Why AFL grand final flights are so expensive

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]In today's episode, Virgin flights for grand final week. Some good news, we think, and Alex Pierce puts his hand up.

[00:00:10]Welcome to the West Sports Show. This episode is brought to you by Tabtouch.

[00:00:14]The more you know, the better it gets.

[00:00:16]Download the Tabtouch app today. Real punters play here. What are you really gambling with? I am joined on a Tuesday as always by Craig O' Donahghue. How are you, Cod?

[00:00:25]>> Good quarters. We got some news today which is really good for Freeman fans today.

[00:00:29]>> Well, you have been busy. You have hunted down the Virgin Australia CEO David Emerson. Now, you've gone into bat for Freo fans. Tell me about the interview. Yeah. So, I was at the NBL Hoopsfest launch last weekend, late last week, uh, when Bryce Cotton and Jesse Wagstaff and, um, a couple of WNBL players were in town to announce that, uh, Hoops Fest was returning to Perth.

[00:00:53]And Virgin Australia were the major sponsor for that. And they had cheap flights from Melbourne to Perth for anyone who wants to come over that event. And >> how convenient.

[00:01:02]>> How convenient.

[00:01:03]>> When they wanted them there, there were cheap flights. So, I approached the Virgin Australia CEO, David Emerson, and I said to him, "The average price for the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of Grand Final Week from Perth to Melbourne is $1,167 compared to $324 the previous week."

[00:01:21]>> And that is one way, >> one way. The cheapest flight from uh Perth to Melbourne during grand final week is $714. The most expensive during prelim week is 383. and there are five flights on the Thursday before the grand final which cost $1,641.

[00:01:38]And I asked him, "Why are prices so high?" And here's his response.

[00:01:43]>> The thing that sort of is not very intuitive about why the prices get that way is if we left the prices low, every seat would go and you'd be months out with zero availability. And so for not just for sports fans but for people who want to go visit for business people there would be no seats. And so we don't want to be in a position where we just there's actually no way to travel on Virgin between Melbourne and Perth and that that months ahead of time. I mean that's just not a good look for us. And so therefore we increase the prices to hold back some of the seats because that that's the only way we have we can't stop sales otherwise. What I can say is if we add seats it will it will lower the price. I can't tell you how long because once we sell all those seats and we're down to the last few, the prices will go up again. And so the higher the demand, no matter how much capacity we we put in, the more it it sucks up all those seats and we don't have any left. And so we only sell at those prices when we're down to just a small percentage of our total seats. And so I I know it uh it's really difficult for people to look at those prices and think, why can't I get the normal appropriate price? And so once again I come back to our solution for that is to try to set up our business where we can add seats where the demand is highest so that people have more affordable options quarters.

[00:03:07]>> Well I need to rethink the humanitarian award for this year. How magnanimous of them. So they're putting the prices up to actually help Freo fans.

[00:03:14]>> No, not to help Frio fans. his argument and I understand part of this argument >> I'm calling bull tish on it >> was that if you or I need to fly to Melbourne in grand final week for as as an accountant or for a family birthday that if they keep prices at $324 that there'll be no seats available but what I don't understand is why if I'm following for the family birthday am I being charged $1641 then so but he's saying no one will he doesn't actually expect anyone to pay those prices he's saying that it is a deterrent and they do not want Freemantle fans speculating on their team making the grand final.

[00:03:50]>> Of course, they're going to speculate on their team >> by paying now.

[00:03:54]>> Oh, goodness.

[00:03:54]>> So, when he said that to me, >> yeah, I'll call.

[00:03:57]>> My follow-up question was, well, if you don't want them to pay to do this right now, what are you going to do come grand final week? Because if if the prices are average 1167 now, what happens if they do make the grand final? What are you going to do for fans then? And this was his reply.

