Australian Airlines: 

Australia has three main airline companies - Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas.

Qantas is the national carrier. It offers top service and is the most expensive of all three. There isn’t really any reason to travel domestically with Qantas unless you can get a good deal as fares are high. The only upside is that Qantas is generally more punctual than Jetstar.

Jetstar and Qantas are owned by the same company, with Jetstar being the budget arm of the parent company. Jetstar offers cheap international flights to Melbourne from major cities across Asia. However, Jetstar is known for its tardiness, so do expect delays.

Virgin offers both domestic and international flights. It offers better service compared to Jetstar but is also more expensive. Sometimes, it will be better to pay a little extra for the added comfort. Virgin is known to be more punctual than Jetstar. 

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: For domestic flights in Australia, fly Jetstar. It has higher service standards compared to other budget airlines in the world, and the price is cheap by Australian standards.

Melbourne International Airport can fly you to nearly anywhere in the world. Generally, there will be a stopover on flights to Europe. Emirates, Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines all fly to Melbourne frequently.