Domestic Flights in Australia: The Complete Guide to Flying Between Cities

Australia is a vast country — Sydney to Perth is the same distance as London to Tehran — and domestic flights are often the only practical way to cover ground within a limited holiday. The domestic aviation market is competitive, reasonably priced compared to Australia’s general cost of living, and well-developed enough that most major destinations are connected by frequent services. Understanding which airlines to use, how to find cheap fares, what the baggage rules mean, and which airports to use for each city makes a significant difference to both your budget and your experience.

📋 TL;DR – Domestic Flights in Australia: The Complete Guide to Flying Be…

• ✈️ Main airlines: Qantas (full-service), Virgin Australia (mid-range), Jetstar (budget), Rex (regional).
• 💰 Cheap fares: Book 6–10 weeks ahead for best prices; Jetstar sales can drop fares to A$39–79 on popular routes.
• 🧳 Baggage: Budget carriers (Jetstar, Rex) charge extra for checked bags — factor this into price comparisons.
• ⏱️ Flight times: Sydney–Melbourne 1h20m; Sydney–Brisbane 1h30m; Sydney–Perth 5h; Melbourne–Cairns 3h.
• 🏙️ Airport notes: Melbourne has two airports (Tullamarine for most flights, Avalon for some Jetstar). Check which one before booking.
• 📱 Book direct: Booking through airline websites avoids third-party booking fees and makes changes easier.

✈️ The domestic airlines

🦘 Qantas

Qantas is Australia’s flag carrier and the dominant full-service airline on domestic routes. Fares are generally higher than budget competitors, but include generous carry-on allowances (7kg), complimentary food and drink on longer routes, better seat pitch, and a more reliable on-time performance record. Qantas has the most comprehensive network, reaching smaller regional centres that Jetstar and Virgin don’t serve. For business travel, the Qantas Club lounges at major airports are excellent. If you’re using frequent flyer points, Qantas Points are the most widely applicable in Australia.

💜 Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia sits between Qantas and Jetstar in price and service. Fares include a 7kg carry-on allowance, and checked baggage can be added at booking. The inflight experience is a step up from budget carriers — complimentary snacks on some routes, more legroom than Jetstar — and the Velocity Frequent Flyer program is well regarded. Virgin operates mainly on major city pairs and popular leisure routes; for regional destinations you’ll need Qantas or Rex.

🟡 Jetstar

Jetstar is Qantas’s budget subsidiary and offers the cheapest base fares in the market — but those base fares are genuinely bare-bones. Carry-on is restricted to 7kg and must fit within strict dimensions; checked baggage costs extra; food and drink cost extra; seat selection costs extra. When you add all the extras, Jetstar often ends up similar in price to Virgin. Where Jetstar genuinely wins is on sale fares — they run frequent sales where popular routes drop to A$39–79, and if you travel light and grab a sale fare, it’s hard to beat. Jetstar’s punctuality record is worse than Qantas and Virgin, which matters if you have tight connections.

🔴 Rex (Regional Express)

Rex operates regional routes connecting smaller towns to capital cities, and has expanded into major city pairs (Sydney–Melbourne, Sydney–Brisbane) with competitive fares. For reaching regional destinations like Broken Hill, Dubbo, King Island, or Flinders Island, Rex is often the only option. Service is no-frills but reliable, and fares on regional routes can be surprisingly affordable.

💰 How to find cheap domestic fares

1. Book 6–10 weeks ahead. Australian domestic fares follow the classic yield management curve — they’re cheapest around 6–10 weeks out and rise sharply in the final two weeks. Last-minute fares are rarely good value.
2. Be flexible with days. Tuesday and Wednesday flights are typically cheaper than Friday and Sunday. Avoid the Monday morning and Friday evening business travel peaks on popular routes like Sydney–Melbourne.
3. Sign up for Jetstar fare alerts. Jetstar runs sales every few weeks and alerts subscribers first. If you have flexible travel dates and are comfortable booking on short notice, these can yield extraordinary fares.
4. Compare total cost, not base fare. Always check the final price after baggage and seat selection before declaring a budget carrier cheaper. A Jetstar base fare of A$69 plus A$35 checked bag plus A$8 seat selection may cost more than a Virgin fare of A$119 with baggage included.
5. Use Google Flights for price calendars. Google Flights’ price calendar view shows the cheapest fares across a month, which is invaluable if your travel dates are flexible.

🏙️ Airport notes for major cities

• Sydney (SYD): One airport — Kingsford Smith International. 20 minutes by train from the CBD (Airport Link). Allow 90 minutes for domestic check-in at peak times.
• Melbourne: Two airports. Tullamarine (MEL) handles most domestic and all international flights — 40 minutes from the CBD by SkyBus. Avalon (AVV) is 60km south-west of the city and used by some Jetstar flights — check carefully before booking.
• Brisbane (BNE): One airport, 20 minutes from the CBD by Airtrain. Domestic and international terminals are connected.
• Perth (PER): One airport, 20 minutes from the CBD. A new terminal opened in 2023 — well-designed and easy to navigate.
• Cairns (CNS): Small, easy airport 8 minutes from the CBD by taxi. No rail link but taxis and rideshares are cheap.
• Hobart (HBA): 20 minutes from the city by taxi. No rail link.

👉 Book Airport Transfers and City Tours in Australia on GetYourGuide →

🧳 Baggage rules: what you need to know

Carry-on allowances vary by airline. Qantas and Virgin allow 7kg carry-on in economy (with a personal item). Jetstar allows 7kg carry-on but enforces size and weight limits strictly — they will weigh and measure bags at the gate. Rex allows 7kg carry-on on most routes. All airlines allow checked baggage for a fee on budget fares, or include it in higher fare classes (Qantas Flex, Virgin Flex, etc.).

For a multi-city trip around Australia, it’s worth budgeting your baggage needs carefully. If you’re flying four domestic legs with Jetstar and checking a bag on each, that’s potentially A$35–50 per leg — A$140–200 total — which changes the value calculation significantly. Packing into carry-on only, or choosing a fare class that includes baggage, often works out cheaper in practice.

💡 Insider tips for domestic flying in Australia

• Sydney–Melbourne is the world’s third busiest air corridor. Flights run every 30 minutes from early morning to late evening. If you miss one, there’s almost always another within the hour — useful to know if you’re cutting it close on connections.
• The Sydney–Perth overnight flight is worth considering. Departing around 9–10pm and arriving in Perth at 5–6am (local time), it saves a night’s accommodation cost and uses travel time you’d spend sleeping anyway.
• Check the baggage weight limits before you print your boarding pass. Many airlines allow you to add checked baggage more cheaply online before check-in than at the airport desk.
• Domestic security in Australia is efficient. Liquids rules (100ml containers, 1-litre bag) apply. Remove laptops from bags. Shoes generally do not need to be removed. Allow 30 minutes from security to gate at major airports during peak hours.

Planning your trip to Australia, read our guides to abseiling Australia, coasteering Australia, freediving Australia, kitesurfing Australia, canyoning Australia, paragliding Australia, and bungee jumping Australia.