Lack of resident airfares for one-way travel highlighted at ICPA conference

The system that was in place for those using QantasLink services in western Queensland was reduced at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as was the ability for people to book one-way resident fares through local booking agencies, and it hasn't been reinstated.

Presenting a motion at the state Isolated Children's Parents' Association conference in Blackall for the one-way fares to be brought back, Yaraka-Isisford branch delegate Susan Glasson described Qantas's current position as a disadvantage for rural people.

"Qantas, in partnership with the Queensland government, provides subsidies for eligible residents of a town or city serviced by Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Moranbah, Longreach, Barcaldine or Blackall airports," she explained. "Eligible residents can access discounts starting from 20 per cent off the Qantas-controlled component of return airfares only, from the listed airports to their nearest capital city or major town."

Since flights resumed, the only option people have been given is to book a return resident fare from the regional centre to the nearest capital city, and return, which is placing increased financial pressure on rural families.

As Blackall delegate Kathy Scholes said, many families drove their children to school at the start of the year and so couldn't book a fare under the resident discount for the trip home for holidays.

Examples were provided of families having to pay upwards of $500 for a single one-way airfare between Brisbane and Longreach, and Charleville delate Kristy Bredhauer said a similar situation was being experienced by Rex customers on the Brisbane-Roma-Charleville route.

Ms Glasson said Qantas could easily implement the resident fare for one-way trips on its website, and give booking agencies the ability to as well.

Difficulties are also being experienced by families accessing bus services whose timetables have recently changed when new subsidised contracts were announced last December.

According to the Western Downs branch, several of their families have been impacted, both emotionally and financially, by changes that decrease the amount of time children can spend at home on a weekend.

Since the change in providers from Bus Queensland to Greyhound, several services on a weekend have disappeared.

Using the example of a Toowoomba-Miles trip, students can still come home on a Friday evening but must either catch a 5am bus back to Toowoomba on a Sunday morning, which means there's little point in going home, or catch a 5am Monday bus.

The latter isn't an option if the boarding facility doesn't have the capacity to cater for students returning on a Monday morning.

The motion for ICPA Queensland to lobby relevant authorities to consider the impact on families with students living away from home when timetable changes preclude them from using economic forms of transport to get their children back to school on weekends or at the end of holidays, was passed.

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