How much do airlines actually bump up prices on busy days?

Europe map and airplane in cappuccino (made of cinnamon). Travel concept. Travel agency

New research has found that Aussie travellers are charged more than double to fly on the busiest days of the year.

Research from an unidentified airport source shows the average price for an economy seat on a flight between Melbourne and Sydney in 2017 was $199 on Qantas and $156 on Virgin Australia, but fares reached an average of $403 on Qantas and $395 in Virgin ahead of New Years Eve celebrations, reports Fairfax.

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The research also showed that prices are hiked up for major sporting events too, with the second Ashes cricket test match causing tickets to Adelaide from Sydney climb from an average $202 to a huge $725 on Qantas and $157 to $459 on Virgin.

A spokesman for the ACCC told Fairfax businesses were “free to set prices as they see fit, so long as they do so independently of their competitors and do not mislead or deceive consumers.”

Both airlines told Fairfax that despite these new figures, airfares have actually been falling for the past decade, but airport charges to the companies have kept going up.

“What these numbers show is that cheaper airfares sell out on the busiest days of the year, which isn’t news to anyone,” said a spokeswoman from Qantas.

A Virgin Australia spokeswoman also said pricing in line with demand made it possible for airlines to be competitive as possible.

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