This item was mean to be Kookaburra’s Post-Budget report, but given the costs and inconveniences of regional air travel in Australia, it is now a Pre-Budget complaint. Not being a government supported Mandarin – merely a lowly citizen – Kookaburra decided that no rational person could agree to pay the fares demanded by QANTAS to fly from Bendigo to Canberra.

Despite receiving literally billions of taxpayers’ dollars in federal government support over the past two years, QANTAS, our ‘national airline’, would appear to have decided to focus on just one lucrative segment in the regional air travel market – publicly funded government mandarins – as no other segment could possibly afford the ludicrous prices which QANTAS is demanding for tickets on its planes.

Admittedly, Kookaburra had received a late invitation to attend the Budget Night dinner, so, well in advance fares were not an option. Nevertheless, isn’t the point of air travel to be able to make decisions almost on the spot to travel? How many businesses know exactly when there will be a need to travel many weeks in advance? Further, look at a map, look at the distance between Bendigo and Canberra? It is not quite as far as Honolulu is it? However, as far as QANTAS is concerned, it might as well be.

Bendigo is far from being alone. Major regional centres across Australia have a dearth of air travel options available, often requiring passengers to make multiple changes of aircraft. Little thought appears to be have been given to opening-up air travel between regional centres and virtually none at all between regional centres and the nation’s capital. What is about to be described below is happening across regional Australia every day. It is hampering severely the development of the nation.

So, let us see what flight and fare options our national airline offers the benighted inhabitants of Bendigo and district whom they have in a monopolistic stranglehold and out of whom they are squeezing every last drop of lemon juice.

First, the outbound journey from Bendigo to Canberra. For the early starters, 0630, Bendigo to Sydney (clearly Melbourne, just down the road, is too obvious a destination for a change of plane and just forget entirely about direct flights!) arriving at 0830 and swapping at 0935 to a Canberra flight arriving at 1030. Overall trip time – 4 hours. Cost – $1040.

Thereafter trip times get longer and fares rarely alter, even being prepared to wait in Sydney for 5 hours does not help, still $1040. If you are prepared not to arrive in Canberra until 1830, it is possible to reduce the fare to $848. There are other variations on the theme, being combinations of leaving later, waiting longer, travelling further arriving many hours later. There were exotic combinations of Bendigo – Sydney – Brisbane – Canberra and, strangely, Bendigo – Sydney – Melbourne -Canberra – but nothing so obvious as Bendigo – Melbourne – Canberra. Cheapest option: Leave Bendigo at 0930 arriving Sydney 1120, then departing Sydney at 2035 and arriving, after travelling for 12 hours at 2130. Total bargain basement offer from QANTAS $467.

Now, for the return journey, a day later: even worse (if possible). Overall trip time of no less than 10 hours and 5 minutes, leaving Canberra at 0940 and finally dropping onto the strip in Bendigo at 1945, all for a bargain basement Mandarin Class offer of $768. That was also the cheapest option. There were many more expensive alternatives available.

So, all-up, if one were wishing to travel over a reasonable period of time and still have some ability to make use of the evening at the Canberra end, then the return trip Bendigo – Canberra – Bendigo would cost you $1808.

To put the price gouging reality of this into stark relief, QANTAS is offering the following international Economy deals:

Melbourne – Honolulu – Melbourne: $899

Melbourne – London – Melbourne: $1,699

Melbourne – Singapore – Melbourne : $579

As QANTAS itself says ‘Thanks a Million’……..