Fans Face Soaring Airfares as Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans Clash in Historic AFL Grand Final
September 24, 2024The upcoming AFL Grand Final will feature the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans, marking the first time since 2006 that two non-Victorian teams compete for the premiership.
Fans traveling from Sydney and Brisbane to Melbourne for the grand final are facing exorbitant flight costs, with prices doubling or tripling compared to the following week.
As of Monday, round-trip flights from Sydney with Qantas started at $1016, while Virgin's return flights from Sydney were at $684 and Brisbane flights at $1360.
Jetstar round-trip flights from Brisbane were priced at an astonishing $1807, over three times the cost of flights the following week.
In response to the high demand, Qantas announced additional flights to Melbourne, with some selling out within minutes after the Lions' victory over Geelong.
Virgin Australia has also added extra flights to Melbourne, increasing capacity for fans traveling from Brisbane and Sydney.
Virgin Australia has added 5000 extra seats during the finals season, but acknowledges that fares tend to be higher as departure times approach.
With high airfares and sold-out trains and buses, many fans are considering driving to Melbourne as their only feasible alternative.
Transport NSW has increased regional train services to accommodate higher demand, operating with six cars instead of the usual five.
Airlines are advising fans to secure their tickets quickly, as the best-priced seats are expected to sell out fast.
Ex-Brisbane Lions midfielder Mitch Robinson criticized airlines for 'price gouging' during an episode of his podcast, highlighting the rapid increase in flight prices.
The grand final is expected to contribute over $70 million to the Victorian economy, according to estimates from RMIT.
Summary based on 3 sources
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Sources
The Sydney Morning Herald • Sep 24, 2024
Swans and Lions fans fork out double for grand final airfaresnews.com.au — Australia’s leading news site • Sep 22, 2024
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