IA takes on low-cost carriers in fare war

Kolkata: Indian Airlines is revving up for a dogfight in the skies. With all-time low fares in its arsenal, the national carrier is ready to fire salvos at not just legacy carriers, like Jet Airways and Air Sahara, but low-cost airlines like Air Deccan and SpiceJet as well.
"We have slashed fares on several routes out of Kolkata. The new fares, applicable till September-end, are aimed at winning back passengers lost to competition," IA chief manager (marketing & sales) Nirbhik Rai Narang said.
The airline's new basic fares range from Rs 175 to Rs 625 on all flights to the north-east, except Dibrugarh.
The basic fare to Dibrugarh is Rs 1,525. An additional tax and fuel surcharge component of Rs 975 is applicable on all tickets.
The number of discounted fare seats may range from 15 to 50, depending on the flight's load factor. The full fare on these sectors range from Rs 4,330 to Rs 7,540.
Fares have also been slashed on metro sectors. The lowest fare (tax & surcharge included) to Delhi is Rs 2,990. It will cost a passenger Rs 3,990 to travel to Mumbai, Rs 3,330 to Chennai and Rs 4,000 to Bangalore.
The basic return fare to Bangkok too, has been slashed. The lowest return fare ranges between Rs 4,500 to Rs 6,000. The tax and fuel surcharge applicable on this sector is Rs 4,000.
21/02/07 Times of India