Airlines cut prices on economy-class tickets

BANGKOK: -- International airlines are promoting economy-class round trips from Bangkok to European destinations during the winter period with the aim of filling more seats.

Association of Thai Travel Agents president Apichart Sankary said last week that since some airlines operating between Bangkok and European countries always proceeded to other destinations beyond Bangkok, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, many travellers were making only half of the airline’s journey, either from Oceania to Thailand or from Thailand to Europe, while at the same time travellers from Singapore flew to Thailand with European carriers but did not proceed to Europe, just as tourists from Thailand flew to Hong Kong without having made the entire journey from Europe.

“As a result, the unforeseen cabin-occupancy factor for the whole route is forcing airlines to employ more marketing strategies to attract travellers,” said Apichart, adding that to do this they were discounting their economy fares.

However, when tax, insurance and fuel surcharges are added to the discounts, the full fares are not much less than normal prices.

Thailand’s winter schedule started this month and lasts until mid-April.

Germany’s Lufthansa is offering an economy round trip for Bt29,030, and Scandinavian Airlines has economy round trips to 30 European destinations for Bt32,255. Both offers exclude tax, insurance and fuel surcharge, and both end tomorrow.

Scandinavian’s destinations are Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Manchester, Birmingham, Munich, Brussels, Oslo, Budapest, Paris, Copenhagen, Prague, Dublin, Stockholm, Dusseldorf, St Petersburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Gdansk, Tampere, Geneva, Trondheim, Gothenburg, Turku, Hamburg, Warsaw, Hanover, Vienna, Helsinki and Zurich.

Finnair is promoting economy round trips from Bangkok to Helsinki for Bt26,500, excluding tax, insurance and fuel surcharge, valid until March 31 next year.

Until December 14, Etihad Airways is offering economy round trips from Bangkok to Geneva, Frankfurt, London or Munich for Bt25,000, excluding tax and insurance, and Kuwait Airways has economy-class deals for travel from Bangkok to Frankfurt, London, Paris or Rome for between Bt21,500 and Bt23,000.

Meanwhile, figures for passenger traffic through Bangkok International Airport from January to the end of September show a 3.38-per-cent increase over the corresponding period in 2004, according to Airports of Thailand Plc.

Up to September, 28,408,999 passengers used the airport compared with 27,479,039 over the same period last year.

--The Nation 2005-11-29

If the PAX-figures are for total through-put at Don Muang, then that slight increase may include serious growth in low-cost airlines flying within Thailand, masking a real decline in international-passengers.