Fly/Drive

Western Australia is a big place, so many of our DriveWA clients use air travel to get to the more remote areas in WA. They then hire or buy a vehicle, upon arrival, for the driving part of their DriveWA.com escape.

Historical background
Australia's Airline and Tourism industries were severely affected on the 13th September 2001 by the collapse of our second biggest airline, Ansett Airlines. Ansett’s subsidiary Skywest was the only major airline servicing many of the remote Western Australian destinations.

Qantas and Virgin Blue now operate on many of the national routes; providing some welcomed competition. Skywest is back in the air in WA thanks to a local syndicate; to which the shareholders of DriveWA contributed. We have an investment in Skywest, and we are proud of the contribution we made to keep that great regional airline in the air.
 

The random discounting, that remains a feature of the Australian air transport Industry, provides you with opportunity and some issues. Random discounting is often only available on major routes; where there are plenty seats available. It is not so often a feature for internal air travel in WA.

 

Do your research carefully as there are substantial savings to be made BUT there are usually conditions attached to these discounted fares.

 

The conditions may mean that you have to book 14 days (or more) in advance; fares may not be refundable; and you may not be able to change your flight times if you get sick. So if you wish to fly via these discounted flights, you need to plan your itinerary carefully and book early.

 

The airlines often only release a limited number of seats on each flight at discounted rates and these sell quickly. There are often very limited opportunities to change such reservations. This means that checking the terms and conditions of the agreement are very important. You will also need travel insurance. However, you may not get a refund if you get sick, change your mind, or cannot travel at the time you previously booked.

 

On most domestic routes, the full economy fares are very expensive by comparison to the discounted fares. Most of the cheaper options are available directly from the airline's websites, and therefore available to domestic and international travellers. If you want more information regarding this topic, contact Great Aussie Holidays.

 

Great Aussie Holidays specialise in fly/drive and fly/ accommodation packages and have lots of excellent options available on their website. Mention your DriveWA membership for special rates!

  

However, the advantage of paying the full economy fare is that you are not subject to the same restrictions, and can cancel and change the date of departure freely.

 

With discounting being a common theme these days, air passes are not always great value.

 

Qantas Boomerang Pass can only be purchased overseas. It involves buying coupons for short haul or multi-zone sectors; and may not be as cheap as it once appeared. There are a number of conditions which may require you to purchase a minimum of two coupons before arriving in Australia, and once here, you can buy up to eight more.

  

If you are intending to buy an airfare as part of your DriveWA com escape plan, then please purchase your tickets early.

 

To get the cheaper fares you must plan your DriveWA escape as early as possible, and be as flexible as you can with your travel dates.

 

There are some excellent airfares available from the airlines internet websites BUT it is worth checking with the Great Aussie Holidays website if you want a packaged service.

 

If you want accommodation, a hire car, or a tour as part of your DriveWA.com escape then you may get a better overall deal by purchasing the airfare as part of a packaged deal. Check out their excellent website Great Aussie Holidays for their packaged deals with airlines, hotels, hire cars, and amusements.

 

Also please check out the brilliant site maintained by Skywest Holidays before you book.

 

Please take out Travel Insurance. Check out our travel insurance links, and for an unbiased source of information about travel insurance, we recommend that all travellers visit the Australian Government website, Smartraveller, about travel insurance. 
 

There are a variety of transportation services, both private and public, that can ensure you reach the airport promptly.

 

There are private or public bus services at airports in major towns. However, at smaller airports you may have to rely on taxis.

 

If you've booked a Best Western motel, or Quest Serviced Apartment, these organisations may have a pick up service or be able to organise a taxi for you.

 

Quite often, sharing a taxi between a few people can be cheaper than the bus. Beware that in some places taxis may not take more than three people at a time.

 

There is a Transperth bus service (number 37) that travels to the Perth Domestic Airport (leaving from the City Busport and travelling along St Georges Terrace). Keep in mind that if you have an abundance of luggage, this alternative may inconvenience you, or other passengers. It takes about one hour to reach the airport in heavy traffic, or approximately 45 minutes in light traffic.

 

Ticket prices vary depending upon age and profession. Students and pensioners endure a discounted rate, while adults pay full fare. Contact Transperth on 13 62 13 for more information.

There are no items in your itinerary. Please continue browsing and click to add items of interest.