Australia: Prices rise and airlines add more flights as WA border set to reopen

Airline prices for a one-way ticket to Perth have skyrocketed to $1000 after Western Australia announced it will open its border to the east coast and travellers from NSW and Victoria will no longer be forced to quarantine. WA Premier Mark McGowan announced the new border policy on Tuesday, but said his state will only open from December 8 if NSW achieves 28 days free of community transmission on Saturday. The news from WA came as there were happy scenes at Brisbane Airport early on Tuesday morning, after the Queensland border reopened to residents of Sydney and Victoria. Western Australia's border announcement saw airline prices lift to more than $1000 one way to Perth from Sydney and Melbourne, while other flights required travellers to detour to other cities. For example, one option from Sydney to Perth on December 8 would cost a traveller $1720 and 19 hours to complete, with the flight detouring to Melbourne. A direct flight on the same day costs $1249. In response to the increased demand, Virgin, Jetstar and Qantas have added more flights and expect prices to return to normal. Virgin Australia will increase services between Perth and Sydney and Perth and Melbourne between December 8 and early January.<br/>