Travel agents bracing for Paris demand ahead of RWC final

Last-minute flights to France to catch the Rugby World Cup final could cost rugby fans more than $5000, a travel agency says.

After semi-finals on Saturday and Sunday which saw the All Blacks beat Argentina’s Pumas convincingly 44-6 and the Springboks claw their way past a strong England side to a 16-15 win, the All Blacks and Springboks are set to face each other at the final.

The final is scheduled for Sunday 29 October at 8am New Zealand time at the Stade de France near Paris.

And on Sunday, flights were still available to France in time to catch the final – but at a cost, the Flight Centre Travel Group said.

They had already seen an influx in interest in travel to the host nation in the past weeks as the All Blacks advanced further through the tournament.

Flight Centre manager Victoria Courtney said flights to get there in time for the final could range from $3000 to $5000, and could get even more expensive than that.

“We had one customer last week who booked last-minute first class tickets to go over and see the final … he’s paid $17,000 for flights … quite a lot of money he’s paid to go over and see the All Blacks – so a very excited customer,” Courtney said.

She expected interest in last-minute flights would grow as the final draws closer.

“There are still flights available – you’re certainly not going to get cheap fares last minute, but there are still some reasonably affordable ways to get there.

“We would certainly anticipate seeing some more last minute bookings coming through.”

rnz.co.nz