A flight to Adelaide this year cost almost as much as a return flight to London in the first week of April.
The April 4 to 7 direct flight from Perth to Adelaide costs a whopping $1,754 on Virgin Australia, while flights to London on the same weekend cost $2,031 on the same airline.
With Qantas, the Perth-Adelaide return flights would cost $1165 return.
The weekend of surprise airfares is thanks to the AFL’s Gather Round.
After the resounding success of the first year of the round, flights are now three times more expensive than normal.
Even those looking for more bargains would have to pay a whopping $1122 for the cheapest flight option with Virgin Australia – leaving you missing the entire Thursday night match and leaving on Sunday before any of the games have even started.
The $1165 Qantas flights are the cheapest available if you don’t want to miss the first match on April 4.
The cost of flights between Sydney and Adelaide has almost reached the same price as flights to London ahead of the AFL Gather Round in South Australia. Pictured are Port Adelaide AFL fans
Virgin Airlines justified their prices in a statement, saying there would be more seats available than the number of fans who flew into Adelaide for the Gather Round last year.
“As the official airline of the AFL, Virgin Australia is committed to helping football fans get in on the action at this year’s Gather Round,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson told Seven News.
“In 2023 we flew more than 60,000 guests to and from South Australia during the week of the event, and this year we have planned more than 70,000 seats to and from Adelaide from April 2 to 9.
‘Rates booked during peak periods such as school holidays and around major events are generally higher than the average fare, in line with the reduced number of seats available.
‘However, there are still great fares for fans looking to head to Adelaide for this year’s Gather Round, including Melbourne-Adelaide from $143 (one-way, economy lite) and Sydney-Adelaide from $149 (one-way, economy lite) .’
He continued: ‘Where possible, we encourage guests to book early to ensure the best possible price.’
Qantas also justified its reasons for the expensive flights, citing demand.
“We have seen very high demand in and out of Adelaide around April 4 and 7 as fans travel to the football,” he said.
Prices to Adelaide have skyrocketed due to high demand, with one airline claiming to have flown ‘over 60,000 guests to and from South Australia during the week of the event’ last year
“As is always the case, the lowest fares on any airline sell the fastest and we saw a huge spike when Adelaide was selected to host this round.
‘More than half of customers traveling between Adelaide and Perth during this period booked their flights for less than $411 one-way, taking advantage of sale or lead-in fares and reward seats.
“We are exploring options to add more flights to help customers get to and from Adelaide during this period.”
The Gather Round is ‘a festival of football’ featuring all 18 teams and nine matches for premiership points, including two matches at Mount Barker to showcase Adelaide’s food and wine.
It is a family-friendly weekend held during the school holidays, adding to the event’s immense popularity.