Australians keen to head on holiday as soon as lockdown is lifted must act quick to book cheap flights before fares skyrocket, experts say.
With travel restrictions likely to last until early 2021, many families keen for a getaway when the coronavirus pandemic ends could find themselves forking out more than ever.
The key to a cheap holiday is getting flights booked early as soon as the government lifts the travel ban, which was announced by Scott Morrison on March 18.
The cost of flights will initially drop, with airlines struggling to stay afloat and in dire need of a cash injection, experts said, but will then soar.
Under strict laws designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, the federal government has banned Australians from flying abroad in all but essential circumstances.
Australians evacuated from South America during the COVID-19 pandemic are seen after landing at Brisbane airport on April 14 (pictured)
Airports across Australia, including Sydney (pictured on April 11) have been empty since the coronavirus outbreak – with a ban on foreign and most domestic travel
Anyone returning to the country has to enter a mandatory 14-day isolation in a hotel, supervised by the police and Australian Defence Force.
It has left airlines, both domestic and international, struggling to cope, with the likes of Virgin Australia reportedly considering going into voluntary administration.
Those airlines are likely to need to recoup costs when the lockdown is lifted, with social distancing on planes leading to a drop in the number of seats sold – meaning prices could double.
‘Ultimately it will become more expensive,’ UNSW professor James Doran, who specialises in banking and finance, told the Daily Telegraph.
‘At the initial phase, it will not be because the demand to travel and because the amount of planes that we have and the need to actually keep those things up, up and running.’
Travellers are seen being given daily information packs inside a Sydney hotel where returning Australians are doing their 14 days in isolation (pictured)
Industry experts said airlines are preparing to be given social-distancing guidance, meaning they will sell less seats on every plane – eventually leading to soaring prices.
This could see the price of a single airfare skyrocket after a few weeks.
For example if an airline can only fill half its seats, it must charge double the usual price to maintain its profits.
There are currently many cheap airfares available, but booking them before the lockdown ends comes with the risk that you may be unable to fly.
If the flight is still running, but you are unable to travel due to government restrictions, you will not be eligible for a refund.
People are seen leaving Melbourne’s Crown Promenade hotel on Sunday after two weeks in quarantine (pictured) having returned to Australia from overseas
An industry source told Traveller: ‘After lockdown there will be a mad rush and a price surge for airline fares.
‘It would be no surprise to see social distancing on planes, and we will probably see some set guidance on how planes should do this.
‘There are currently cheap fares available, but this pricing is based on a full plane. It is inevitable that ticket prices will have to go up to maintain this if only a proportion of seats are allowed to be sold.’
It comes after holidaymakers were warned to avoid booking any international travel during the coronavirus crisis.
‘I wouldn’t put any guarantees that you could undertake that overseas trip in December,’ Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said on Tuesday.
‘This is a time where, unfortunately, people can’t undertake holidays and they won’t be able to go overseas for quite some time to come.’
Even if these measures were relaxed, many popular foreign tourist destinations are not letting in foreigners.
In Australian holiday destinations such as Bali, all tourist visas have been cancelled.
Qantas has suspended all of its international flights during the coronavirus pandemic, and experts warn airfares could be on the rise when restrictions are lifted due to social distancing
Even those with residency are required to self-isolate for two weeks after arriving in Indonesia.
‘Travel is still off the books for the foreseeable future,’ he added.
‘But there will come a time, and perhaps for those Australians who can, it’s a good chance to do a little bit of dreaming.
‘Look up your favourite Australian tourism destination, or the one you might love to visit in the future, and think about what you could do in the months and years ahead.’
Cancelled flights are seen on a departures board at Sydney airport on March 25 (pictured), as the COVID-19 outbreak halted travel
With travel restrictions between states likely to ease in the coming months, people are instead being asked to start ‘dreaming’ about their perfect Australian getaway.
‘There may be a slightly earlier point in time where it becomes feasible to think about domestic travel again,’ he explained.
‘We’re not there yet but certainly this time is a good time for a bit of dreaming, a bit of planning.
‘Think about the Aussie break that you might take when we finally get to the other side of this.