Take the middle seat, you may fly cheaper on Air India

New Delhi: While Air India is considering a slew of proposals to get more passengers onto its aircraft including offering the middle seat in economy class at a discounted rate, Kingfisher Airlines is tempting students with a discount of up to 50 per cent on the base fare if they are under 26 years.
Explaining the idea behind the initiative, a senior AI official pointed out that one-third of the seats in economy class are middle seats. “If the airline can offer them at a discount, it may attract more passengers. This is just one of the initiatives being considered to help push up the number of passengers from around 65-70 per cent at present to about 80 per cent,” the official told Business Line.
Incidentally, AI's move to examine the option of selling the middle seat at a discount comes even as American Airlines has indicated that it will charge passengers a fee ranging from $19 to $39 for sitting in the first few rows of the economy class cabin.
In addition, from Monday, Air India will further liberalise the rules for travel agents to issue special categories of tickets with huge rebates to passengers.
“Travel agents will be allowed to issue the tickets under the companion free scheme where on a full fare economy ticket, a passenger can take a companion along for free,” officials said.
One full fare economy ticket between Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram is priced at about Rs 28,000, but under the scheme it will allow two passengers to fly.
The airline will also allow travel agents to issue tickets under the scheme whereby full fare economy ticket holders are upgraded to business class if seats are available on the particular flight.
The Kingfisher Airlines offer is available till end-September and valid only for economy class travel on domestic routes.
21/08/10 Ashwini Phadnis/Business Line

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2010