Overview
Some holidays arise from months of planning. Others happen simply because an airline has cheap flights on offer. Both are perfectly acceptable ways to lock in a getaway — and if you're keen for the latter, Jetstar is doing a big 48-hour sale with 400,000-plus fares to Bali, Phuket, Hawaii, Vietnam, Japan and Seoul, among other destinations.
Actually, the Australian carrier is doing discounted flights across Australia as well as to international spots — but after the couple of years we've all had, with closed borders both locally and overseas, you're probably (and understandably) itching to venture to other countries.
International fares start from $199 return — yes, both ways — because this is Jetstar's 'return for free' sale. Running from 12am AEST on Wednesday, May 4–11.59pm AEST on Thursday, May 5, or until sold out, it's as straightforward as it sounds. Whatever flights you opt for as part of the sale, you'll get the return fare for nothing.
Overseas, one big caveat is worth keeping in mind: some destinations, such as Japan, haven't yet opened to international tourists. But if you'd like to book cheap flights to Tokyo or Osaka and back for later in the year and cross your fingers that the border situation changes, you can.
Also on the list: fares to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown, to name a few, with 29 international routes covered. Locally, you've got a choice between 59 routes — all with return legs for free — starting from $69.
Tickets in the sale are for trips from this coming spring onwards, with exact days varying in each region.
There are a few other rules, as is always the case. You have to the same departure and arrival ports for the two fares — so you can go from Melbourne to Honolulu and back, for instance, but can't return via another place or to another city. And, the sale fares don't include checked baggage, so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase.
Jetstar's 'return for free' sale runs from 12am AEST on Wednesday, May 4–11.59pm AEST on Thursday, May 5 — or until sold out.