The 11-hour Sydney-Melbourne practice has develop into so standard providers are promoting out – even with further carriages added – as travellers search options to an aviation duopoly that’s stronger than ever, with carriers charging $900 for one-way financial system tickets.
Ridership on the Sydney-Melbourne rail hall has exploded in latest months, with 203,000 passenger journeys between July and December. Information for the 2023-24 monetary 12 months revealed 393,000 passenger journeys, a 14% enhance on the earlier 12 months and simply 7,000 shy of the annual report.
Whereas most of the passengers on the twice-daily New South Wales government-run XPT providers journey solely a part of the journey from regional centres, Sydneysiders and Melburnians confronted with considerably greater air fares on Australia’s busiest air route are more and more turning to the practice.
The recognition of the practice – at present operated with decades-old inventory that lacks system charging or wifi however boasts window tinting that helps block cellular reception for all the journey – has seen Transport for NSW routinely add a sixth carriage to the service, bringing capability up from 215 to 285.
Regardless of the additional carriage, providers have continued to promote out. In 2023-24, a median of 277 passengers rode every service.
Past the lure of flat pricing on one-way tickets – $117 throughout peak vacation durations and $83 at different occasions – travellers don’t must pay to examine in massive suitcases or for airport transfers at each ends.
Demand for the practice has remained robust over the present vacation interval. Late on Friday there was not a single ticket out there in any class on any of the twice-daily Sydney to Melbourne XPT practice providers till the night service on Friday 17 January, with some providers over the next days and weeks already offered out.
In the meantime, Guardian Australia evaluation of flights from Sydney to Melbourne over the following week – coinciding with the Australian Open – has discovered the typical one-way fare price $467, primarily based on about 400 flights the place financial system seats had been out there on the time of publication.
Ticket costs are significantly decrease – simply $268 – to Avalon airport, south-west of metropolitan Melbourne and nearer to Geelong. However simply 37 of these flights had been listed.
The overwhelming majority of flights are scheduled to Melbourne’s principal airport, Tullamarine, averaging greater than $486 for a one-way ticket.
Thursday is by far the most costly day of the week, the place flights averaged near $700. Costs have spiked dramatically on this route; Google’s information exhibits related flights from Sydney to Melbourne normally price between $70 and $150.
Guardian Australia evaluation discovered it was not possible to purchase a one-way flight to Tullamarine airport over the approaching week for lower than $200 on any service. A handful of Jetstar tickets for slightly below $200 had been out there late on Saturday 18 January.
Whereas the most cost effective financial system ticket supplied by Qantas is about $399, many of the airline’s tickets are marketed between $499 and $789 all through the week.
In the meantime, Virgin’s most cost-effective financial system seats can be found for about $229, rising to above $900.
after publication promotion
In distinction, Qantas and Virgin are providing flights to Bali from Sydney that week for as little as $400.
Given heightened journey demand to Melbourne for the Australian Open, searches accordingly revealed that tickets flying out of Melbourne on the reverse leg to Sydney are barely cheaper on some days.
The dearth of low cost air fares follows an Australian Competitors and Client Fee (ACCC) warning in November that air fares had begun surging – regardless of a pointy drop in jet gas costs – after the collapse of Bonza and finish of Rex’s metropolitan metropolis flights. This had led to Qantas Group (inclusive of price range service Jetstar) and Virgin’s duopoly management of the aviation market rising to 98%.
The ACCC evaluation discovered the typical home air fare elevated by 13% after the collapse of Rex flights between capital cities, whereas the typical most cost-effective financial system tickets elevated dramatically on routes previously serviced by Rex: Adelaide-Melbourne jumped 95% to $296; Melbourne-Gold Coast was up 70% to $432; and Canberra-Melbourne rose 54% to $298.
Bridget McKenzie, the opposition transport spokesperson, claimed the price of flying had “skyrocketed” underneath Labor.
“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, it’s no wonder people are choosing to take the train if they have the time, for reliability at a fraction of the cost,” she stated.
“The only reason Qantas and Virgin can jack up prices over the summer holidays is because of the lack of domestic competition. The stranglehold of Qantas and Virgin on Australian skies means Aussie families are unable to enjoy all our country has to offer over the summer holidays,” McKenzie stated.
A spokesperson for the transport minister, Catherine King, stated “the aviation sector should provide affordable and reliable services that the travelling public deserves” and famous the Albanese authorities’s reforms to Sydney airport’s slot system.
A Qantas spokesperson stated “we are seeing strong demand between Australia’s two largest cities across January”.
“Seats to Melbourne for the tennis have been very popular and, as always, the cheapest fares sell out early.”
A Virgin Australia spokesperson stated “fares booked very close to departure dates and times tend to be higher than the average fare, in line with the reduced number of available seats”, noting “this is especially the case around major events and school holidays, when travel demand is highest”.
