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Compare prices and airlines, read reviews and get the latest deals and promo codes to find your next flight for less.
As keen travellers ourselves, we love finding bargain flights and saving some money along the way.
We've got you covered across everything from the latest flight sales, comparing airlines and answering questions like "how to get upgraded on a flight?" and more below.
Cheap Flights compares flight deals from over 300 airlines and travel agents worldwide. Get 100% secure booking and catch the lowest fares for flights, accommodation and rental cars.
Founded in 2000, Wotif has grown into one of Australia's most popular sites for booking travel. It specialises in late and last minute deals, but also has options for future bookings.
If you're booking flights for the future but worried border closures might affect your travel, Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar all have flexibility policies. Their various offers include things such as letting you change your travel dates or receiving a fare credit to be used at a later time.
Which airlines allow free checked bags?
Qantas, Rex Airlines and Virgin Australia all allow up to 23kg of checked luggage per person with their standard economy class fare.
Which airline has the cheapest baggage fees?
Squeezing just a little too much into your bag at the last minute before you head to the airport? Don't. Airlines have strict baggage weight limits and weigh every piece of checked luggage that boards the plane. If you're flying domestically in Australia, you can expect to find the following excess baggage fees.
Excess baggage fees by domestic airline:
Virgin Australia
$45 for each piece over your allowance
Qantas
$50 heavy charge for each piece over your allowance
$100 for each extra piece
Rex Airlines
$5.50 per kg over your allowance
Jetstar
$15 per kg over your allowance
Rex Airlines gives you the most wiggle room, penalising the least for excess weight.
If you want to avoid all the fuss and risk of extra charges at the airport, you can add additional baggage when you're booking or before you head to the airport.
Additional baggage price by domestic airline:
Virgin Australia
$45 per 23kg
Qantas
$50 per 23kg
Rex Airlines
$10 per 5kg
Jetstar
$21* per 15kg
$23* per 20kg
*Prices vary by route.
How do I get a flight upgrade?
It's the dream to buy economy and get bumped up to first class absolutely free, but how do you make that dream a reality?
While there's no hard and fast rule on how to score this holy grail, there are a few ways you can increase your chances of nabbing that premium economy, business or first class upgrade.
Here's how:
1. Join the frequent flyer program: Many luxury airlines like Qantas let you trade in your hard earned frequent flyer points for upgrades. This option might not be free, but this way you are guaranteed to get that upgrade on your flight. Also, it doesn't hurt to be part of the frequent flyer program to show that you have loyalty to the airline itself.
2. Bid in a flight upgrade auction: Again, this option might not be a freebie, but it does increase your chances of getting an upgrade for cheap. Many major airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and Etihad let you "bid" for a seat in a more premium class. You nominate how much you're willing to pay and if you're the highest bidder before a designated period, you could win that premium seat. You might also like to look into bidding upgrade sites like Optiontown, which let you bid on certain benefits such as extra baggage allowance, lounge access and flatbeds on airlines including AirAsia X, SAS and Vietnam Airlines.
3. Download upgrade apps: Get notified as soon as possible so you can nab the limited number of discounted upgrades available. Due to launch later this year, Seatfrog is designed to notify those who have registered their flight with the app when the airline is offering discounted upgrades prior to departure. Those looking to step up a class can name their price through the app.
4. Don't go for the special meal: It might seem like an odd tip, but if you can deal with the options on the onboard menu, opt out of having a special meal. These meals are linked to your seat number, so airlines generally don't upgrade anyone who has nominated one.
5. Fly during quieter periods: During peak times you'll find that business flyers will fill up the business and first class seats leaving nothing for eager upgraders. Fly during quieter periods and you've automatically increased your chances of snatching up one of the spare seats on board.
6. Timing is everything: Be early or be late, they both have their benefits. If you're early then you could be the first one to be offered an upgraded seat. If you're late and you haven't been assigned a seat yet, then there's a chance that the flight has been overbooked for your class and you could be bumped up. Of course, being late has its negatives too, including missing your flight, having the upgrades take by those who arrived early or being bumped to the next flight because your flight is full. That's the risk you have to take.
7. Make an impression. There's a lot of advice going out about complaining about something, playing to the emotional side of the person at the counter or just generally being nice and complimenting them. We're leaving it on this list because some say it has worked for them. Feel free to try one or the other, however there's no guarantee it'll work.
8. Bump yourself off the plane: If the plane has been overbooked and you can sacrifice the waiting time, nominate yourself to be bumped off the plane on the provision that you be upgraded on the next flight. If the airline can accommodate for this request, they might very well honour it.
9. Dress to impress: Some people swear by this one and it can't hurt to look like you belong in first class when at the airline counter.
10. Don't let a delay get the better of you: Every time I've been upgraded, a flight delay has played a part. I haven't complained about the delay, I've either just been automatically given an upgraded ticket at the counter, or been called to the counter at the gate to exchange my ticket for one with a better seat. Make of that what you will.
11. Use your status: People with titles like Dr or Judge can sometimes be upgraded purely because of their status in society. The same goes for those with diplomatic passports.
Want to earn a free flight to almost anywhere in Australia?
These frequent flyer credit card offers can give you more than enough bonus points for a complimentary flight (minus applicable taxes) to almost any corner of the country from from major cities across Australia.
NAB Qantas Rewards Signature Card
Up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points Discounted $295 first year annual fee
Offer may be withdrawn at any time
Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply
Member Price: 10% off or more on over 100,000 hotels
Available for travel on select dates across Australia at Expedia. Destinations include Sydney, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Gold Coast, and more. T&Cs apply.
Up to 30% student discount on domestic & international flights
Get up to 30% off on flights + up to 45kg baggage with Malaysia Airlines and Firefly flights. Domestic destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Adelaide. International destination includes Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and more. T&Cs apply.
Book a flight to Dublin this holiday season at Emirates from $2159. Available for travel on select dates. Fares are subject to change without prior notice. T&Cs apply.
Alex Keshen was the global travel publisher at Finder and has been living, breathing and, of course, writing about all things travel for more than 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada and has appeared in Travel Weekly and the Huffington Post. See full bio
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