Evasive action when domestic air fares soar
Susan Edmunds looks at ways to turn your journey into economy class all the way.
If you are booking domestic travel any time soon, you might expect to have to pay top dollar. Over the past 30 years competitive pressure has pushed international airfares down significantly, on an inflationadjusted basis, but domestic flight prices have increased steadily.
This week, you could book a one-way flight from Auckland to Samoa for $219. Or you could fly from Hamilton to Christchurch for $441.
But experts say there are ways to get a good deal on domestic flights.
It seems like a no-brainer, but personal finance website MoneyHub says airline prices drop by up to 50 per cent when airlines offer a domestic airfare special.
‘‘We recommend that everyone planning to fly signs up for newsletters from both Jetstar and Air New Zealand,’’ said researcher Christopher Walsh.
‘‘Neither of the airlines filled up inboxes with irrelevant offers – instead when domestic sales go live, email recipients are the first to know.’’
Join the club
Walsh says that for $49 a year, waived in the first year, Jetstar’s club membership gives memberonly discounts on fares, 20 per cent off luggage and seat selection and early access to sales.
‘‘Unless you are flying about 10 times per year, it’s unlikely Jetstar’s club will pay for itself. But if you do, it may be worth looking at. Best of all, you can always take the membership for free and cancel before the end of your first year without penalty.’’
Air New Zealand’s Airpoints is free to join and a lot of credit cards offer the points as rewards. You have to fly with the airline at least once a year to avoid the membership fee.
Don’t pay to reserve your seat
Walsh says it doesn’t make sense to pay $5 or $10 to guarantee you will sit in a particular spot, unless you have a very specific reason. Usually a request made at check-in is accommodated without a problem.
Don’t pay for more baggage than you need
In most cases, the more luggage you take, the more you will have to pay.
‘‘We warn travellers against three money-sucking extras – seat reservations, unnecessary baggage and so-called cancellation insurance. These are up to the needs of a traveller, but for a couple going away for a long weekend, a checked bag each, preselected seats and a cancellation insurance policy can add an extra $100 to the total cost,’’ Walsh says.
Buy flexible fares
Flexible fares, which offer the ability to change to a different flight time, are the most expensive option.
But analyst Benje Patterson, of Infometrics, said they could be a good deal. ‘‘You might need to go between Wellington and Auckland in the afternoon, and fares are at $300 or $400 but an 8am flight the same day is $50. You could spend an extra $40 or $50 to make that cheaper flight a flexi fare and then, as soon as the booking is confirmed, ask to change it to a flight later in the same day. You’re taking the risk that there is an available seat on a flight later on but usually there is.’’
Don’t pay by card
The airlines add surcharges to your booking if you pay with a card. Walsh suggests using POLi online debit to pay with money in your bank account.
Book early
If you don’t have the flexibility of buying whatever is on sale, you can give yourself the best chance of a good fare on the day you need to travel by booking early.
‘‘It certainly gives you choices and more flexibility,’’ says Brent Thomas, commercial planning director at House of Travel. ‘‘If you need to travel at a certain time you are more likely to find the price that suits you earlier than if you book at the last minute.’’
Travel before you fly
If you aren’t in a main centre, you can save money by driving to one.
Patterson says travellers from Invercargill could get cheaper flights to Auckland if they were willing to drive to Queenstown. The same theory applied in centres such as Waikato, Marlborough and Whangarei.
Don’t book your hotel or rental cars with the airline
It’s convenient to pay for everything in one go, but you’ll probably save money if you purchase each element separately.
‘‘The New Zealand car rental market is wildly competitive, with new operators starting in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown frequently. For this reason, much cheaper car rental deals can be found away from airline websites,’’ Walsh says.
‘‘In one instance, a MoneyHub team member recently paid around $150 for a seven-day car rental in Christchurch with unlimited mileage – airlines were offering similar cars for $400.’’
Walsh says his research shows that Jetstar had the lowest yearround flights available on the Auckland-to-Christchurch and Auckland-to-Dunedin routes, at an average of 6.6 cents per kilometre and 7.4c/km, respectively. Jetstar and Air New Zealand were equal in price on their flights to Queenstown, at 7.7c/km.
When it came to the most expensive flights based on distance covered, Stewart Island Flights’ Invercargill-Stewart Island route started at $107.50 each way, breaking down to $1.81/km flown during the 59km route. Next highest was Sounds Air’s Wellington-Picton flight at $99, or $1.40/km flown.