[00:04:12]We've always had a policy to to hold back a couple of aircraft around the grand finals weekend and and then and then put them in where the demand is the highest once it's known who's going to be in those in those final events. And so I can't tell you exactly how that's going to work out, what the price is.

[00:04:30]What I can tell you is that we will be putting more seats into the market if and when they uh they they punch their ticket. And so that that's the thing we could do to give uh more affordability.

[00:04:43]>> So prices will come down is what he said.

[00:04:45]>> Will they? Well, I'll believe that when I see it in grand final week.

[00:04:48]>> So will I. But that's the message. Don't his message. And I think this is a really important message for Freeman fans because I'd be panicking right now if I was a Freeman supporter. I'd be sitting back going, >> "How on earth am I going to get a family of three or four people to Melbourne in grand final week when it's already those silly prices?" What he's saying is wait, we will put more flights on and they won't be at the current prices now. They will be lower. So, we're now going to hold him to that come grand final week.

[00:05:14]If Freeman will make it, but it does it should hopefully alleviate the stress of families knowing that he's saying if if Brisbane make the grand final, and Freeman don't, those planes will be diverted to to Brisbane. If Sydney make it and Freeman don't, those planes will go to Sydney. But if Freeman will make the grand final, there'll be more planes flying from Perth to Melbourne and they won't be at the 1641 that's sitting at at the moment. So don't book those ones yet.

[00:05:36]>> There is an alternative. You just apart from driving of course provided fuel is is um not too expensive. Fly to Adelaide or fly to Sydney, hire a car and drive down. It is an option.

[00:05:47]>> It is an option and free haven't made it yet. So for anyone out there who's saying, "Oh, you put you know they haven't made it. We understand that."

[00:05:53]But what we're talking about is why prices go up. so dramatically whenever our teams play well. So there is an answer from the the virgin CEO which is a good start if you are trying to plan your life.

[00:06:07]>> Okay. Um haven't made it yet but did you bring your prop in?

[00:06:10]>> Well I am very excit I'll put on this shoulder. I got I got the belt >> because Freeman have won 10 in a row.

[00:06:18]>> They have they've current title holders.

[00:06:21]>> Well they're not title they're not title holders at the moment. They are number one contender and they have the chance this weekend to go for the belt.

[00:06:28]>> So I've got my WWE Championship belt here because >> How did you acquire that?

[00:06:34]>> Oh, this is only a fakey one. This is This is only the toy one. It only cost 30 bucks.

[00:06:37]>> How many of those do you have around laying around the house?

[00:06:40]>> I've only got this one. Do you know how much the real ones cost?

[00:06:42]>> Oh, several thousand.

[00:06:44]>> 750. 750 they cost. We met a few of those people who have three or four of these. But but what I'm saying with this belt here is that Final now have the chance to go for the belt because as good as they've been since the start of last season, they haven't beaten title contenders in the past 12 months. So since the start of 2024, they have they have beaten 14 teams. The three they haven't beaten are Brisbane, Jalong, and Sydney. And they are the three teams that have played in the last two grand finals.

[00:07:12]>> And they're looking the three most likely to challenge.

[00:07:14]>> And right now they get Brisbane this week in round 12. Jalong in round 15 and Sydney in round 18. And they will be able to if they knock those teams off.

