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Jetstar and AirAsia’s Bali fare battleground

Getty

Getty

Low-cost airline carriers Jetstar and AirAsia have entered into a fare war over the popular Melbourne to Bali route this week, offering prices as low as $88.

On Monday, AirAsia announced it would be entering into the competitive Australia-South East Asia travel market with an introductory sale of $99 one-way, beginning on Tuesday night.

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Jetstar got the jump on their Asian rival, announcing a flash one-day sale on the same day, offering flights from all Australian capital cities to Bali for $88.

Jetstar’s system crashed shortly after the sale began at 4pm, with angry travellers taking to social media to express their frustration at being unable to capitalise on the price competition.

A spokesperson declined to say how many seats were being offered as part of the sale, but told The New Daily that “thousands” of the $88 fares were still available at lunchtime on Tuesday.

AirAsia’s inaugural Melbourne to Bali flight doesn’t take off until Boxing Day, but $99 seats will be on sale over five days, from midnight on October 28 until November 2.

Launching the route on Monday, AirAsia X chief executive Azran Osman-Rani said the company had its sights firmly set on Australia, and would be commanding a 22 per cent share of the route.

“With Thai AirAsia X already operating into north Asia we have Australia in our sights for further expansion and we all know how popular Bali is with Aussies,” Mr Osman-Rani said.

Getty

Bali is one of Australia’s favourite destinations, and it’s starting to pay off. Photo: Getty

The make-up of the Australian aviation industry has changed drastically over the past decade as low-carrier and foreign airlines grow in favour with Australians.

Qantas has seen its marketshare almost half in the past 14 years, falling from 34 per cent in 2000 to to 16 per cent of the Australian market today.

Australians continue to flock to Bali in droves each year, with 360,000 making the pilgrimage in the first six months of 2014, according to official figures.

For travellers keen to save a penny or two, Travelzoo Australia head of editorial James Hurley says there are several ways to beat the airlines at their own game.

These include:

Don’t always book last minute

Mr Hurley said there is a perception that last minute bookings are always cheaper, but this is not necessarily the case.

“In terms of being strategic about when you book, it will pay bigger dividends for you to be strategic about when you travel rather than how far in advance, or not, you make the booking,” Mr Hurley.

Travel on the right day and time

As with any form of transport, avoiding peak times is one of the best ways to save.

The cheapest days to travel are Sundays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays, according to Travelzoo, and the cheapest times are the middle of the day or night.

These times tend to avoid hoards of business travellers or weekend leisure breakers.

If you do want to go away at the weekend, Travelzoo recommends going away between Saturday and Monday instead of Friday to Sunday. Monday is a less popular time so it can be cheaper, and you still only need to take one day off work.

For more tips on how to save money when booking flights, click here.

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