$154 Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Townsville – Compare and Save

2 airlines operate flights between Melbourne and Townsville. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• Jetstar
• Qantas Airways

Flights from Melbourne to Townsville may depart from several airports in Melbourne area, including Melbourne Avalon (AVV), Melbourne Moorabbin (MBW), Melbourne Essendon (MEB) and Melbourne (MEL). Flights usually arrive at Townsville (TSV).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Jetstar: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Qantas Airways: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Melbourne to Townsville:

• Economy class
• Business Class

On this route, direct flights are cheaper than stopover options on average. Direct fares average $321 return, compared with $527 via a stopover through Brisbane (BNE).

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $33–$107 for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Melbourne to Townsville most commonly connect through:

• Brisbane (BNE) – 98% of one-stop connections
• Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) – 1% of one-stop connections
• Cairns (CNS) – 1% of one-stop connections

Brisbane (BNE) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 24% on the Melbourne to Townsville route. Friday is the cheapest departure day at $336 return on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $437, a difference of $101. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Melbourne to Townsville route, 37% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1 hour 45 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Melbourne to Townsville flights, with 50% leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 50%, Evening flights for 0%, and Night flights for 0%.

Some of the most popular sights in Townsville are Magnetic Island Ferry Terminal and The Strand. These are among the most viewed places in Townsville on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Melbourne to Townsville:

• Earliest: departs at 11:05 and lands at 14:05
• Latest: departs at 17:25 and lands at 20:25.

The flight takes about 3h 00m.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 26% above the route average of $361. Book 7 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A direct flight from Melbourne to Townsville takes 3h 00m, covering 3,331 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, return flight prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $222 to $2,157. That means the highest observed fare was about 10x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Melbourne to Townsville are currently higher than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $258, which is 6% above the typical average for this route.

Jetstar is the only airline operating Melbourne to Townsville flights. 63% of its flights are on time.

Afternoon flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Cairns (CNS) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 5h 49m, compared to 5h 53m via Brisbane (BNE) and 7h 21m via Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD).

Townsville Airport (TSV) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around $26 for economy cars. Top options include:
· Budget
· Bargain Car Rentals
· Thrifty
· Europcar
· Avis

Return flights from Melbourne to Townsville range from $290 to $468, with an average of $361 over the past 12 months. Anything below $290 counts as a good deal.