Earlybird season: Why you should book your international flights now

Flight Centre global managing director Andrew Stark said the market was normalising post-pandemic and that means price drops.

There was a 13 per cent decrease in the average price of international economy airfares sold in Australia during the first half of 2024 and prices could fall even more.

Mr Stark said the price drops were a product of increased competition and capacity.

Flight prices were normalising and seasonality was returning after COVID as more airlines returned to Australia and offered new routes and extra seats.

"This time of the year is also particularly competitive as airlines release their annual earlybird fares for travel over the next 10 months," Mr Stark said.

"September and October traditionally offer great deals for travellers looking to get in early for next year, particularly for those interested in a European summer getaway."

He said the the savings extended to other destinations including USA and Asia as well as across cabin classes.

But there was still room for improvement with international airfare prices not where they were pre-pandemic, Mr Stark said.

The top-three destinations for Australians in the first half of 2024 were Indonesia, United Kingdom and New Zealand, Flight Centre data shows.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data paints a similar picture, showing the top-three most popular destinations from which Australians returned in June 2024 were Indonesia, followed by New Zealand and then United Kingdom.

Bali was a firm favourite holiday destination for Australians this year, according to Flight Centre.

"Bali holidays are a perennial favourite for Aussie travellers and will always be one of the most popular holiday destinations we sell, alongside the United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States and Thailand," Mr Stark said.

ABS data showed Japan, China and Thailand were also popular, followed by Italy, Fiji and Vietnam.

The biggest decrease during the first half of 2024 was Indonesia, with ticket prices down 17.7 per cent, according to Flight Centre data.

Double digit decreases were also noted in Vietnam (down 14 per cent), Greece (down 13.2 per cent), Italy (down 12.7 per cent), USA (down 11.2 per cent), Japan and France (both down 10.7 per cent) and India (down 10.4 per cent), the data showed.