Alliance Airlines has announced it will trial a special $99 one-way fare between Bundaberg and Brisbane for travel until 31 March 2020.
The flights, on Alliance Airlines Fokker 70 jet aircraft, are now available for sale with the community uptake to determine Alliance’s continuation of the cheaper fare beyond the three-month trial.
Alliance Airline Chief Executive Officer Lee Schofield said the company was responding to requests for more affordable travel.
“Alliance understands the cost of air travel, particularly the impact it has on residents of regional communities such as Bundaberg,” Mr Schofield said.
“We have received many requests for cheaper airfares and are pleased to trial this community fare for the people of Bundaberg and the surrounding region.
“We are optimistic that this special fare will also increase tourist visitation to the stunning Southern Great Barrier Reef region from South East Queensland.
“The $99 fare and the short flight time on our jet aircraft will further strengthen Bundaberg as an enticing destination for a short break for South East Queensland residents.”
Mayor Jack Dempsey welcomed the trial of Alliance Airlines $99 fares which he said would be appreciated by the community.
“I know this is something our community has been calling for and I urge residents to take advantage of this trial period and demonstrate the demand for affordable flights to and from Bundaberg,” Mayor Dempsey said.
“Council talks regularly with Qantas and Alliance about a range of issues and it is pleasing to see requests from our region have been taken on board.”
Tourism portfolio spokesperson Cr Greg Barnes congratulated Alliance Airlines on the initiative.
“We recognise that airfares on regional routes are subject to commercial viability by respective airlines and it’s fantastic to see that Alliance has voluntarily gone over and above that thinking,” Cr Barnes said.
“Especially when families travel to be together at this time of the year.
“Of course, we can’t overlook the importance of affordable flights to the regional tourism industry and especially during the current turtle season when mothers are returning to lay their eggs and hatchlings are starting their long and arduous journey.”
The community fare is now on sale and is subject to availability on selected flights to and from Bundaberg. Bookings for the Alliance Airlines $99 fares can be made online via www.virginaustralia.com or visit your local travel agency.
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This is a wonderful idea by Alliance. We are Melbourne people and own a holiday unit in Bargara. We travel up in June and stay till October. Our friends would like to visit but it is so expensive flying from Melbourne . Cheaper fares will ensure a flood of visitors from the Deep South each winter. We will take a cheap fare to Brisbane then Alliance it to Bundy. Cheers Kay and Lance Mathewson.
I hope that this time the people of this area will take advantage of this offer and travel with Alliance. The last time this happened was when a Company called Majestic, started $99.00 flights to Brisbane and Qantas Link then brought their prices down to $99.00 and the locals were still traveling with Qantas Link, Majestic then went to the wall, and Qantas Link the next day put their prices back up to hundreds of dollars where the have been ever since. All I can say is please give Alliance the chance to really keep going at a fair price. Best Wishes Alliance.
Three cheers for Virgin!!! I am a Sydney girl that retired here in Bundaberg 2 years ago. As yet friends have not been able to visit due to the huge cost involved. I have only been able to make 1 trip south in the 2 years I have been up here, again due to the huge cost – aged pensions just don’t stretch that far!!. I have often wondered why this is the case as the cost of a direct flight from Hervey Bay to Sydney is infinitely cheaper as well as having no stop over in Brisbane. Bundaberg wants more tourists but the cost of flights from the southern cities is prohibitive for families.
If I can get a $99 return flight as well I’m in. Can anyone tell me how much it is to come back from Brisbane?
Still too expensive – $400 return for two v $180 for four or more by car.
And if you want to go to Cairns, you still have to fly to Brisbane first.
I’ve flown a lot in the NT and there they have a “milk run” where flights go from Darwin to Alice via a few towns between – why can’t we have something similar from Brisbane to Cairns and back with larger centres in between? Makes sense to me.
This is great news. I have only flown once with Alliance. Sydney/Brisbane/Bundaberg. Fast, comfortable and affordable. What more could we wish for? Hope to be using it in the new year!
Many years ago, there was a company called Flight West, quite a large regional company. They had flights from Bundaberg to Cairns, and return, they stopped at a number of places in between. Unfortunately, they closed the whole company, and were never replaced. It seems such a poor idea now, having to go to Brisbane, in order to fly north. Surely there is company capable of taking over, where Flight West operated, as the population is much larger now in regional areas than in those days.
Yes, this is needed in Bundaberg. Hope it becomes a regular thing.
Howcome when you try and book the cheapest fare is $133.93?
Pleased to read the milk run still exists. I did the Darwin to Alice many years ago and you’re right, we should have something similar in Qld to get from Brisbane to Cairns.
Two years ago I did pay for family fares one way from Brisbane to Bundy after they’d paid from Perth but going back to Brisbane by train was cheaper.
Funny thing was Sept 2018, five of us flew from Bundy to Perth, cheaper than the return Perth to Brisbane! So we caught the train home.