Cheap flights to the Gold Coast

Our tips on how to find the cheapest flights to Coolangatta (OOL) — and the data to prove it.

Knowing when to book and where to book can save you heaps on your trip. And since want you to get the best deal possible, we’re sharing our tips on finding cheap flights to the Gold Coast including how far in advance to book, what prices to expect and which airlines to check.

Latest Cold Coast flight sales

How much are flights to the Gold Coast?

Flights to the Gold Coast can be as cheap as $40 each way or as expensive as $300, it really depends on where you’re coming from and when.

According to data from Kayak, here’s what you can expect to pay on average with each major Australian airline that flies the route.

Average price of flights to the Gold Coast from Sydney

Jetstar flights are the cheapest on this route, coming in at about $63 each way.

Average price of flights to the Gold Coast from Melbourne

Bonza, a relative newcomer on the Australian budget airline scene, offers the cheapest flights between Melbourne and the Gold Coast, averaging $54 each way.

The airline does offer flights to Coolangatta from both Avalon airport and Tullamarine, and prices do tend to me a bit cheaper from Avalon. We’d recommend comparing prices from both airlines to see which is best for you — especially if one is also cheaper to get to than the other.

Average price of flights to the Gold Coast from Adelaide

Similar to Sydney, Jetstar offers the cheapest average flight price to Adelaide, coming in at about $130 each way. Luckily, it’s also one of only two airlines to offer direct flights on the route.

Average price of flights to the Gold Coast from Perth

For travellers from Perth, Virgin Australia actually offers the cheapest fares coming in at an average of $312 each way. Unfortunately, it’s also the most expensive of the major cities to fly from. But, if you’re a Velocity Frequent Flyer member, you’re in luck.

That said, these are just average prices. If you book during a good Jetstar sale, we’ve seen flights from Sydney going for as low as $39 or $49 from cities like Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney.

Virgin Australia and Qantas do tend to run sales, too, but Jetstar’s fares are almost always the lowest.

What’s the main airport in the Gold Coast?

Gold Coast Airport (OOL), located in Coolangatta, is the largest and most convenient airport to fly into to get to the Gold Coast’s beaches and theme parks.

It’s about 30 kilometres, or a 30-minute drive, from Surfers Paradise. It’s a few minutes shorter if you’re heading to Broadbeach, or a few minutes longer if you’re going to Main Beach.

Are there any alternate airports to Coolangatta?

While OOL is the main airport, you could also fly into Brisbane Airport (BNE), which is about an hour’s drive away from Surfers Paradise, for additional flight options. If you’re flying from Perth or Adelaide, or a smaller city in Australia, you may have more options here.

When is the cheapest time to travel to the Gold Coast?

Winter is definitely the cheapest time to fly to the Gold Coast, but the weather isn’t always beachy-keen. To score the best value flights, consider traveling during the shoulder seasons and definitely outside of any school holiday.

Summer will be peak season on the Gold Coast, so try to travel in the spring (September to November) or autumn (March to May). This will get you a better price on both flights and accommodation, and still reward you with favourable weather.

Kayak’s data backs this as well, showing cheaper flights through the winter months. Skyscanner has similar results, with prices for flights from July onwards about half the price of those in late-summer and autumn.

How far in advance should I book tickets to the Gold Coast?

Generally, we say the earlier the better — especially if there’s a sale on. If you have a general idea of when you want to travel and a Jetstar or Virgin Australia sale has discounted fares then, scoop them up!

As you can see above in the Skyscanner data, you can sometimes even core early summer deals for similar prices to winter if you book in at the rlght time.

If there isn’t a sale running though, and you’re not travelling for a while, we’d recommending holding out. As long as you’re not travelling during a peak period, you won’t see much of an increase until three to four weeks before departures.

For the best chance at securing affordable fares, it’s advisable to book your tickets at least 4-6 weeks in advance. This allows you to take advantage of early-bird discounts and increased availability of cheaper seats.

When is the best time to book flights to the Gold Coast?

Set fare alerts and be flexible with your travel dates. Airlines often release discounted fares on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so keep an eye out for promotions during these days. Additionally, booking flights mid-week can often result in more cost-effective options.

Which budget airlines fly to the Gold Coast from Australia?

Both of Australia’s budget airlines fly to the Gold Coast. Bonza does offer direct flights to more destinations, but Jetstar flies from more major cities:

• Bonza: Albury, Avalon, Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Mildura, Mount Isa, Proserpine, Rockhampton, Townsville,
• Jetstar: Adelaide, Avalon, Cairns, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney

If Jetstar flies to the airport closest to you, but it’s not listed above, you’ll most likely be able to book a connecting flight to the Gold Coast.

Is it better to buy return or one-way tickets to the Gold Coast?

For just about all Australian domestic flights, it’s the same price to buy a return ticket or a one-way ticket with an airline. What can make it cheaper though, is that on your outbound day, one airline will be cheaper, while on your inbound day, another one will be.

What we recommend doing, is checking the price of two one-way tickets: one to the Gold Coast on your departure day and the other from the Gold Coast on your return day. If they’re from the same airline, then book a return ticket! If they’re not, book it as two one-way fares.

Here’s how that’s done.

1. We looked up the price of a return flight to the Gold Coast, and found flights to be $203 return. (We searched from Melbourne in this example).

2. We then looked up a one-way flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast (on the same departure day) and then a one-way flight from the Gold Coast to Melbourne (on the same return day.

At $185 return compared to $203 return, it’s cheaper to book two one-way tickets (one with Rex and one with Jetstar), in this case.

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