[00:07:22]Right now they're thinking we can beat these teams. If they knock them off in in this next few weeks, they will walk into the finals going we know we can beat and have beaten every team in the competition over the past 12 months. So it's a massive couple of weeks for them because going to the gabble looks a bit different now, doesn't it? All of a sudden after Brisbane last week, >> well 78 point loss, coughed up 14 goals in the third quarter. I had to have double take when I saw that. That was it was a pathetic performance which for me uh if I be free I'd be a little bit worried because you're not getting them complacent at all. They they've had a rocket put up them this week. Uh I think we'll find out this week whether Brisbane actually is off the pace or whether they're because it's very unlike Brisbane last week and it's very unlike them to back that up with another horrible performance. So I think Freeman will and should expect Brisbane at their best. They're a different proposition at the gaba too. Um last time they played what round 23 last year 57 point victory to Brisbane. That's when they played keepings off. Uh defenders did really well. Josh Tracy was pretty good. Um spoke to Josh today after free manal training and he's looking forward. He thinks he anticipates another match up with Harris Andrews. Uh and he he's looking forward to that. Um and look he's saying we we we are looking at Brisbane at their best because they have won the last two grand finals. And that's where the championship belt comes up for grabs, isn't it? You've got to beat the best to be the best. So, as you said, 57 points last year against Brisbane. They have played Jalong a couple of times in the past two years, lost by 10 points uh in round one, 78 points last year in round one, and Sydney last year it was 11 and three points in those two games. So, they can put the whole set together until they've beaten every single team.

[00:09:06]>> Be nice to beat at least one of them, if not two.

[00:09:08]>> That gives you the chance to just lock away that top spot on the ladder that they currently own. training today. Big question. Alex Pierce, Hayden Young.

[00:09:16]>> Alex Pierce looked really good.

[00:09:17]Completed everything asked of him. Did a little bit of loading at the end as well. Did a lot of those um exercises where they go forward, back, lateral. I was watching him really closely throughout that because it's obviously a knee. H looked really comfortable doing those. Had some one-on- ons. It was matched up against Shawn Darcy and Mason Cox at one stage, the the resting ruckman if you like. So, he looked really good. So I I'm going to say I'm I think he's more likely than not to come back this week. Hayden Young wasn't didn't appear at all. So we're not sure where he's at. If you look at when he sustained the concussion, he's through the 12 days, but it's still an 11step process that you got to get through. So we're not sure where he's at there.

[00:09:57]Probably find out a little bit more with the injury list that comes out uh tonight um and perhaps after Thursday's session. It's not unusual for players to miss one of the main sessions. uh he is off coming off a bit of a rest obviously with his concussion issue. Um >> and it's worth remembering with that also that so it was 12 days that you have to wait before you can play and you mentioned all those steps that he goes through. So they played last Friday which means their their most recent decent training session was the previous Wednesday which was day eight for him.

[00:10:27]So he's a long way short of 12 days to be able to get out there and compete with players in a genuine contest. So to put his body on the line and all those sorts of things, he's he's lacked opportunities because of the other players haven't been at the club in recent days.

[00:10:40]>> And one of the steps, the important steps is how you come off a full-on training session. How you recover from that. Did have a circuit workout on Saturday morning with Alex Pierce and Shan Darcy uh and got through that.

[00:10:53]Okay. Now Darcy's the other interesting one. He completed training today as well. Sometimes you see him do a little bit, sometimes you see him doing most, but not all. but they did all and um was up in the you know match simulation and what have you up against Mason Cox um up against Luke Jackson at times. So I thought he looked pretty good. It looked to me like he was ready for a return but they've been really principled in their argument that we we need to this is a different sort of rehab for Sha Darcy because when he gets back we want him to stay back. Uh so I think they load him up in the waffle. That's what I would prefer them to do and I think that's the course of action. So we may see him this weekend in the waffle and you can sort of your match minutes can be really you can manage them a lot better can't you waff you can but also you if you've just done a calf and you've done a calf earlier on in the year you're not going to the gabber because if you're going to Queensland >> and you got to go into that center square where there's where there's a turf wicket you're not you're not going >> and then you're going from the turf wicket onto the softer surface afterwards at some point you're gonna feel something in your calf because it's like running from concrete onto grass afterwards isn't it? Suddenly your body feels something different. So it makes no sense to even consider him for the gabber. It makes plenty of sense to either not play him at all and give him another week of training or put him into the waffle. So I would I'd be the same with you. I'd be putting him in the waffle. Um and I'd be putting him in the waffle again next week as they head down to to Bumbrey. Um and then you can look at him after the buy once he he's well and truly built his match fitness up because they've won 10 in a row. Things are going well. There's no necessity to rush anyone back. So don't rush anyone back.

