Warfare in skies to woo fliers

The battle this season is as much between Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Mamata Banerjee, as it is between airlines aiming for the heart (and purse) of the city.
“This season, travel is around 15 per cent lower than what it was last year, with few takers for regular fares. So airlines have been forced to come out with tempting fares,” said Anil Punjabi, the chairman (east) of the Travel Agents Federation of India.
Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Air India, Jet Airways have all rolled out low fares and innovations.
“The short-term promotions are all aimed at netting leisure travellers — the segment which has become most vulnerable in the downturn,” pointed out a senior official of a private airline in the city.
And there seems to be something for everyone — from the CEO to the teenager.
According to aviation industry sources, apart from offering special fares for the business class traveller, the airlines have also kept the economy class fares lower than in previous years.
If Jet Airways came up with a limited business class return fare offer of Rs 60,000 (plus taxes) for Calcutta-London , Thai Airways has a monsoon special fare of Rs 11,585 (plus taxes) to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Penang.
In the domestic sector Air India is offering summer special one-way fares to most destinations from Calcutta, and “rock-bottom return fares” to Singapore, Bangkok and Dhaka on Air India Express.
Emirates has opted for special features over fare slash. Its Kids Go Free scheme allows one child below 16 years to fly free or a maximum of two children to “stay, eat and play” in Dubai free when travelling with two paying adults.
The sops seem to be working already, at least for the Basus of Ballygunge Circular Road.
02/06/09 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jun 2009