How to Find Cheap Flights to Australia
To get the best price, fly into major hubs like Sydney or Melbourne rather than smaller regional airports, and use flight alerts to track price drops at least 4 months in advance. Aim to book on a Tuesday or Wednesday, avoiding the peak December-January summer holiday window entirely.
- Use aggregate search engines. Start your search on Google Flights and Skyscanner. Use the 'Explore' or 'Whole Month' view to identify which dates are significantly cheaper, as moving your departure by even two days can save you $300+.
- Set up price alerts. Set a track-price alert for your specific route on Google Flights. Do this at least 120 days before you plan to depart. You will receive an email as soon as the fare drops.
- Consider multi-city stops. If flying from North America or Europe, check flights to Honolulu or Singapore first. Sometimes buying a long-haul leg to a hub and a separate low-cost carrier ticket (like Jetstar) from that hub to Australia is cheaper than a direct flight.
- Check regional hubs. Don't just search for Sydney. Check prices for Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Sometimes flying into a secondary hub and taking a domestic train or bus saves you money on the overall international fare.
- Is it cheaper to buy two one-way tickets?
- Rarely for Australia. Stick to round-trip bookings to maintain protection from the airline if one leg of your flight is delayed or cancelled.
- Which months should I avoid to save money?
- Avoid December and January. These are the peak summer school holidays in Australia, and prices for flights and domestic accommodation skyrocket.
- Does booking on a weekend make flights more expensive?
- Market data suggests mid-week bookings (Tuesday/Wednesday) often capture lower fares released by airlines after the weekend rush.