[00:12:30]>> Yeah, they're going pretty well and just one for the true believers. Just on the outer wing today doing a few run throughs. So they're looking at a round 13 return for Calb off a calf injury. Uh that that's the North Melbourne game in Bunbury. So um good luck to him. It was a good just a good sign to see him out there having a bit of a crack. From concepts to completion, major infrastructure developments are transforming WA. New hospitals and upgraded health facilities are part of the largest health expansion our state has ever seen. Thousands of affordable homes are being delivered, helping more West Australians secure housing. And improvements to transport infrastructure are enhancing connectivity and providing more choice in how you travel. Together, we're building for tomorrow. Search building for tomorrow to find out what it means for you. There you go, Cod.

[00:13:23]>> There you go. That's very good. Now talk to me depth. Let's talk Frio's depth. I was genuinely concerned for them last week and with the amount of guys they had missing once went out as well. Like when you talk about being without Shawn Darcy who's been an important ruckman for a long time, Caleb Srong and Hayden Young, there's your midfield. And then you take a Jera who's a leader, Alex Pierce, he's been missing for a while, another leader. So they're missing a large chunk of their of their leadership group. And they've just went out and played fantastic footy. And Josh Tracy was enormous. It's like >> as always, yeah, he's having a great season.

[00:13:54]>> Their overall depth, like there was a time if you had said Calb's strong isn't going to play. Neither does Alex Pierce.

[00:13:59]Neither does Hayden Young, neither Shan Darcy. You'd be really, really worried.

[00:14:03]They they got that job done.

[00:14:05]>> Now, it must be said also were missing a lot of key players. So, they weren't at full strength either. But I agree with you. I was I was questioning I was thinking if this is the week that they get that they're vulnerable, it is this week. And I thought it was for three and a bit quarters. It was probably played more on Ross Lion's terms, wasn't it?

[00:14:23]Um, but they found a way again to win and players lifted. Murphy Reed, you mentioned Josh Tracy. Murphy Reed is probably now in all Australian contention. He was enormous at the weekend. So players are lifting and performing in other and and getting a bit more out of themselves. So when you get the Cavalry back, it's going to be we I mean we talk about when you think about Brisbane the last two years winning Premierships, I think of their midfield depth.

[00:14:50]>> Yep.

[00:14:50]>> I really do. So this is what Freeman's got. This is what they're working towards. So it's a really good sign. It was a it was a really impressive win at the weekend and and the last quarter, you know, they're running away with it as well. So >> didn't need um didn't need our our friend on the button either. Wolfie time. But >> no, I'm glad there was no wolfie time.

[00:15:08]You got to hold that back. But also what what I thought was impressive on the weekend was we have seen the way Ross lines are able to consistently >> take teams apart with what they're take away what they're what they're really really good at and we saw him say okay well Shay Bolton and Murphy Red we're going to put make life hard for you in the first half which he did >> and they just stormed home in the second half those two they both fantastic Freeman have been able to break tackles all season hold on to the ball get through and get that hand pass out there a lot of holding the balls in the first half they couldn't get through they didn't panic they worked it But eventually they got that ball out in in the second half. Sincer really good at crmming the ball um on the ground when we've seen all year Freeman will kick the ball along get numbers to the foot of the contest front and square take it out and away they go. Squild refused to let them do that in the first half.

[00:15:53]Second half Freeman came in over the top as well. So Ross line planned for all of the things that Freeman are good at and could stop them for a little while but not for the whole game.

[00:16:01]>> And if you flip it uh I thought probably Matt Johnson's role on Garcia was underrated at the weekend. I probably underrated it and it wasn't until later on I looked at it thought what a terrific job he'd done. Uh and Voss on Wilky. Uh Voss now for the third week in a row. So the first week he's played on Sicily. I thought it was a performance that m Sicily was still good but he wasn't great. The second week he's kicked five against his old side Essin.

