FlyPelican’s “$72 within 72 Hours” Flight Deal

Regional flying has a reputation for being expensive. But there are exceptions!

FlyPelican, a regional airline based in Newcastle, offers an excellent yet poorly-advertised deal on last-minute flights. On selected FlyPelican routes, a limited number of remaining seats are made available for just $72 within 72 hours of departure. This includes flights to Mudgee, Taree, Newcastle and Ballina.

The “$72 within 72 hours” deal is available on 5 FlyPelican routes within NSW:

These cheap airfares do have some limitations. For example, while all other FlyPelican fares include 20kg of checked baggage, these tickets only include 7kg of carry-on luggage. Additional luggage can be added to a $72 fare at the following rates:

• 13kg of checked luggage for $35
• 20kg of checked luggage for $55
• 25kg of checked luggage for $80

Of course, if you wait until 72 hours before departure, there is also a risk that the flight could be sold out before you purchase your ticket. It is also possible that the cheap tickets might not be offered on the flight you’re after. So, if you need to travel on a particular flight, you may prefer to buy a regular ticket in advance.

But if you live in Sydney, Newcastle, Mudgee, Dubbo, Taree or Ballina, this deal could be great for spontaneous last-minute getaways!

The “$72 within 72 hours” fares are non-refundable and cannot be changed. They can be booked on the FlyPelican website.

We would note that the only way to pay for a ticket on the FlyPelican website is by credit card, and there is a 1-3% credit card surcharge. So, in reality, the minimum price is actually $72.72 one-way if paying by Visa or MasterCard. (Since there is no other way to pay, the credit card surcharge really ought to be included in the price upfront as this is technically drip pricing…)

Although you can normally earn Velocity Frequent Flyer points for some FlyPelican flights, we don’t believe you would earn Velocity points for one of these $72 special fares. This fare type is not included on the list of eligible FlyPelican fare types for earning Velocity points.

FlyPelican operates a small fleet of British Aerospace Jetstream 32 planes with 19 seats. It serves a range of regional routes around NSW, as well as flights from Canberra to Newcastle and Ballina. The airline will also add Canberra-Port Macquarie flights from next month, although not all FlyPelican routes are eligible for the discounted last-minute tickets.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.