Windfall for travellers as fares fall

Travel agents are tipping an airfare bonanza for international travellers this year, with Emirates joining the discount war yesterday with a range of deals.

According to industry expert, Amity Travel’s Luke Chittock, airlines have continued with pre-Christmas sales and are selling low-season fares into high-season travel dates.

“Airlines are chasing every passenger and this means excellent value,” Mr Chittock said.

“Passengers can get return economy fares to London on airlines such as Singapore Airlines for around $1500 in July.”

For international travel in the next few months, fares to Britain are as low as $1089 to London with China Southern Airlines, according to the Flight Centre website.

The website has Los Angeles for $879 return and New York $1079 with the same airline.

The Emirates sale fares, for travel from February 1 to November 30, come as the International Air Transport Association predicted that global airfares would continue to fall in real terms this year.

Chinese carriers remain the full-service fare leaders on European routes with pricing only a few hundred dollars more than the no-frills economy launch fares to Athens — $738 return from Perth — offered by low-cost carrier Scoot.

Singapore-based Scoot is due to launch European services in June, followed by Kuala Lumpur’s AirAsia X in October.

Top-tier airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Singapore and Qantas are not far behind, with all offering attractive economy fares less than $1500 return.

There is likely to be more availability on the discounted business-class seats.

Emirates business-class fares from Perth are from $6119 to Europe, $6349 to Britain, $7569 to South America and $7609 to North America.