If you are putting off booking your flight to Australia this winter in the hope of finding a late bargain you could be disappointed. Australia and New Zealand specialist Austravel has warned there will be no last-minute £399 deals Down Under this winter following Airtours' decision to cancel its charter flights to Sydney.

This winter will be the first time in more than 10 years that there have been no charter flights between the UK and Australia. Charter flights were introduced in 1988 to offer a much cheaper alternative to scheduled airlines such as BA and Qantas. However the price gap between charter and scheduled flights has narrowed so much that it was no longer economically viable for the charter airlines to continue. Typically the Australian charters cost £150 less than a scheduled flight, but often late deals could be picked up for under £500.

Austravel marketing director Andrew Chapman said: 'People hanging on for late deals are going to be disappointed. Scheduled flights are getting very full for peak dates such as 10-23 December and the first two weeks of January and our advice is to book now.'

A return flight with Malaysia Airlines departing in December costs £925. But Chapman said there are still some good deals to be had outside the peak period with carriers such as Japan Airlines and Royal Brunei at under £560 return.

• Austravel 0870 1662070