Qantas and the West Australian Government will triple the number of seats available on the popular weekend fares program to Exmouth during an extended six-month period in 2020.
Qantas will provide almost 300 special fares each weekend (from Friday through to Monday) for selected flights between Perth and Exmouth (Learmonth Airport) between April and October 2020, bringing the total number of available fares to more than 7800.
As part of the 2019 first year trial, there were 150 seats available each weekend over a 3 month period from June to September. More than 2,300 passengers took advantage of the discounted weekend fares to Exmouth in its first year, with 91 per cent of available fares sold.
The increase in seats has been made possible by the introduction on some flights of the larger Airbus A320 aircraft, replacing the Boeing 717 on Saturdays and Sundays.
The special weekend fares are $169 one way and are available today from qantas.com or via travel agents. These special weekend fares are available for travel booked at least 45 days in advance.
Qantas also offers special weekend fares to Broome, with over 30,000 fares sold since 2018.
Comments from Qantas Domestic CEO, Andrew David:
“The special fares program was a fantastic success in 2019 and we’re excited to see it return with more seats over more weekends in 2020,’’ Mr David said.
“The extended offer and larger aircraft will give even more customers the chance to explore one of Western Australia’s most picturesque destinations and experience the wonder of Ningaloo Reef during whale shark season.
“As the national carrier, we know just how important tourism is and we’re delighted to be working closely with the Western Australian Government to stimulate demand and support local tourism operators.”
Comments from Western Australian Tourism Minister, Paul Papalia:
“The State Government is pleased to be working with Qantas to extend these affordable fares between Perth and Exmouth.
“The trial for these affordable fares earlier this year was extremely successful, with a 91 per cent take-up on fares, so we’re very pleased to be able to offer the same fares next year.
“Exmouth, which is near the Ningaloo Reef, is one of Western Australia’s iconic tourism destinations and this Qantas deal will make the region even more attractive to visitors.”
The Qantas Group operates 23 domestic routes to, from and within WA and three international routes out of the state – offering a total of more than 8 million seats this financial year. The Group also supports more than 4,000 local jobs and contributes more than $1 billion to the State’s economy.