Qantas will ramp up its services in February as it caters for colossal demand caused by concertgoers flocking to Sydney and Melbourne to see Taylor Swift.
The Flying Kangaroo will add 60 interstate and trans-Tasman flights between February 15 and February 27 due to increased travel demand caused by Swift’s Eras tour.
Six extra flights are expected to run between Perth and Sydney, with 11,000 additional seats available between the two major cities.
It comes after Swift left Perth off on her Australian tour despite huge ticket demand coming from West Australian fans.
Brisbane and Adelaide were also overlooked.
“Our forward bookings showed a swift rise in demand for flights to Sydney and Melbourne next February, with a 1500 per cent increase in domestic bookings last week compared to the same period last year,” Qantas said.
“Adding 60 new flights interstate and trans-Tasman will make it easier for ticketholders to travel to Sydney and Melbourne and make their wildest dreams come true.”
Qantas is not the only airline to have been hit by surging demand. Virgin Australia has also experienced a massive increase in ticket demand, with bookings for flights to Melbourne and Sydney increasing by 656 per cent.
Virgin is understood to still have availability on its existing schedule, but is monitoring demand levels for the period.
Adding to the pressure is Sydney’s annual Mardi Gras festival, which coincides with Swift’s appearance in Sydney and will likely make it harder for revellers to find accommodation in the city.
Qantas’ budget arm Jetstar is yet to announce additional flights, but is understood to be reviewing its schedule.
Demand for Swift’s Australian tour has already made the popstar add two extra shows at Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney’s Accor Stadium.