Qantas and Virgin rival Perth flight sales: Fares from $139
Which airline has the better deal to welcome you back to Western Australia?
TL;DR: What's the deal with this flight sale?
Cheapest flight available:
$139 one-way
Travel dates
1 May - 15 September 2022
Flexible fares?
No
Baggage included?
Qantas only
Western Australia's borders reopened to the nation on 3 March and 2 major airlines have responded with mates rates deals to rival the best.
Virgin Australia is sending travellers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Perth from $139 per person each way.
Qantas, on the other hand, is charging a little more for the trip with $299 return flights (or $149.50 each way). These also depart from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Both are mates rates sales, which means 2 or more people have to be booked on the flight together.
Both also have similar travel dates. Virgin is for 1 May – 15 September 2022, excluding the school break from 23 June – 18 July.
Qantas shaves off 1 day, with travel available from 2 May – 15 September 2022 and blackout dates across the same school holiday period.
Price-wise, Virgin Australia has won this round by a smidgen, but let's drill down further.
- Ready to book your trip to Perth? Compare flights with KAYAK today.
Lite vs full service
Lite vs full serviceVirgin Australia's fares are for Lite only. That is, it's only for your seat and 7kg of carry-on luggage. You'll need to pay extra if you want checked luggage, the ability to choose your own seat and an in-flight meal – all of which are included in the Qantas fare.
This is great if you don't need all the bells and whistles, or if you don't mind breaking up your travel party due to a lack of seat selection.
If you do, you can upgrade to Virgin's Choice fare for $149 each way. This gives you seat selection and 23kg of checked baggage, but not food, and brings the difference between the 2 airlines' fares down to a mere $1.
Travel party size
Large travel party? Qantas is your better option, as its fares are for groups of 2 or more passengers.
Virgin's is for groups of 2–9 people, so if you have a travel party of 10, you'll have to make 2 bookings.
How do these sales compare to other airlines?
Jetstar is the only other airline that flies to Perth from these cities at the moment.
Looking at flights in May, the lowest outbound fare from Sydney to Perth you can score is $154 one-way, which is pricier than both Qantas and Virgin.
Both Qantas and Virgin Australia's sales end 11:59pm AEDT Friday 11 March 2022, unless sold out earlier.
These fares at a glance
- Poor flexibility. Neither airline's flights are eligible for fee-free date changes. You can still change or cancel your flight, but it'll be at a cost.
- Good frequent flyer points. Flights on both Virgin and Qantas will earn you points with their respective frequent flyer programs, Velocity and Qantas Frequent Flyer.
- Great travel time. Both airlines offer direct flights.
- Great weather. The months between autumn and spring offer warm, dry weather in Western Australia, making them perfect for sightseeing.
Never miss a flight deal! Check out our full list of all the latest flight sales.
