Jetstar tickets one way from Perth to Bali start from $115, while domestic trips from Perth to other capital cities including Sydney and Melbourne start from $99.

Qantas has announced from 13 April it will operate up to 30 return flights per week to New Zealand on five routes, up from the two return flights a week currently operated.

This comes after New Zealand authorities confirmed they will allow quarantine free entry for vaccinated Australian travellers from April 13. 

Prior to COVID, Qantas and Jetstar operated more than 170 return services a week between Australia and New Zealand.

Qantas will fly daily from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Auckland and Sydney to Christchurch with plans to increase frequency in May. 

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said Australians have waited a long time for news that they could travel freely across the Tasman again.

“Qantas and Jetstar are gearing up to help Australia reconnect with New Zealand after more than two years apart, and one short travel bubble,” Mr David said.

“New Zealand was Australia’s second biggest source of international visitors before the pandemic, and Australians were the biggest source of visitors to New Zealand, so this is an important milestone as part of the recovery for both countries.

"With restriction-free travel possible from next month for Australians, we look forward to rebuilding our trans-Tasman flights."

Tourism industry pleads for release of $74m in unallocated Government grants 

A third of the Federal Government’s $258 million COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program remains unspent according to according to information revealed during Senate Estimates for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation.

This information has prompted industry bodies to issue an offical plea to access the remaining financial support. 

According to a report released by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA), Australia’s travel industry has had revenue falls of more than 90% since the imposition of the international travel ban more than 700 days ago.

AFTA CEO Dean Long said the industry needs access to this financial support. 

“There have never been businesses more needing of support and to be told as part of the Grant Process that being 90% down in revenue was not enough to be eligible for the full support package is down right abhorrent," he said.

“There’s up to $6 billion in credits belonging to Australians in the system right now which we are managing on behalf of clients. We need this support to keep supporting Australians.

“There were problems with the roll-out of the COVID-19 Consumer Travel Support Program complicated by a lack of understanding of the Travel Sector and the Travel payment eco-system.

"AFTA has continued to work closely with Austrade and Government to ensure those businesses that should have been eligible received the support.”

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