A Fremantle supporter looking to fly to Melbourne for this weekend’s AFL Grand Final was quoted $2,417 return on Jetstar, and that’s without checked bags. The search was done on Thursday night for flights leaving Friday and returning Sunday, a fairly standard weekend trip for a fan following their team to the big game.
Comparing Prices Across the Airlines
Jetstar’s cheapest return came in at $2,417, on a red eye flight over and a return trip home via Sydney. Virgin wasn’t much better at $2,127, also routed via Sydney and also without bags included. Qantas offered a direct flight for $3,218. For context, a Qantas return flight to London this same weekend would have cost less than that direct Melbourne fare.
Dynamic Pricing Does Makes Sense
Dynamic pricing exists for a reason, and in principle it’s straightforward: high demand combined with limited seats pushes prices up. That’s simply how supply and demand works, and most travellers accept some price increase around major events.
Where It Starts to Feel Like Exploitation
But there’s a point where dynamic pricing stops reflecting supply and demand and starts looking like exploitation. Charging a footy fan more to fly domestically for a grand final than it would cost to fly return to London is hard to justify as ordinary market pricing. Airlines know these fans have no real alternative and no flexibility on travel dates and the pricing reflects that.
Is This Just How Travel Works Now?
Grand final weekend is an extreme example, but it raises a fair question about how far dynamic pricing can stretch before it stops being reasonable. Fans without flexible dates or deep pockets are the ones who end up carrying the cost.
Is this just how it works now, or has dynamic pricing gone too far? Drop your thoughts in the comments and follow 5 Star Trip for more.