groups have accused Qantas of cherrypicking data to invert the conclusion of a study when the airline argued against laws to compensate delayed passengers. On Monday, Qantas domestic CEO Markus Svensson appeared before a Senate committee hearing into the Coalition's proposed 'pay-on-delay' bill, which seeks to adopt an Australian version of the scheme in place in the European Union. Qantas and Virgin Australia have long been opposed to it, and repeated their concerns at Monday's hearing that it would not help reduce delays and cancellations and would instead inflate operating costs, which airlines would ultimately bake into higher air fares. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Svensson repeatedly referred to a 2020 EU-commissioned review into the efficacy of its compensation scheme, which he told the committee 'showed that clearly the scheme led to the cost being passed to the consumer, which is not a good outcome'. He told the Senate that he had experienced the scheme as a consumer when living in Europe for three years, and said 'I have nothing good to say about it'. 'I think a mandatory scheme or compensation scheme does not improve customer protection.' 'I also know from all the studies that the EU's done that it increases the cost. It hasn't improved in terms of cancellations and delays,' Svensson said. However, the 2020 review he referred to, which examined the effects the EU's scheme between 2011 and 2018, concluded the laws had resulted in a reduction of airline cancellations and delays within their control. The review found 79.9% of all two hour or longer delays in 2011 were attributable to airlines – meaning it has to provide compensation to passengers. But by 2018, this figure had dropped more than 10%, to 69.7%. The drop coincided with a surge in overall air traffic within the EU, with the gross number of delays caused by all factors – including weather and air traffic control as well as airline operational decisions – increasing from 60.8m in 2011 to 109.4m. Under the EU 261 compensation scheme, a passenger is only eligible for compensation if their delay or cancellation was the airline's responsibility. Passengers whose flights depart or arrive within the EU and arrive at their final destination delayed more than three hours are entitled to between €250 (A$430) and €600 (A$1,030), depending on the distance of the trip, in addition to refunds and compensation for costs incurred due to the disruption, such as missed connections. Refreshments and communications entitlements kick in after two hours of delays. In response to questions about Svensson's claims about the 2020 review, a Qantas spokesperson pointed to the gross increase in airline-attributable delays between 2011 and 2018. However, this was the same table in the report which showed how (in proportional terms to account for the rise in overall air traffic) the percentage of airline-attributable delays had in fact decreased by more than 10% over the period. Coalition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie, who is bringing the pay-on-delay bill, said 'travellers deserve a recourse mechanism that does not require them to hire a lawyer to be compensated for egregious behaviour'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'For Qantas to appear before a Senate inquiry and cherrypick a 2020 EU study to justify their opposition to minimum passenger protections doesn't respect the Australian people,' McKenzie told Guardian Australia. The 2020 EU review also found that by 2018, the scheme was costing airlines on average €138 per passenger affected by disruption, but spread across all of an airline's customers, this amounted to €4.40 per passenger. It found airlines try to pass this cost on to customers on non-competitive routes, but absorbed it on tightly contested ones. Adam Glezer, who runs the Consumer Champion, also appeared before Monday's hearing, where he cited research that found likely cost increases of about A$2 would be baked into each ticket. While he is opposed to airlines passing compensation costs on to customers, he said this would be 'a small price to pay for having a high level of protection in place'. Glezer was scathing of how Svensson referred to the 2020 review. 'Talking in raw numbers about flight disruptions, as opposed to proportionally or as a percentage, is completely misleading. In isolation, it can make a compensation scheme appear ineffective,' he told Guardian Australia. Glezer said Qantas would be well aware of how the scheme affects operational decisions because it already has to comply with it on its European services. 'EU 261 has been invaluable … It has increased consumer confidence, held airlines accountable for delays and cancellations within their control while also providing fair compensation for the inconvenience caused to airline passengers,' Glezer said. McKenzie first proposed the pay on delay bill last year, and is progressing it separately to the Albanese government's aviation white paper process which has resulted in an airline customer rights charter and industry ombuds scheme. The draft charter did not include a compensation scheme, with Labor seemingly bowing to pressure from airlines who had advocated against such a scheme. Bea Sherwood, Choice's senior campaigns and policy adviser, said she remained supportive of an EU-style compensation scheme. 'Airlines have benefited from cancelling flights in the past at the expense of consumers – in one case knowingly selling flights they'd already decided to cancel,' she said, referring to Qantas' costly legal saga with the consumer watchdog. She said mandated compensation would deter airlines from behaviours such as consolidating poorly selling flights. Victoria Roy, spokesperson for the Australian Lawyers Alliance who also gave evidence to Monday's hearing, said: 'EU 261 is just one example of highly consumer-protective measures in EU law. It is a stark contrast to the vague and limited rights in Australia under the Australian consumer law.' 'A straightforward compensation scheme in Australia would incentivise airlines to run on time and help hold them to account for delays that are within their control,' Roy said.
