Low-Cost Aussie Airline Bonza Will Start Flying Out of Melbourne in March with Fares From $49

In January, Australia scored a brand-new local airline, with low-cost carrier Bonza finally hitting the skies after first being announced in 2021 but only securing regulatory approval this year. The fresh face in the Aussie aviation scene isn't just about cheap tickets, but also opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations, flying 27 routes to 17 locations. And, it'll fly to some of those spots from Melbourne from the end of March.

Bonza boasts two bases: the Sunshine Coast, where it's been soaring out of since January; and Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, which joins the list in autumn. Planes departing from the Victorian HQ will fly 12 routes to 11 destinations, with a trip between the airline's two main sites the first to take off from Melbourne on Thursday, March 30.

Yes, if you're heading out of the Victorian capital — or to it, depending on where you're departing from — your 2023 getaways just got cheaper. One-way fares start at $49, which will get you from Melbourne to Mildura, with flights now on sale.

Among the other options, flights to Tamworth cost $59, or you can get to Port Macquarie from $69. The fare from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast comes in at $79, as does a trip to Toowoomba. And, there's a heap of destinations available for $89: Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay and Rockhampton.

Different legs will enjoy their maiden voyages from Melbourne on different dates throughout March, April and May. At present, flights are on sale right through to the end of October.

To book, you'll need to download the airline's app. For travellers who have already done so, the carrier advises that you will need to delete it and then reinstall the latest version to get access to reserve flights.

App-only reservations are one of Bonza's points of difference, unless you're booking via a registered local travel agent. Another: an all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer.

Passengers will get soaring in planes given names as Aussie as the carrier's itself: Bazza, Shazza, Sheila and Malc, with the latter based in Melbourne. The quartet are taking passengers to places they mightn't otherwise been able to fly to, too, with Bonza noting that 93 percent of its routes aren't currently served by any other airline — and 96 percent of them don't presently have a low-cost carrier.

The airline has launched with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance.

Bonza's fares don't include baggage and seat selection, which you need to pay extra for — and it is cheapest to do so when you make your booking, rather than afterwards.

Bonza will start flying from Melbourne on Thursday, March 30, with flights on sale now. For more information, and to buy fares, head to the airline's website, or download its app for Android and iOS.

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