Its amazing that over the last few years the price of flights to Australia hasn't increased much considering the problems with oil and the constant surcharges imposed on travel. In 1999 I got a flight for £600 and this year it cost just £750!

In this article I will try and give some advice on arranging your flight to Australia. Be aware it may be a bit UK biased but hopefully you can translate this to your country.

Travel Agent or Online?

Certainly over the last few years online bookings have become the norm for many people. However there is a common misguided opinion that buying flights online is always cheaper. Many online companies expect the public to think they are the cheapest and so have sneaked prices up!

Using travel agents has the advantage of being given their personal advice and experiences. They are also a very good option of you are looking at purchasing a collection of flights which is a nightmare to do online. Be aware though the longer the agent looks the better deal they will hunt down. With flight margins being so slim these days some may do a half baked job. If you think they aren't trying hard enough come back another day or use another branch. I usually do some basic investigation on the internet and let them hone it down for me! For A to B flights I would personally book online - simple and cheap...

Year Long Tickets?

In general you can only get a ticket that is valid for a maximum of a year. On many sites they only let you book six months ahead for your return but with many flights its free or cheap to then change the date to a later one. The other option is to buy a one way flight!

So how do I get a cheap flight...

Perseverance is the key! Firstly get yourself some general dates - the wider the period the better deals you will be able to sniff out. An exact flight in a different month can differ by up to £300 so get flexible. Many airlines have deals on each month so quick place to start is to put a date period in for the start on the different months you have available and see what it gives you. Weekends are expensive to fly and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest to fly so pick these. A price comparison site can speed this up for you otherwise you will have to choose a few agents sites. Many online travel agency sites have the same backend system so you should start to see similar times and prices showing up. Basically airlines split the plane up into price bands and then sell them off. You may find the cheapest band is available for one week but not another so I would try every Tuesday in the months you have available. If no luck try Wednesday or Thursday.

If you find a good deal on an airline its then worth checking the actual airlines site as over the past year (like mobile phone networks) they have have started offering the cheapest prices and cutting out agents. You may save £20-30 that way and you are dealing with the actual company. Bit of UK knowledge here but London has many more airlines flying to Australia than Manchester so it can be cheaper flying with BMI or similar down to London if you live up north.

If you stil aren't having any luck think about flying to different destinations. For example there may be an offer of flying to Auckland in New Zealand. You could then get a budget flight to Australia and save that way. Round the World flights are also cheaper so check with your local travel agent for costs. If all else fails ask your parents or friends if they have any airmiles!!

Good Airlines

From my personal experiences I can recommend the following airline:

Emirates
Qatar Airlines
Quantas
Air New Zealand
British Airways
Singapore Airlines

Cheap Airlines

The airlines below offer the cheapest standard airfares although you may get a better deal on the good airlines during special periods. Be aware facilities and comfort are not as good as the companies on the left but hey if its cheap you want...

Thai Airways
Korean Airlines