Australians nursing their post-Christmas food comas might want to sit up straight. Qantas has chosen Boxing Day not just to clear leftovers, but to clear seats, more than one million of them, to be precise.
The national carrier has launched its highly anticipated Boxing Day Sale, offering discounts on domestic fares across more than 100 routes, with one-way Economy fares starting at $109. It is a move designed to turn festive daydreaming into firm 2026 travel plans, and it lands squarely at a time when Australians are once again planning.
The sale opens at 12.01 am AEDT on Friday, 26 December 2025, and runs for 72 hours, closing at 11.59 pm AEDT on Sunday, 28 December 2025, unless seats sell out earlier. Travel is valid on selected dates throughout 2026, with blackout periods applying.
In practical terms, this is a broad-based, network-wide domestic sale and one of the largest Qantas has offered in recent years. More than 60 routes are priced under $200 one-way, creating rare value across capital cities, leisure hotspots and regional centres alike.
Sunseekers can snap up fares to Hamilton Island, with prices from $189 one-way from Sydney, $169 from Brisbane, and $225 from Melbourne. City-break devotees are equally well served, with Melbourne–Adelaide from $135, Canberra–Melbourne from $159, and Brisbane–Melbourne from $169.
Regional Australia also features prominently. Routes such as Sydney–Ballina (Byron Bay) from $109, Sydney–Launceston from $129, Brisbane–Hervey Bay from $135, and Adelaide–Kangaroo Island from $139 underline Qantas’ continued commitment to keeping regional travel accessible and competitive.
Even the long hauls within the continent have sharpened pencils. Melbourne–Perth is available from $309, Darwin–Melbourne from $289, and Perth–Hobart from $349, pricing that would have raised eyebrows not all that long ago.
Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said the timing was deliberate, tapping into a familiar Australian ritual, the annual Boxing Day reset.
“Boxing Day marks the perfect moment to turn that holiday wishlist into reality, whether it’s a quick weekend escape, a relaxing island getaway or a vibrant city adventure. By planning early, customers can secure great value fares on hundreds of routes across Australia on sale,” Svensson said.
Beyond headline pricing, Qantas is leaning on its traditional value proposition, the things Australians have long expected as standard rather than optional extras. All fares in the sale include checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, and free Wi-Fi on more than 100 Wi-Fi-enabled aircraft, including those that continue to differentiate the airline in a crowded domestic market.
From a Travel Weekly perspective, the scale of the sale is as significant as its timing. Launching on Boxing Day allows Qantas to capture attention at a moment when Australians are both travelling and planning their next escape while also locking in forward demand for 2026 well ahead of schedule.
It also reflects growing confidence in the stability of domestic travel after years of disruption. By encouraging early bookings across a wide date range, Qantas is smoothing demand, filling aircraft more efficiently and giving travellers certainty, a classic, old-school airline strategy executed with modern digital precision.
The complete list of sale fares, routes and conditions is available at qantas.com, with travellers urged to move quickly. With more than a million seats available, it is generous but not infinite.
For Australians who believe Boxing Day shopping should involve boarding passes rather than bargain bins, Qantas has made a persuasive case: the best gift this year may well be a confirmed seat for next year.
