Carriers mull free link for travel abroad

Mumbai: AI, Jet to leverage the extended domestic networks to offer small city flyers free connectivity.
Air-India and Jet Airways are planning to leverage their extended domestic networks following a merger (with Indian Airlines) and acquisition (of Air Sahara), respectively, to offer small-city travellers free connectivity for their international flights.
This could mean a saving of 10 to 25 per cent over the combined tariffs for passengers in smaller cities flying overseas, depending on their final destination. Small towns account for 25 to 30 per cent of passengers travelling overseas.
In effect, a passenger travelling from, say, Nagpur to Singapore via Mumbai will not have to pay for the Nagpur-Mumbai leg.
'The overall cost of flying from a non-metro city will come down if he or she opts for a connecting flight on Air-India. The passenger can fly free to the big city from his regional location to catch the international flight,' says S Venkat, executive director, Air-India. The strategy, he added, will ensure passenger load factor or capacity utilisation of aircraft.
09/06/07 P R Sanjai/Business Standard

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Air India Jun 2007, Foreign Jun 2007, Jet Airways Jun 2007, New Jun 2007