My husband and I are traveling to Australia from the US in April. We will be visiting Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania and Cairns. We are taking a train from Sydney to Melbourne but will be flying from Melbourne to Hobart, Hobart to Cairns (stop in Sydney) and finally Cairns to Sydney. Can anyone provide information about air travel within Australia, comparing it to travel within US? For example, I have checked various airline websites (Quantas, Jet Star, Virgin Blue) and have determined there are very different checked baggage limitations we will have to deal with. Are the airline weight limitations for checked bags strickly enforced? In the US, it is generally cheaper to book your flight well in advance, especially if you have a preference for aisle seats. Last minute tickets can be a bargain, but usually center seats are what is available. Is this true on Australian flights? If you book your flights online, can you select your seats at the time of booking? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Also, is there anything like Mapquest that will give you routes and mileage within Australia?

Deb

Baggage restrictions are ok, like if you have a 20kg pack they will give a leway to 25kg sometimes. Air travel within Australia is really safe and the airlines are second to none, they quality of service is generally really good.

Unfortunately it is not quite as straightforward as what helloworldbea suggests.
On the checked baggage side of things, you may get away on Qantas and Virgin Blue with some excess over and above the nominal 20Kg. limit but I know for sure that Welcome To Tiger Airways (and do check them for great rates) have started enforcing baggage limits and the $rate/kg. over is quite high - many people at check ins were busily taking stuff out and stashing it into carry on luggage on recent flights of mine.
I'm also led to believe that Jetstar are rather zealous on it too.

But the carryon is a simple enough solution, and so have a maximum size lightweight carryon and they rarely get checked, Jetstar having a 10 kg. carry on whereas Tiger is 7 kg. - all information is on the airlines sites.

As to seating, this again varies, and I know again for sure that Tiger have a seat booking system and you pay for it if you want to use it.
I do not bother and endeavour to get to the airport early enough, say 1 hr. 30 minutes before flight time and usually can ask if they have particular seating available and have just about always scored an emergency exit row seat to have extra leg room, and for free - I'm an EEE flyer!

You need to allow yourself a reasonable length of time to ensure you get on Tiger and Jetstar in particular for even if you are in the queue with Tiger, come 45 minutes before departure, that's it, if you ain't been checked in it'll be tough luck. Jetstar is 30 min., and no refunds!
Virgin and Qantas could be a little more lenient and make more effort to get passengers through.

Yes, it is cheaper to book your flights as early as possible for airlines will have a certain number of seats on any one flight at a lower fare and when they are gone it's to the higher level.
Sometimes there are specials but being March now, you'll have missed any for April.
Have a look at Cheap Flights, Qantas, Virgin Blue, Jetstar - Cheap Flights & Airfares - Compare Flights at Webjet - Webjet.com.au and you get a comparison of all flights other than the Tiger ones.

Re Mapquest, something like Travelmate - Australia Accommodation and Hotels, Tours, Car Hire, Maps, Australian Travel Guide is probably what you're after, and then NRMA Insurance - NRMA Motoring & Services and RACQ - Wouldn't be without them also have travel planners.
Some sites here that I extracted may be of interest.
As for Cairns and Queensland, a few sites for you that will give you some ideas as starters
. Queensland Holidays - Queensland Tourism & Travel - Queensland Holidays for general info.
. Cairns Tours, Holiday Packages and Accommodation with Raging Thunder for Cairns area ideas - they can package a few trips together and give a discount, and they have like a live chat facility.
. Atherton Tablelands Backpackers Accommodation & Tours - near Cairns, North Queensland, Australia for hinterland, a cheap hostel and they have night canoeing as an option, maybe sighting Platypuses
. Cape Tribulation Beach House Cape Tribulation Resort Accommodation in Cape Tribulation - Cape Tribulation Accommodation on the beach at Cape Trib - best place to stay right in rainforest, some good walks about and you can even do a reef trip from there with a smaller boat the Rum Runner, cheaper and more personal/friendly than the larger ones from Cairns.
. There's also . The Whitsundays holidays & booking centre - Whitsunday, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland Australia and Fraser Island but you only have so much time.

Have fun, and ps, if train is not already booked, it is not the most interesting of routes, and if you had a couple of days and there was a campervan relocation available, you can make it a nice road trip.
Check hot deals on www.standbycars.com.au if interested.


Again, with the other airlines, seat preference booking will be on the sites, and if it is not there, then it is a case of allocation when booking in.

It is probably too late anyway, but meant to add:

If you were flying with Qantas from America to here, there is what is called the Australia Pass (I think) now - used to be Kangaroo Pass and that was like a discounted voucher for several flights.

EDIT: If you use webjet to find flights, still book direct online with the airlines to get best prices.

Enjoy on your vacation..

Thanks for the info!

Wanderer.....Thanks for the great information! I will check out those websites. We are planning on using Quantas for our flights within Australia. We are flying to Australia on United using frequent flyer miles, but I will check into the Australia Pass, you never know... Thanks again!

very informative and very helpful post you've got here. have a happy trip debd and don't forget to share us your travel experiences