How to get interstate for Taylor Swift as last tickets go on sale
With final tickets up for grabs today, how can Swifties arrange last-minute travel to Sydney or Melbourne from Adelaide? And are the airlines and airport up for it?
Limited tickets, including restricted view tickets for $65, are being released to the general public today for both Melbourne and Sydney shows.
Whether you get a ticket this afternoon, or your flights have been booked for months, you may be worried about delays and cancellations – especially after a Virgin Australia cancelled flight left some Coldplay fans unable to attend their only Australian concert last year.
‘If this was a movie’ you wouldn’t have to worry about things like flights being cancelled, but unfortunately, this is real life. Life and death, for some.
Rest assured, InDaily has been told by Adelaide Airport and the state’s major airlines that both are ‘…Ready for it’.
Adelaide Airport executive general manager for people, culture and customer Dermot O’Neill said preparations had been made for an onslaught of Melbourne-bound fans on Friday.
“We’ll have the usual full complement of staff on hand to assist Swifties and our wonderful volunteer ambassadors will be in the check-in hall to answer any questions travellers may have,” O’Neill said.
“Adelaide Airport is looking forward to doing everything we can to help get Taylor Swift lovers on their way to Sydney and Melbourne.”
O’Neill encouraged those who were not regular travellers to arrive up to 90 minutes before their flight time. Probably good advice for unsuspecting regular travellers too.
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Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAPA spokesperson for Virgin Australia said the airline was “excited to join in the celebrations”.
“We take a number of steps to prepare for times of increased travel, such as during the Taylor Swift concerts around the country, to build the most efficient operation possible,” they said.
“When it comes time to fly, we encourage our guests to utilise online check-in and give themselves a bit of extra time at the airport prior to their flight.”
Qantas told InDaily that it expects more than 3500 passengers to fly from Adelaide to Melbourne and Sydney during the concert period – a 50 per cent increase in travellers going from Adelaide to Sydney compared to the same time last year.
Qantas said it saw a 1500 per cent national increase in bookings when tickets went on sale, compared to the same time last year.
Swift’s first Sydney show will take place on February 23, and if you are still looking to buy a plane ticket for that day, you could be paying up to $1100 for a one-way economy trip.
Flights to Melbourne with Virgin on February 16, the day of the first Melbourne concert, range between $380-$750 for economy tickets, with the last three flights of the day only having business class available.
Should your flight to Sydney with one of the larger airlines be cancelled, you could always go with Rex, who are offering morning flights to Sydney, via Melbourne, from $400 the day before Taylor’s first Sydney show.
Or you could transit via Broken Hill, landing in Sydney at 7:40pm on February 22, for $790.
Stay informed, daily
Swifties may be looking for a backup travel plan in case of flight cancellations. Photo: Taylor Swift / XRex has just one available flight to Melbourne the day before Taylor’s first Australian concert, departing at 6am.
Should that be cancelled, you may be able to get in with Qantas, with the airline offering several Melbourne direct flights on February 15, for up to $985.
According to the ACCC, customers may be eligible for a refund or replacement should flights be cancelled or delayed for an unreasonable amount of time.
However, Swifties would be unable to get back the cost of their tickets should they miss a concert, as missing the show would not be due to Ticketek, as shown by last year’s Coldplay incident.
While Coldplay offered those on cancelled flights free tickets when they return to Australia later this year, unfortunately Taylor is not likely to be coming back quite as soon.
If all else fails, a road trip in a ‘Getaway Car’ is an option.
The show starts at 6:20pm in both cities, with Sabrina Carpenter performing the opening act.
The latest you could leave Adelaide to drive to Melbourne for your concert would be 9am that morning.
Sydney would prove more difficult, with a wake-up time of 3am required for those forced to make the nearly 15-hour drive – which isn’t recommended but possible for die-hard fans, or those who simply do not want to lose the house-down-payment-sized ticket price.
Speaking of tickets, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs Andrea Michaels is encouraging people to avoid scammers with the help of some, potentially excessive, Taylor lyrics.
“Avoid a screaming, crying, perfect storm and only buy tickets from the authorised reseller, Ticketek Marketplace,” Michaels said.
“I hope karma catches up with these masterminds trying to pull a hoax on fans and I encourage anyone who comes across this scam to report it to Scamwatch.”
