Time-Strapped Australians Spend Long Weekends Overseas

28th Feb 2013

Gone are the days when most Australians head to the coast to spend their long weekends. Overseas destinations such as New Zealand, Singapore, Bali and even Vanuato offer Aussies an allure hard to resist.

According to travel experts, the strong Australian dollar and the rise of budget airlines flying to and from the country has made it possible for most Australians to take a weekend sojourn overseas.

Aside from the local carriers, many international airlines now fly to Australia providing travelers more options and more affordable airfares.

A number of popular destinations are now a flight away where travelers can spend their annual leave within a day or two before flying back home.

Though the trip entails sleepless nights between destinations, it is, nonetheless, worthwhile to take especially when you spend your whole time on the beaches of Bali or treat yourself to a shop-til-you-drop activities in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

Depending on your port of origin in Australia, you might be able to spend a long weekend in some places over others.

Flight Centre's Mr. Colin Bowman said that taking short trips overseas two decades ago was almost impossible for most Australians.

Today, many Australians are able spend their long weekends overseas, especially when celebrating important occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays.

People these days are getting busier taking short trips abroad even for short weekend vacation rather than the usual two weeks which was the norm over a decade ago.

There are several places overseas that can be reached within seven hours or less, depending on which part of Australia your flight originates.

The weekend sojourn is especially popular among people working in the mining industry as they like to reward themselves with a much-needed respite after spending most of the week in remotes places.

David Hall, the CEO of Jetstar Australia and New Zealand, said that the airline has already increased frequencies to New Zealand to meet this demand.

People nowadays have changed the way they want to spend their holidays, according to David.

The airline has flown thousands of passengers spending their brief weekend getaway over to Bali, Fiji and New Zealand.

Singapore is also a popular destination for a quick weekend hop from Darwin and Perth.

One traveler from Sydney, for instance, was able to get a flight aboard a budget airline, to Singapore during the weekend for a short family visit. The return flight might cost her a not-so-cheap $700 but she's not complaining. She argued that the trip is worth it. She, however, forewarned other travelers the risks of flying with budget airlines, though it doesn't always happens. Her delayed flight on her recent trip to Singapore was the reason of her issuance of such warning to fellow travelers.