FlixBus has recorded a 35 per cent week-on-week rise in coach travel searches between Sydney and Melbourne, as two grand finals, the October long weekend and school holidays converge across Australia’s east coast.
AFL and NRL finals drive route-specific demand
Sydney–Melbourne searches jumped around 35 per cent week-on-week in the week of the AFL grand final, which falls within NSW and Victorian school holidays, with bookings following the same trend. On the Sydney–Brisbane route, which also serves Newcastle, searches rose nearly 20 per cent week-on-week during the NRL preliminary finals, climbing further to around 35 per cent the following week as the grand final approached.
Leisure travel is also contributing to demand, with interest in the Brisbane–Cairns route rising almost 27 per cent week-on-week ahead of the Queensland school holidays.
FlixBus Australia senior managing director Yvan Lefranc-Morin said the convergence of events was driving one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
“It’s shaping up to be one of the biggest travel fortnights of the year on Australia’s East Coast. Between the two grand finals, the school holidays and the long weekend, people right across the coast are looking at coach as a way to get around,” Lefranc-Morin said.
FlixBus positions coach travel as flexible alternative
FlixBus said its East Coast network offered a comfortable and affordable option for last-minute travellers, with services including free Wi-Fi, power outlets and additional leg space. The figures are based on FlixBus’s own search and booking data as of 21 September 2026, reflecting week-on-week rather than year-on-year comparisons.
