Revealed: 5 destinations that are cheaper to fly to than last year
Skyscanner unveils where you'll get the most bang for your buck.
If your New Year's resolution is to travel more and spend less you might want to consider hightailing it to Port Vila or Queenstown.
They're just two of many cities that have seen major airfare decreases over the past year, according to the latest Skyscanner Travel Trends Report.
The report, which looks at the changing face of travel, found that on average the cost of international flights this year has dropped by 3% compared to 2018.
This has been attributed mostly to increases in flight frequencies, non-stop flights and sales in general along these routes.
According to the report, Queenstown and Port Villa came out on top for value with both seeing a 13% drop in airfares. On average, flights to Queenstown are down to $677 return, with Qantas' increased trans-Tasman flights over the peak winter ski season being a likely factor in the price slash.
At 13% cheaper, Port Vila in Vanuatu now costs approximately $750 return to get to from Australian shores.
You can thank Air Vanuatu for launching direct flights between Melbourne and Port Villa for that one. Virgin Australia has also helped this cause by pushing flights to Vanuatu for under $500 return throughout the year.
If you're US-bound you might want to swap Los Angeles for Las Vegas. The infamous "Sin City" was found to be 12% cheaper to fly to than last year, prices averaging $1,337 return. It's also an ideal gateway to road trip adventures to the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley for anyone looking to play it a little differently in 2020.
Flights to Amritsar and Busan are also down 7% year on year, costing $1,017 and $980 return respectively, while flights to Tokyo are down 6%. Personally we're predicting this is only set to fall even more with Virgin Australia about to fly direct to Tokyo Haneda in the new year.
Top 5 destinations that are cheaper to fly to than last year
Destination | Percentage price decrease YoY | Average return fare |
---|---|---|
Queenstown | 13% | $677 |
Port Vila | 13% | $750 |
Las Vegas | 12% | $1,337 |
Amritsar | 7% | $1,017 |
Busan | 7% | $980 |