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Transtasman airline competition is heating up, with Qantas again stepping in where Air New Zealand has previously had a monopoly on direct flights to non-eastern Australian coast state capitals.
First, Qantas will launch summer holiday flights between Perth and Auckland from December 6 until February 1. This followed Air New Zealand’s move to launch a Christchurch-Perth service from December 3.
In the latest move, Qantas budget subsidiary Jetstar will offer a new three times weekly service between Auckland and Adelaide from December 16.
Adelaide will be the airline’s fourth transtasman destination after Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast from Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Jetstar’s head in New Zealand, Grant Kerr, says the launch delivers the first direct low fares flights between the two cities, which are served now only by two Air New Zealand direct services a week.
“The customer response to our transtasman flying has been strong over the past few years and we’re delighted to now introduce direct flights between Auckland and Adelaide,” Mr Kerr says.
“We expect that the introduction of low fares on this route will make Adelaide a much more accessible and affordable destination for Auckland travellers.”
Flights on the new route will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Auckland with the return service from Adelaide later the same day.The flight will be operated by an Airbus A320 in a single class.
A limited number of launch fares go on sale from $99 one-way from today for travel between February 12, 2014, and April 2 and May 14 to June 25.
Regular lead-in fares Auckland-Adelaide start from $219 one-way.
Nevil Gibson
Tue, 03 Sep 2013
Tue, 03 Sep 2013
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Jetstar turns up pressure with new Adelaide flights
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