Cheap Airfares Melbourne
on Domestic Flights

I don’t like to pay full price for anything – and rarely do.

If you want to get cheap airfares Melbourne, it pays to know when to best travel. Here are the ins and outs of domestic discount airfares. (For information on cheap flights to Melbourne from overseas check here.)

There is a lot of competition in domestic flights Australia, resulting in many airlines offering discounted fares and special deals at different times.

As distances are huge, air travel is my preferred option to get from one Australian city to another - unless you want to make a holiday out of travelling through the country.

When to Take a Domestic Flight

The best deals require not a lot, but some time. You will need to book about a week ahead - or at least a few days if you travel at unpopular times.

To get one of the discounted fares on a flight, some times during the year, some times within each week, and some times during each day are cheaper than others. Here is how to get the best deals:

• Around the weekend, prices go up; they are highest on Sunday and Friday afternoons when people go home or come back to from their weekends.
• During school holidays and long weekends discount fares are booked up in advance, especially around Christmas and Easter
• There are some special Melbourne events that affect the prices of domestic tickets, such as the Grand Prix, the AFL Grand Final and the Melbourne Cup.
• Prices on Mondays and Saturdays are higher than mid-week as they are affected by weekend travel.
• You get the cheapest fares, often even on late bookings, mid week - Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday is generally the day when cheap airfares Melbourne are available at the shortest notice.
• The cheapest times to travel during a day are very early morning, in the middle of the day or late at night – outside the business travellers times.

So, the deal is: If you are flexible you can get great deals. Internet bookings are often further discounted as well.

If you need to travel at a popular time, you will need to book some weeks ahead for the best fares.

The domestic airfare market is competitive with many great deals and specials that the various airlines offer at different times. You can check them directly for the best current deals or get an overview of the best prices here: