Airlines accused of abandoning footy fans

Rural crisis meeting at the Merredin Community Centre, Merredin. Hundreds of farmers and their families pack into the centre to discuss the state of the industry. Bob Katter speaks to farmers 15th of April, 2013. Pic Simon Santi/The West Australian
By Hannah Edensor


Enraged federal MP Bob Katter insists airlines are taking advantage of rugby league supporters by “price gouging” flights to Sydney for the NRL grand final.

The avid North Queensland supporter is seeking a meeting with airlines to plead for fans who are being forced to pay more than three times the normal price for flights to get to Sydney for the club’s first grand final in 10 years.

In what has become a nationwide problem on grand final weekend, the Cowboys have taken matters into their own hands, chartering their own flights for Sunday’s decider against Brisbane.

West Coast supporters have also been forced to find inventive ways – including travelling via Bali – to make it to the AFL grand final against Hawthorn in Melbourne on Saturday.

In some cases, a flight from Perth to Auckland via Melbourne is cheaper than the fare just to the Victorian capital.

The cheapest return flights either side of the NRL grand final from Townsville to Sydney advertised on Tuesday were about $1400, but would normally cost between $400 to $600.

Katter, whose federal electorate of Kennedy sits in Cowboys heartland, suggested flights should be cheaper than normal because they would be full.

“There is no justification for this,” Katter said.

“They have seen an opportunity to price gouge and they’re taking advantage of it at the expense of people that have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their team play in a grand final.”

Katter says he’s complained to the consumer watchdog about airlines “price gouging” rugby league and AFL fans for flights to this weekend’s grand finals.

Katter labelled the airlines “unpatriotic”, saying they’d taken advantage of supporters.

“There’s thousands and thousands of buyers in Perth, and there’s thousands and thousands of buyers in north Queensland but there’s only two, arguably three, sellers – that’s not a free market,” he told 6PR.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission doesn’t plan to intervene in this case.

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett backed Mr Katter, but said West Coast fans were even worse off.

“Good onya, Bob. If you think Queenslanders have got it tough, come to Perth and try booking a flight to the AFL grand final,” Mr Barnett said.

Most flights between Perth and Melbourne remain more than $2000 return, while many Eagles fans are driving or bussing it across the Nullarbor.

WA Commerce Minister Michael Mischin said the state government could not intervene in flight prices, but hoped airlines would not take advantage of WA football fans.

Virgin has also added 6500 seats on the Perth-Melbourne route, while Qantas will offer an extra service and Jetstar has an extra 2500 seats.

Meanwhile, a Qantas spokesman said an extra flight had been added to get Cowboys fans from Townsville to Sydney with fares starting at $290 one way.

“Unfortunately, all of the less expensive fares have sold out and because the final series falls within school holidays – our flights are busy,” he said in a statement.

Qantas also added an extra flight to help get Broncos fans back to Brisbane on Monday.

The Cowboys have chartered a 128-seat plane to make two return trips from Townsville to Sydney, costing members $1190 for a return flight and ticket in the team’s supporter section.

Image: yahoo

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    Latest comments

    1. Air NZ could have done some domestic OZ charters. They have the traffic rights.
      Or some NZ PER/AKL or ADL/AKL flights could have put down in MEL.
      Obviously the big boys could have repositioned aircraft from east coast, but would have probably had to fly them empty or at very low yield to get to PER.
      Still lots of people are interested in AFL or NRL may have like idea of a cheap weekend in PER.
      For Qlders flying to Sydney, noticed some charters left SYD at 2330 after the game. Not all aircraft are subject to silly SYD NOISE CURFEW. Not being forced to stay in SYD the night saved those people a fortune.
      Perhaps the curfew could have been lifted for night of SYD grand final or instead of being 2300-0600 being 0100-0600 Monday. This would have allowed any sized jet to get out of SYD.
      Alternatively, like Caprio did a few NYE’s ago, get to CBR after the game(no curfew). Caprio a few NYE’s ago did NYE in SYD & then flew small jet to CBR & then flew CBR/LAS nonstop on a World Airways B744 & landed at LAS before midnight NYE & did NYE all over again !!!!

    2. …mr katter obviously doesn’t know what free market is all about… go back to your economics units mr katter… it will save you from embarrassing yourself…. where were you when airlines are offering $45 for city to city flights or even regional flights… there are 365 days a year… on average 350 days are all on special rates… 15days are the only days when hotels and airlines can charge more… so who do you think should complain more…

    3. Oh Bob, you have never heard of the economics of supply and demand……you as a politician would have no idea how a free market works, you clearly demonstrate that on a daily basis.
      Now, in all seriousness (?) why are you picking on airlines??? What about Bus companies, and Hotels and Taxis? Lets not leave Taxis out with their hideous 10% Credit Card surcharge…Gotta LOVE Uber……..and Hotels, have you even bothered to look at their pricing this weekend? Talk about kill the pig!!! These guys make airlines look like rank amateurs! No? I thought as much…….
      Oh and lets not let the Hire Car industry off the hook either. They are in for their chop as well big time…….
      So Bob, why just pick on the airlines? Did you miss out on a free upgrade recently? Oh that’s right we, The People, pay for your Business Class flights!!!
      Bob, you are part of a coalition that has done NOTHING to reduce my costs at all and have put tens of thousands OUT of work….SO, get back in your cave till you have something RELEVANT to say.
      Oh and Colin, like you can talk….all you want to do is put EVERYTHING up…..you had your chance with the mining boom and GROSSLY mismanaged that pot of gold.
      Clowns.

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