Australian travel retailer Flight Centre kicked off its annual ‘Big Red Travel Event’ on 8 November 2025, combining a nationwide in-store roadshow with an online flash sale that offers up to 20 % off Intrepid Travel small-group tours across Asia. The promotion runs until 12 November and applies to departures through 15 December 2026, excluding the peak Christmas–New-Year period.
The campaign is Flight Centre’s most aggressive since borders reopened, signalling confidence that outbound volumes can finally surpass 2019 levels in calendar-year 2026. Marketing is heavily geared towards hybrid ‘workcation’ itineraries popular with younger professionals who add remote working days to leisure trips. Corporate-travel clients on Flight Centre’s FCM platform can access the discounted land component by packaging it with contracted airfares, effectively lowering average trip costs at a time when global fares remain elevated.
![Flight Centre launches Asia ‘Big Red’ sale to stimulate post-pandemic outbound demand]()
Intrepid reports that Australia has re-emerged as its single largest source market for Asia, with booking searches rising 35 % quarter-on-quarter. Destinations highlighted in the sale – Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and India – are all countries where Australian passport-holders now benefit from either eVisas or visa-on-arrival, reducing administrative friction.
For mobility managers the takeaway is twofold: expect higher competition for mid-haul premium-economy seats during sale windows, and leverage the discounts to bundle exploratory visits for staff considering medium-term secondments in Asia. Travellers should note blackout dates and confirm that medical-insurance policies cover adventure activities included in some itineraries.
Flight Centre will host pop-up ‘Big Red’ expos in Perth and Queensland later in November featuring on-site visa-consulting booths – a nod to lingering confusion over post-COVID entry requirements in several Asian markets.
The campaign is Flight Centre’s most aggressive since borders reopened, signalling confidence that outbound volumes can finally surpass 2019 levels in calendar-year 2026. Marketing is heavily geared towards hybrid ‘workcation’ itineraries popular with younger professionals who add remote working days to leisure trips. Corporate-travel clients on Flight Centre’s FCM platform can access the discounted land component by packaging it with contracted airfares, effectively lowering average trip costs at a time when global fares remain elevated.
Intrepid reports that Australia has re-emerged as its single largest source market for Asia, with booking searches rising 35 % quarter-on-quarter. Destinations highlighted in the sale – Vietnam, Japan, Thailand and India – are all countries where Australian passport-holders now benefit from either eVisas or visa-on-arrival, reducing administrative friction.
For mobility managers the takeaway is twofold: expect higher competition for mid-haul premium-economy seats during sale windows, and leverage the discounts to bundle exploratory visits for staff considering medium-term secondments in Asia. Travellers should note blackout dates and confirm that medical-insurance policies cover adventure activities included in some itineraries.
Flight Centre will host pop-up ‘Big Red’ expos in Perth and Queensland later in November featuring on-site visa-consulting booths – a nod to lingering confusion over post-COVID entry requirements in several Asian markets.
