Highlights
- The sale started on Wednesday and will end on 1 March 2022
- Tickets from Sydney or Melbourne to Delhi starts from AUD 1,199
- Qantas has no immediate plans to launch a direct flight to Mumbai or any other Indian city
- A civil aviation expert says airfare will come down when travel returns to full capacity
Qantas has announced a ticket sale to Singapore and a few Asian cities, including Delhi, Bangkok and Manila.
Sydney to New Delhi return economy ticket starts from AUD 1,199. Economy returns airfares from Sydney to Singapore, Sydney to Manila and Sydney to Bangkok begin from AUD 699, 799 and 819, respectively.
Prices from Melbourne and Adelaide to Delhi are the same. However, Brisbane residents will have to spend a little more on these tickets.
Brisbane resident Priyanka Rattan said it's still better than paying thousands of extra dollars on other commercial airlines.
Priyanka Rattan with her husband Nitin and their daughters. Source: Supplied by Priyanka Rattan
Ms Rattan has been spending hours on various airlines and booking websites for the past few weeks to scour some bargains on air tickets.
She wants to travel to India's northern state of Punjab with her husband and their two children in the last week of March.
"My brother is getting married, so we have to go. Currently, the tickets are costing us about $8,000. So it will be a big relief for us if we find tickets with this Qantas sale on our preferred dates," Ms Rattan told SBS Hindi.
"Some airlines are offering cheaper tickets, but they are stopover flights. In addition, they are charging extra for food and luggage," she added.
Members of the Indian community have expressed their willingness to travel to India after Australia opened its international borders for citizens and permanent residents last year.
Australia also allowed international students and migrants to return in December and international tourists on 21 February. But higher ticket prices have forced many to postpone their travels.
Brisbane-based civil aviation expert Suresh Nair said airfares are inversely proportional to the demand for seats.
"The resuming of flights and the public sentiments about freedom to travel without restrictions is presently reflected in flights going half empty or not fully booked," Mr Nair told SBS Hindi.
"Airlines have to cover their operating costs, and hence the fares are higher now. However, I expect prices to fall when travel returns to full capacity," he added.
A member of the Indian community in Sydney has started anpleading for a direct flight between Australia and Mumbai.
"Currently, there is no direct flight from the metro city of Mumbai to Sydney. All current flights have at least one stop and take about 20 to 30 hours each way, which proves to be costly and time-consuming," according to the petition signed by nearly 1,000 people.
But Qantas said it has no plans to start a Mumbai-Sydney flight anytime soon.
