Airasia Offers Free Thai Tickets As Fare War Takes Off

[webfact]

AirAsia offers free Thai tickets as fare war takes off

ANDREW HEASLEY

Discount airline AirAsia has launched special fares to lift Thailand's tourism industry in the wake of the bloody political clashes in Bangkok that prompted the Australian government to warn travellers to avoid the capital.

AirAsia is offering a limited number of free flights from Bali to Bangkok, and $10 fares from Kuala Lumpur to the Thai capital to entice travellers.

This latest move comes as new market research shows Australia's domestic tourism is on the slide.

The AirAsia offer is part of a sale of 10,000 seats between Bangkok and Asian cities in Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Indonesia, with fares costing up to $38 one-way.

As a regional carrier, AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes said he felt "duty-bound" to help Thailand "bounce back".

Bookings open today until June 1, for travelling between June 7 to August 31.

The move comes as Tiger Airways launched another fare blitz across Australia, with fares as low as $9, taxes included.

Tiger Airways' spokeswoman Vanessa Regan said 14 out of the airline's 19 routes were on sale for less than $40, and nine of them under $30.

The Melbourne-Sydney sale fare is $18.50 one-way, for example, or to the Gold Coast for $33.50.

There are "tens of thousands" of seats on sale until midnight on May 31, for travel between June 1 and August 31.

Tiger Airways chief executive Tony Davis recently vowed to keep pushing domestic airfares down as he announced a $22.7 million profit for the airline group, with the Australian operation breaking even on an operating level, despite fuel-hedging losses, with three profitable quarters.

Virgin Blue, for one, is feeling the heat of cut-throat competition.

The carrier told investors today its likely net profit before tax and exceptional items for the 2010 financial year could be between half and a quarter of its most recent advice.

It now said net profit before tax and exceptional items would be in the range of $20-$40 million.

Earlier this month, Virgin Blue said it had been expecting a result of $80 million.

The carrier's shares nosedived this morning after the airline said average fares were seen falling 10 per cent.

The airline blamed "rapid deterioration and increased volatility in the operating environment, particularly in respect of the leisure segment both domestically and internationally." as well as "an unexpected and sudden decline in consumer confidence" and "increased industry capacity".

Whether low domestic airfares are enough to bring back consumer demand and revitalise Australian tourism remains to be seen.

Latest Roy Morgan Research released yesterday found only 12 per cent of Australians surveyed said they would like to holiday in Sydney over the next two years; 13 per cent said the Sunshine Coast; 19 per cent said Melbourne; and 21 per cent said the Gold Coast.

"Australians increasingly want to holiday overseas and as a result most domestic destinations have lost appeal for Australians," said Jane Ianniello, Roy Morgan Research's international director for tourism, travel and leisure sectors.

"Melbourne is the exception, having lifted its preference level over the past decade."

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-new...00528-wizs.html

-- 2010-05-28

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[solai4]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

[Rajaram1960]

Already free visa & now discounted air fare. Very good move.

[Rainmon]

I'd like special low price airfare to get out of Bangkok...

[BlackJack]

but its low season :D :D

[xenophanes]

I'd like special low price airfare to get out of Bangkok...

Dear Lucutious, resistance is fertile.

Best wishes from 7 of 9, 9 of 11 and 7 of 11

[JackSterling]

I sure wished that was true.. free tickets out..

[animatic]

but its low season

Better to start during Low season, than to have NO season.

[hardy1943]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Air Asia gives nothing away, they cancel a flight on you but will not reimburse you. THE ARE A BIG RIP OFF

[idiot farang]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

lol

[Miami Bob]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

Well said ??? How could you even understand what he was saying?

[Greenside]

I just experimented a bit with flights from CNX to BKK and can't any free tickets, at least this side of mid July. Best net prices for a round trip including taxes is 1398 baht which is not that much different to booking well in advance on a midweek flight if I recall. Anyone discovered the free ones - I want an excuse to take my son on his first plane ride!

Oops! Just read the press release more closely and see the free flights are international legs in and out of BKK.

