Coronavirus airfare wars: Air New Zealand slashes prices to Australia to $69 in a bid to boost sales

  • The airline is offering one way $69 flights from Christchurch to Melbourne 
  • It’ll cost passengers just $69 to fly from Christchurch to Melbourne one way
  • The airfares went on sale on Friday and are available for travel from mid-March

By Alana Mazzoni For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 23:05 GMT, 27 February 2020 | Updated: 23:06 GMT, 27 February 2020

Air New Zealand has slashed fares to Australia to as little as $69 in a bid to boost sales amid the global coronavirus epidemic.  

The airline is offering $69 one way flights from Christchurch to Melbourne, while fares for Auckland to Sydney and Brisbane will set Kiwis back $79.

It’ll cost passengers just $69 to fly from Christchurch to Melbourne one way, and $79 to fly into Brisbane.

The cheap airfares went on sale on Friday and are available for travel from mid-March.  

Air New Zealand chief revenue officer Cam Wallace said customers will be able to fly across the Tasman for cheaper than a night’s accommodation at most hotels.

‘Customers are going to get some ridiculously good deals on flights across the Tasman,’ he told NZ Herald.

Air New Zealand’s cheap flights for travel from mid-March

Auckland-Sydney: $79

Auckland-Melbourne: $69

Auckland-Brisbane: $79 

Christchurch-Melbourne: $69

Christchurch-Brisbane: $79

Wellington-Sydney: $79

‘Like all airlines we have seen some softness in demand on routes like the Tasman where we now have some empty seats due to travellers mainly from Asian destinations not connecting between New Zealand and Australia.’ 

So far 15 people in Australia have been diagnosed with coronavirus cases and all have been cleared.  

Another eight, who were caught on the Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers in Japan, are being treated in their home states.

It’s now affecting 47 countries, has killed more than 2,800 people and infected more than 82,500. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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