I did evaluate some Ansett Inner-Australian flight-options for my upcoming stay in Melbourne, Australia in january 2001 (jan-17 to jan-29).

The best fares for Melbourne-Sydney flights, 21-in advance booked return tickets (Sunday-rule) turned out to be much cheaper (Australian-$ 198) than anything else (much cheaper than the G'Day airline-pass-segments offered to non-Australians). But the ticket rules say 'only sold in Australia'.

Nevertheless, I started the booking procedure on Ansetts online-ticketing site, and provided all informations asked (also my swiss home address). The tickets turned out to be e-tickets and by that, it seems, the system didn't mind selling and confirming those tickets to me. I made than 4 (back to back) bookings - all already confirmed and charged to my credit card.

It might well be, that e-tickets may be a solution (a legal way around the rule) with other carriers too, to get better priced tickets from/in other countries without being there at ticketing time (as long as the trip then starts in that country). Anyone else with experience in that field?

Good information Rudi! One time I encountered lower fares on AN when bought in the US but that was a couple years ago and through an agent. Lesson seems to be to go to the effort to check the fares on the airline's own website too!!

I similarly bought QF e-tickets for SYD-ADL-SYD travelling in August. Wasn't sure if it was for-Australia-only but it sold them to me in Canada.

Interesting, often these sites won't except out-of-country credit cards, but this is good to know for future reference. Had a real problem doing this in Argentina, even the airline's US office wouldn't accept a Canadian Visa, Amex or Mastercard in payment for TBMs.