[sneakery]

yea... they are the worst of it!! sometime their(Bht 5,500) pricing are even very near to other top airline like thai airways and singapore airlines(Bht 6,000).

They are not like tiger or perhaps jetstar... Claim to be buget airline but eat people bloody alot.. no choice have to see what country they come from anway..

[anon467367354]

Great move! All the big time high rolling spenders will be coming from these countries in droves: Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Indonesia.

A litten more respect for Tiger for extending their services to Australia.

[Jimi007]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

Well said ??? How could you even understand what he was saying?

Through sarcasm!

[flyfrog]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Some steps to get more tourists:

1. Same entree fees anywhere for farang and Thai

2. Stop the rip off with charging 10 % service in restaurants, not one service guy or girl gets this anyway

3. Include the 7% VAT in the prices announced in the menu

4. All taxi service with same announced prices

5. Pattaya, clean up your beach and get rid of those speedboats on the beach, the made a multi- million pier for what?

[curtklay]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

lol

[basinboy]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

Well said ??? How could you even understand what he was saying?

Oh Bob....get with the programme

[yabaaaa]

Yeah right am sure it will be PR B.S and "oh we forgot the £499 fuel surcharge and the 10 hour delay and 25 year old plane, thatll be £10 to use the toilet and £50 for a cup of water, bag allowance 2kg" "hot seats" £200 extra!! £80 "wheels down for landing" surcharge.

[trvlbum]

Thai Air Asia The Shinawatra family is said to hold a majority

shareholder by nominee in Thai Air Asia, through Asia Aviation which

is 51 percent owned by Sittichai Veerathummnoon, following the sale of

Shin Corp.

[wlcart]

Do they give a "free" return ticket? Last thing we want is a bunch of cheap broke lowlifes out of money stuck in Bangkok.

[ward]

ultra annoying, they do loud advertising with ultra-good-looking deals but then they make it impossible to book these deals trough their website...

I am trying to get a ticket booked by any of their 'special offers' for more then 1.5 hours now, but nothing works out like they promise...

If their planes work like their website i'd better book a different company.

[jeanpierre]

is a bullet free vest included?

[buzz]

I checked last nite and again today on AirAsia ... BKK-Bali-BKK departure June 23 for eg: 6,000bht return ... next best fare is 7,500 and then 9,000bht depending on dates ... can't see ANY free flights (+ only tax's and fees) at all !

[bkkdawg]

I'd like special low price airfare to get out of Bangkok...

Yea me too, but the fares to the UK dont seem to have changed much.

[Jirapa]

however they giva offer also thai tourism want to take more step to get peoples

Well said!

Well said ??? How could you even understand what he was saying?

'Whatever others are offering Thailand's tourism industry also needs to make more steps to encourage people to come!'

It's not that hard to work out the point he was trying to make so give the guy a break. Not everyone on this forum has English as their mother tongue and fortunately not everyone makes ignorant comments. Take a course in Pigeon English and read through the lines!

[siam2007]

The headline is actually misleading, as the mentioned "fare war" takes place in Australia for domestic flights over there (how good for them to finally get decent value with TIGER AIR instead of paying ridiculous amounts on Virgin Blue or Qantas! hopefully that way, Australia can get rid of the "lousiest Value for money in the World" - award which they receive every year).

BTW, just booked a flight from Cambo to BKK in June for US$ 5 on AirAsia right now ;-)

[Deeral]

and the money they save on flights they can use to pay the price-maintained hotel rooms which will be the same or higher thanks to the efforts of the hotel CARTEL.

[ged]

Grrr. Air Asia , they have just cancelled the whole of my return flight to Cambodia in June.

I got an e mail basically saying ,sorry your flight is cancelled , call these numbers to find out more'

Can I get through ? well not for half a dozen attempts so far.

Also their tracking system does not have a record of my Log in details even though they e mailed the password to me

I suppose for the pittance I paid I can put up with a few glitches but those that paid full price ,

[thaibkk]

you think somebody in AOT came up with the idea ? or just air asia to boost their sales...

38$ only, plus taxes, plus this, plus that...

better start to do something for us expats spending here year in year out ...

because what kind of tourists will be attracked by such offer ?

backpackers ?