Un-Australian scam artists”: Greens call for action on airline’s Grand Final gouging
2026-09-22
greens.org.au
Reports that Qantas and Virgin are charging Fremantle and Brisbane fans up to $6,000 for return flights to Melbourne this AFL Grand Final weekend, with some fares quadrupling in the hours after the preliminary finals, are the latest proof that Australia's aviation market is broken, the Greens say.

Fremantle and Brisbane fans have been told they could fly to Europe and back for the same price as a trip to the MCG.

Comments attributable to Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP, Greens MP for Ryan & spokesperson for Transport & Lions fan:

“The airline duopoly are un-Australian scam artists.

“These companies will sign sponsorship deals to try and convince you that they love footy. They don't. They love money. Your money. The more of it the better.

“This is the kind of un-sportsmanlike behaviour we see everyday from big companies, big companies that the public used to own and run for the public good, not profit.

“Is it any wonder they get away with this appalling conduct when the responsible Minister, Catherine King, was just gifted a lifetime Chairman’s Lounge membership.

"Ordinary fans who've followed their team all season are being slugged thousands of dollars just to watch a grand final, because two airlines control almost the entire domestic market and know Australians have no choices.

"The former Chair of the ACCC says this is price gouging, and he's right. The fact it's not illegal to raise prices based on algorithms, says everything about how far successive governments have let privatisation run unchecked. These algorithms can include the post-code where you’re searching from and whether data on file suggests you're a football fan – it’s a scam.

"Qantas and Virgin can point to adding extra flights all they like, but scarcity pricing on essential travel during a cost-of-living crisis isn't 'supply and demand' — it's a duopoly extracting maximum profit because it can.

"The Greens will keep pushing to end the Qantas-Virgin duopoly's stranglehold on Australian skies, so footy fans and everyone else who has no real choice but to fly across this massive continent aren't treated as a captive market to be squeezed dry."

This happens every year and no one ever does anything about it. Especially the pollies.

There was a letter in the paper earlier this week where the writer said next time the fuel companies are warned about price gouging due to the Iran war they can safely ignore those warnings because the airlines have already set a precedent for "acceptable" gouging with their AFL Finals ripoff airfares.

Yes, indeed.

And, as I've said a few times in the past - the government won't do anything about it because the pollies might lose their Chairmans Lounge memberships, free flights and other perks that they get for letting the airlines do whatever they want with the "excuse" that it's good for the economy.

I also see that 6 senior ministers of our illustrious WA State government including Premier Roger Cook and Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti are flying to Melbourne for the Grand Final. I wonder if they're getting ripped off by the airlines too? I doubt it. And, besides - they wouldn't care because the WA taxpayer is footing the bill anyway.

Disgraceful stuff. As always.

Rip off the Lefties  ;D for their Lefty sport.
Right Wing Australians have better things to do.  ;)

up to $6,000 for return flights to Melbourne

You could go to Europe for that and have change for spending money.  :)

Compensation for the Airlines oppressed under Lefty loving ALP.
;D

It's on in half an hour -

it's cold with showers all day.    :(

Bobby. wrote on Sep 26^th, 2026 at 2:02pm:

It's on in half an hour - it's cold with showers all day.    :(

Wasn't it 25 degrees there yesterday?

Yep, sure sounds like Melbourne weather.  ;D

Carl D wrote on Sep 26^th, 2026 at 2:12pm:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 26th, 2026 at 2:02pm: It's on in half an hour - it's cold with showers all day.    :( Wasn't it 25 degrees there yesterday? Yep, sure sounds like Melbourne weather.  ;D

Cold and damp.

The footy is on now for free.  Channel 70 full HD.

No matter how much of a football fan I might be, I would not spend that kind of money to travel to a game to watch my team play in a final. I went by tilt train down to Brisbane in 2004 to watch a State of Origin game. The ticket to the game cost $80. The train ride was either free, or heavily discounted, due to my father's employment with Queensland Rail. It was a good experience. But I would never go see a football game in Sydney if the price of an airline ticket was in the thousands.