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Surrounded by the vast red desert of the Red Centre and within easy reach of both the city and the MacDonnell Ranges, Alice Springs Airport has regularly scheduled flights to connect you to this remote city from most major hubs across Australia.
If you're looking for a flight into Alice Springs to get to Uluru (Ayers Rock), you may also want to check out flights to Ayers Rock Airport. It's just 9km (a 12-minute drive) from Yulara, where you'll find all of the area's accommodation options, and, if you're travelling on a budget, is serviced by Jetstar.
Today's available deals on flights to Alice Springs
TL;DR: Alice Springs flights
Alice Springs's airport:
Alice Springs Airport (ASP)
Get the best price:
January to February
Book in advance by:
35-49 days
Best airline (price):
Virgin Australia
Frequently asked questions about flights to Alice Springs
How much are flights to Alice Springs?
On average, flights to Alice Springs cost about $600-$800 return from across Australia. Being right in the middle of the country, flights to Alice Springs don't change drastically depending on which city you're flying from. The exception to this is Adelaide, where fares do tend to be cheaper, costing about $450-$500 return on average.
No budget airlines currently fly into Alice Springs Airport, which does increase the cost.
When is the cheapest time to fly to Alice Springs?
From most cities in Australia, January and February tend to be the cheapest months to fly to Alice Springs. This is during the low season, when temperatures are at their highest, usually tipping past 40℃.
If you're travelling from Perth or Darwin, you're in luck. Fares tend to be at their lowest during May, which we think is one of the best times to visit this part of the country. Temperatures are lower and it's outside of school holiday periods.
Although the best time to visit Alice Springs and the Red Centre is during the winter months, prices tend to be at their highest in July and August.
Cheapest months to fly:
January to February
Priciest months to fly:
July to August
How far in advance should I book my flight to Alice Springs?
According to Skyscanner data, it's generally best to book flights to Alice Springs at least 5-7 weeks in advance of your trip.
As prices of flights to the city are high, we also recommend keeping your eyes peeled for any Virgin or Qantas sales that offer discounted fares Australia-wide. We've seen fares going for as low as $159 each way, which is below the average fare.
How long does it take to fly to Alice Springs?
Sitting right in the middle of the country, you can reach Alice Springs from most of Australia's major cities via a direct flight in 3.5 hours or less.
If you're flying to Alice Springs from:
- Adelaide: 2 hours, 15 minutes direct
- Ayers Rock: 55 minutes direct
- Brisbane: 3 hours, 5 minutes direct
- Cairns: 4 hours, 15 minutes with a stopover
- Darwin: 2 hours direct
- Melbourne: 3 hours direct
- Perth: 2 hours, 40 minutes direct
- Sydney: 3 hours direct
If you're flying to Ayers Rock (Uluru) from:
- Adelaide: 1 hour, 55 minutes direct
- Alice Springs: 55 minutes direct
- Brisbane: 2 hours, 55 minutes direct
- Cairns: 4 hours, 15 minutes with a stopover
- Darwin: 2 hours direct
- Melbourne: 2 hours, 30 minutes direct
- Perth: 8 hours, 35 minutes with a stopover
- Sydney: 3 hours, 20 minutes direct
If you're travelling from other cities like the Gold Coast or Canberra, you'll need to connect in one of the above cities to get to Alice Springs.
*Note: These flight times are the quickest flights that we could find and reflect the stopover time, if one is required.
Which airlines fly to Alice Springs from Australia?
Only full-service carriers currently fly to Alice Springs, meaning checked baggage will be included with any fare that you book. You can fly to Alice Springs with the following carriers:
- Air North: Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek
- Qantas and QantasLink: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Sydney, Uluru (Ayers Rock)
- Virgin Australia: Adelaide, Darwin, Brisbane
What's the best airline to fly to Alice Springs?
- Best for price: Virgin Australia tends to have the lowest fares compared to Qantas.
- Best for inclusions:Both Qantas and Virgin Australia offer similar inclusions like checked baggage, but Qantas does also include a snack and drink in-flight.
- Best for frequent flyer rewards: Qantas offers the most rewards flights to frequent flyers as some routes aren't available for redemption with Virgin Australia.
Where is the airport in Alice Springs?
Alice Springs Airport (ASP) is 14.5km south of the city centre and it takes about 16 minutes to travel there by car.
If you're heading to Kings Canyon, the drive west from Alice Springs will take you about 3.5 hours for the 332km journey.
If you're travelling to Alice Springs to get to Uluru (Ayers Rock), you're better off flying directly to Ayers Rock Airport, which is less than a 15-minutes drive to accommodation in the area. Otherwise, you're looking at a 447km journey, which takes about 4 hours and 45 minutes by road.
How many points do I need to fly to Alice Springs Airport?
We've checked the minimum points requirements to fly from seven major Australian airports to Alice Springs Airport with both Qantas and Virgin Australia.
| Departure city | Points required for a return Qantas flight | Points required for a return Virgin flight |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 24,000 | 23,600 |
| Brisbane | 36,000 | 35,600 |
| Cairns | 36,000 | Not available |
| Darwin | 24,000 | 23,600 |
| Gold Coast | 36,000 | Not available |
| Melbourne | 24,000 | Not available |
| Perth | 36,000 | 35,600 |
| Sydney | 36,000 | Not available |
Want to earn a free flight to Alice Springs?
These frequent flyer credit card offers can give you more than enough bonus points for a complimentary flight (minus applicable taxes) to Alice Springs Airport (ASP) from major cities across Australia.Up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points
American Express Velocity Platinum Card
Receive 100,000 bonus Velocity Points
Offer may be withdrawn at any time
Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply
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