Fremantle fans are celebrating a historic winning streak, but the joy is tempered by the harsh reality of airline price gouging. As the Dockers continue their impressive run, flights from Perth to Melbourne during grand final week have surged past $1000, leaving supporters in a financial bind.
A Pattern of Price Hikes
It is so predictable that flights during grand final week would spike if Fremantle had a winning start to the season that I started monitoring them from the moment the Dockers beat Adelaide on April 3. Sure enough, prices had increased dramatically by the time they won the derby, and now they exceed $1000 after a historic seven-game winning streak.
Fremantle and West Coast fans shouldn't constantly have to stress about how they will afford to watch their team in Victoria if they become successful. The Dockers are a formidable team right now, but fans face a lose-lose situation: book flights early and risk a wasted investment if the season falters, or wait for certainty and pay even more exorbitant prices.
No Justification for Exorbitant Costs
There is no justification for flights costing over $1000 from Perth to Melbourne. To put this in perspective, I am flying to America next month for the FIFA World Cup. Seats on my flight from Sydney to LA with Qantas are currently $681. I booked a Virgin flight to Melbourne for round one just days after the AFL fixture was released in November, paying $432 for return flights. The same flights in grand final week would cost $1863.
My daughter recently purchased flights to Melbourne for later this month, buying them only six weeks in advance. She paid $904 for her return flights. Flying at almost the same times around the grand final would currently cost $1722.
A National Competition with Unequal Burdens
The AFL is a national competition with a grand final that is contractually required to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Four of the top six teams are currently from outside Victoria, meaning at least one group of supporters will be travelling. There hasn't been a grand final at the MCG involving two Victorian teams since 2011.
However, the costs from both Sydney and Brisbane to Victoria during grand final week are not out of control yet. Right now, it is only WA fans facing harsh financial realities. Dockers fans should be allowed to enjoy every minute of this brilliant start to the season instead of stressing about how they will afford September if their team keeps winning.