[00:16:25]And then last weekend he's restricted Callum Wilky who's the number one interceptor in the comp to one intercept mark three marks for the game. So that was a terrific performance. uh bit of world championship wrestling in the first quarter, too.

[00:16:37]>> So, I got the belt here.

[00:16:37]>> Oh, you've got the belt here. But and I I and Ross Lion, we we saw him speaking about it after the game. It was really interesting Ross Lion's comments almost saying like, I thought Wilky did okay.

[00:16:49]You know, he's almost saying like, "No, no, he didn't get us on that one. Ross, they got you on that one. I can guarantee." He sets everything up from the back half.

[00:16:57]>> I'll be curious as to You mentioned uh Harris Andrews versus Tracy. Does Voss go to Harris Andrews this week? Because Aris Andrews >> 100% >> controls that back line whether he intercepts or spoils. He controls that thing. I think what >> Aris Andrews won't want that. No, >> but neither did Wilky last week tried to hand him over to Silvani and Voss was there saying, "Nah, that's not happening. I'm I'm in I'm with you for the day and it's not going to be very pleasant."

[00:17:20]>> Yeah, I love what Voss is doing at the moment because earlier on in the year against Melbourne, we saw him lose control when he was responsible for going after Colton Tholstrip um because he was tagging cards wrong. Now he's got the own man to look after and just you I'm going to make your life difficult but still kick goals myself. Yeah. Not many bloggers can do that. And he is really showing the importance of having that type of player. He's annoying.

[00:17:42]>> He's very annoying >> which every good footy club needs. He's tough which every good footy club needs.

[00:17:48]And he's hungry which every good footy club needs. So he makes life really hard for the opposition. He's not there to be popular but his teammates would absolutely love playing with him.

[00:17:56]>> It's a really interesting blend, isn't it? Their three key forwards. It's like and you can throw Mason Cox in there as well as a sort of a fourth but um you know Josh Tracy who just gets up the ground does just such he's fairing him he's as tough as a nullore roadhouse is and can run uh Amos who's really whose confidence is back and his kicking is back and he's more of a lead mark player and then of course you got Voss who's just the uh the disruptor he's the number one disruptor and so it's a really good blend that they've got going there.

[00:18:26]>> I love I love the setup. Yeah, they're different players. They're totally different guys. So, you can have three BS who are very very the same. Um, and that doesn't always work. But, you know, the work rate of of Tracy is just unbelievable. And he's his contested marking and his accuracy when he gets his set shot.

[00:18:41]>> Number one contested mark in the comp by some distance. And number two for Mark's inside 50. So, >> and when the get out clause happens, when you're just looking up down the line going, I got to kick it to someone.

[00:18:52]Just kick it that direction and see what Tracy does.

[00:18:54]>> Well, he's going to have it if he doesn't mark.

[00:18:55]>> Exactly. So that's just so good.

[00:18:57]>> Pretty handy players at his feet as well.

[00:18:59]>> So and they know that now. They absolutely know. Cory Wagner kicked the balls. Josh Tracy, he took 11 marks.

[00:19:05]Josh Tracy Wagner kicked it to him four times.

[00:19:07]>> Yeah.

[00:19:08]>> So he's just looking at going Josh, it's your ball.

[00:19:11]>> It's your ball. Thank you very much. So yeah, um BS know who they're looking for now. It's um they are a really good team and as we say, they go to Queensland this week and they are the number one contender. They can absolutely rank that if they make it 11 in a row. This episode has been brought to you by Tabtouch. The more you know, the better it gets. Download the Tabtouch app today. Real punters play here. What are you really gambling with? And remember, you can watch or listen to this podcast on YouTube Music. Thanks, Scott. See you next week.