Cheapest flights form Perth to Hobart?

[ayatollah]

Hi, I am travelling to Perth at the end of Feb for a week. After that I am flying to Hobart with maybe a night or 2 in Sydney. What would be the cheapest way to get these flights arranged?

I have checked all the airlines that do the routes, Qantas, Virgin Blue, JetStar and Tiger, and the cheapest is Tiger (Perth -> Melbourne -> Hobart -> Melbourne -> Perth) at around AU$760, with an extra AU$140 for Sydney.

I was told by a friend that it would probably be better to wait until we arrive in Australia and book flights there but I don't know. I don't want to take that risk then find that they are more.

So what would be your advice? Buy them now? Wait until we arrive in Perth? Or something else?

Cheers in advance for the advice!

[Red Tape]

There are plusses and minuses to both approaches. If you wait until you get there, you may be more flexible as your plans may have changed, but it will not be cheaper.

You may want to keep a watch on the web sites of the airlines you mention. February is towards the end of summer there, so prices may be more expensive. If you feel more comfortable booking in advance then do that. You'll have some assurance that there is one less thing to worry about when you arrive.

Also, keep in mind the extra charges you may incur and add that into the cost of the flight. Tiger will be cheaper at the onset, but you'll be charged for checked bags, food, priority boarding and the like. Qantas will offer you meals included in the price, one checked bag, and an assigned seat. I have often found in Australia that it is easy to book one way tickets with little penalty. You may find Tiger is cheapest on a round trip basis, but you might also find that they're best Perth-Hobart perhaps,but from Hobart to Sydney another carrier may be a better choice (and not involve a change of planes in Melbourne...which at least to me is worth an extra $20 or so ).

In any case, when you're satisfied with your booking and have paid for it, don't waste time and energy checking back to see if you could have gotten a better deal.
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[johnny_mac]

I've been using these sites to compare rates
www.Lastminute.com.au
www.Bestflights.com and
www.Travel.com.au
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