1. Home
    2. ❭
  2. Mildura Airport

Mildura Airport: 10 Min Drive From The CBD

Please note: Flight info, prices etc given on this page are PRE Covid. Things may have changed since then, so please don't rely on flight information given here, as we can't guarantee accuracy.

Mildura airport has an average of 10 flights a day: the first to leave (to Melbourne) generally departs at 6.35am, with the last to arrive (also Melbourne) getting in at almost 8.30pm.

There are 3 main airlines operating out of Mildura. Virgin Australia, Qantas, and REX (Regional Express). 50% of the flights are either to or from Melbourne, with the rest to/from Sydney, Adelaide and Broken Hill.

Plane at Mildura Airport

Facilities, Rental Cars, and Parking

Parking at airports, we all hate it don't we? But Mildura is only small, and parks are easy to find. Better still, the first 2hrs is free. After that, it is $3 per hour. 2hrs should give you plenty of time for pickup and drop-offs without having to pay.

The facilities inside the airport are rather sparse for people waiting. There is a café, but it is on the other side of security. When I have caught flights to Melbourne my wife sometimes comes through security to wait in the café with me, but not everyone will want the extra hassles of doing that.

There are laptop and phone charging points, as well as free wifi and a few cubicle workstations, a pleasant surprise in a small regional airport.

Rental Cars: There are the normal rental car agencies at Mildura Airport, and they will be there to meet all bookings. (click to call from within Australia)

Melbourne to Mildura: Which Airline to Fly With?

This is by far the most common route, it is one I have taken frequently, and all three airlines offer flights. Of these, I have never yet found Qantas to offer reasonably competitive flights compared to the other two. In fact, I just checked the cost of one way, Mildura to Melbourne at short notice (4 days).

All things being roughly equal (price, as well as flight time being convenient) then I always try to book REX, if I can. The reason for that comes down to the fact that I hate standing in long lines. And if you have ever been to the domestic check-in line with Virgin or Qantas at Melbourne airport, then you will know why I dislike it so much.

At many airports, each flight has its own check-in desk. However, at Melbourne they put them all together, so no matter how early you arrive before your flight, there will usually be a big queue.

But flying with REX, that line is so short that it is often non existent... you can probably go straight up to the REX counter, check in, drop your bags, and be on your way before the Virgin queue has even moved. In fact, I have had to stand behind somebody only once. That is worth the few extra $$ of the ticket price for me. You also tend to be on your way much quicker when you arrive as well, because with smaller planes they have less bags to unload and get onto the luggage carousel. All in all, I have found it's a much nicer experience. Flight take about 15 min longer, but at a lower altitude you get a better view. So, swings and roundabaouts really.

Bonza Coming To Mildura!

Bonza plane in flight

After several delays, we finally have Bonza coming to town, with direct flights from Mildura to Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast.

Bonza is super low priced... flights to Melbourne priced from $49 one way, and Sunshine Coast at $79, although I imagine once you add in the extras such as baggage that price would be higher. But even so, it's still cheaper by far than anything we have had up until now.

They have an official Bonza website, although that is really little more than a portal to get their booking app.

So if you are considering flying with Bonza, perhaps go and visit their website, follow the link to get their app and install that on your phone. It doesn't seem like they have one that will install on a laptop, and some older phones also not supported. But if you have a reasonably modern phone, you should be OK.

This article was printed from ExploreMildura.com

Print Article