Media Releases

Cash in Before Price Rise

Feb 3, 2011

AUSTRALIA’S leading travel agency group has urged travellers to cash in on the current array of airfare bargains before this month’s price increases.

Flight Centre Limited managing director Graham Turner said Qantas’s decision to increase overall prices by raising fuel surcharges from February 19 meant travellers had a relatively small window of opportunity to lock in the current deals.

“Australian travellers continue to enjoy a golden era in air travel with increased competition delivering some amazing bargains,” Mr Turner said, ahead of this weekend’s two-day Travel Expo in Melbourne.

“For example, fares to the US remain about half the price of two years ago.

“Today, Flight Centre is advertising return fares from Melbourne to London for just over $1000, which is less than the average weekly wage in Australia now.

“A more typical fare costs in the order of $1600, which is the same or comparable to fares that were available in 1990, despite the significant increase in average wages during the past 20 years.

“In 1990s, a $1600 fare represented between three and weeks’ pay for the average worker, meaning a trip to London is now considerably more affordable.

“Prices do, however, look set to rise in the short-to-medium term, so now is the time to take advantage of the current Qantas specials before the upcoming increases.”

From February 19, Qantas’s fuel surcharges will increase to:

  • $145 each way to the UK and Europe, a $50 increase each way
  • $115 each way to mainland USA, Canada, South America, South Africa and India, a $30 increase each way; and
  • $75 each way to Asia, the Pacific and Honolulu, a $20 increase each way.

Travellers who book and pay for their Qantas fares before February 19 will avoid the price increase.

Flight Centre will release a host of special airfares and travel deals, including offers on Qantas, this weekend in Melbourne at the company’s annual travel expo.

The expo will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre tomorrow and on Sunday.

Admission is free.

Statement to Australian Securities Exchange

Jan 18, 2011

FLIGHT CENTRE LIMITED TO CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN $2MILLION AS FLOOD FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE TAKES OFF.

Flight Centre Limited (FLT) has pledged more than $2million to Queensland’s flood relief efforts after today launching its largest ever fundraising initiative.

The donation is believed to be the largest corporate pledge so far and the third largest overall, behind the Queensland and Commonwealth governments.

FLT managing director Graham Turner said the Brisbane-based company would donate $10 from every international and domestic airfare or holiday package its leisure travel shops sold in Australia between now and the end of February 2011.

Mr Turner said FLT would guarantee a minimum $2million to the Premier’s Relief Appeal and would not cap its contribution, meaning more money could potentially be raised for those affected by the floods.

“We are a Queensland-based company with global headquarters in Brisbane,” he said.

“Our shops, our people and our customers have been directly affected by the tragic recent events in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and some of the surrounding areas.

“We are determined to aid in the recovery and to help people rebuild their lives.

“While we guarantee to donate $2million through this initiative alone, we hope to raise much more over the next six weeks.

“Given that our retail travel businesses can issue in the order of 50,000 tickets per week in Australia, our total contribution should be closer to $500,000 per week or $3million in total.

“We will also encourage our customers Australia-wide to add to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.”

FLT’s leisure and online travel brands in Australia include:

  • Flight Centre
  • Escape Travel
  • Student Flights
  • Travel Associates
  • quickbeds.com.au
  • flightcentre.com.au; and
  • Cruiseabout

In addition to the $10 per ticket donation, FLT will match money donated by its staff throughout Australia.

FLT’s staff members have already raised significant funds via the Flight Centre Foundation and have planned a series of intra-company events in upcoming weeks.

The company’s retail cycle chain, 99 Bikes, has also pledged to donate $50 for every bike sold for more than $200 and every standard workshop service undertaken at its shops between now and January 23.

About 70 of FLT’s retail and corporate travel outlets were directly affected by power outages and closed at various times last week, while the company’s global head office in Brisbane’s Queen Street was partially closed for a day.

Four travel shops in Brisbane remain closed because of power outages but are likely to reopen later this week.

FLT believes that while Queensland’s overall tourism sector may be negatively affected in the short-term, recovery will be rapid given that the major tourist centres – the Gold and Sunshine coasts, tropical North Queensland and the Whitsundays – continue to operate normally.

The company will heavily promote Queensland as a holiday destination throughout Australia and in New Zealand in its upcoming advertising campaigns.

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