Budget Airline Guide

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GoAir launches its own loyalty program

By Budget Airline News

Indian budget airline GoAir has announced its own loyalty program called Go Club exclusively for customers who book flights online. GoAir is the first low cost carrier to launch such an initiative to encourage direct online bookings.

Membership to Go Club is free for customers who book GoAir tickets through their website and becoming a member is as simple as filling out an online form with your name, email address, and mobile number. To reduce administrative costs, the loyalty program is entirely electronic. Members can begin accumulating reward points as soon as they join and each point is worth one Indian Rupee.

Reward points can be redeemed for access to the GoAir airport lounges, voucher codes for GoAir flights, and upgrades to GoAir business class with extra leg room, baggage allowance, and in-flight meals. Go Club will also form partnerships with local restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.

Visit the GoAir website for more details or to register as a Go Club member.

AirAsia’s new routes from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand, Indonesia

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia, the leading budget airline in Southeast Asia, has announced two new routes to Thailand and Malaysia starting in 2012.

From their hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, AirAsia will fly to Semarang, Indonesia, once per day and to Surat Thani, Thailand, three times per week.  Promotional one-way fares start from MYR79 (UDS25) including taxes. Service will commence on February 6, 2012.

The initial schedules are:

Flight      Departure           Arrival                  ETD       ETA
AK1310    Kuala Lumpur      Semarang               0720       0830
AK1311     Semarang               Kuala Lumpur      0900       1200

AK1808    Kuala Lumpur      Surat Thani            1120        1150
AK1809    Surat Thani          Kuala Lumpur      1220       1455

 

Visit the official AirAsia website for more information or to make an online booking.

Bangkok Airways plans flights to Lucknow, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai

By Budget Airline News

Bangkok Airways, which recently added Bengaluru as its second destination in India offering five direct weekly flights after launching the daily Mumbai-Bangkok services earlier this year, is looking at further expansion plans in the Indian market. The airline plans to start fights to Lucknow, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. The airline has appointed Global Air Transport Services to represent Bangkok Airways in India as the general sales agent (GSA).

The airline currently has codeshare agreements with Thai Airways International, EVA Air, Etihad Airways, Air Berlin, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. When asked whether the airline is in talks with other carriers for codeshare agreements, Prasarttong-Osoth informed that the airline is currently in talks with Finnair, Malaysian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines and SilkAir.

Branded as Asia’s boutique airline, Bangkok Airways offers regional services to seven domestic routes: Chiang Mai, Lampang, Sukhothai, Pattaya (U-Tapao), Trat, Phuket, Samui and Krabi and ten international routes: Hong Kong, Singapore, Luang Prabang, Phanom Penh, Siem Reap, Yangon, Maldives, Dhaka, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The fleet consists of 17 aircraft (eight ATRs, three A320s and six A319s). In 2010, the airline carried more than 2.6 million passengers throughout its entire network.

AirAsia launches Kuala Lumpur – Da Nang flights

By Budget Airline News

On December 16, 2011, AirAsia begins direct flights from their hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Da Nang International Airport, Vietnam.  Already offering direct flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, this is AirAsia’s third route connecting Malaysia and Vietnam.

Flights operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Flight AK0868 departs Kuala Lumpur at 7:35am and arrives in Da Nang at 9:15am local time. Flight AK0869 departs Da Nang at 9:45am and arrives in Kuala Lumpur at 1:30pm local time.

Da Nang is a leisure destination in central Vietnam known for its beaches and UNESCO World Heritage sites like My Son.

To celebrate this new route, AirAsia is offering promotional fares starting from MYR129 (USD42) for one-way travel.

Nok Air starts flights to Nakhon Phanom

By Budget Airline News

While Don Muang airport clean up continues Nok Air will starts flights to Nakhon Phanom operating out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Nok Air will operate a daily flight between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Nakhon Phanom from 9 December 2011, using an ATR-72 aircraft with a capacity of 66 seats.

Nakhon Phanom, once the center of the ancient Sri Kotrabun Kingdom, lies along the western bank of the majestic Mekong River, although over the centuries it has moved back and forth across the river. The lovely setting of Nakhon Phanom town is enhanced by the rugged beauty of the jungle covered mountains that lie beyond the town of Thakaek on the Laotian side of the river. King Rama I chose the name Nakhon Phanom, city of mountains, because of the remarkable mountains found in the province.

Partly a result of its long history, Nakhon Phanom is a melting pot of diverse ethnic cultures and traditions, particularly represented by the Lao, who have lent a strong influence to the architecture, customs, and cuisine of Nakhon Phanom, including the Bai-Sri-Su-Kwan welcoming ceremony.

Covered with both high hills and low lying, forest covered plains, Nakhon Phanom is the site of Phra That Phanom, the most ancient and sacred religious monument in Northeastern Thailand. Thais and Laotians are both common pilgrims to this highly venerated Buddhist shrine where they come to ask for blessings.

Thai AirAsia adds Bangkok – Trang flights

By Budget Airline News

Thai AirAsia has announced they will begin Bangkok – Trang flights on January 15, 2012. This new route to the southern province of Trang on the Andaman Sea coast expands Thai AirAsia’s domestic network to 11 destinations within Thailand.

“We opened travel hubs in Phuket and Chiang Mai,” said Santisuk Klongchaiya, the commercial director of Thai AirAsia.
“After the success of connecting Thailand’s northern and southern regions via our main hubs, we are now able to focus on bringing newer routes into the picture to strengthen our existing connectivity.”

There will be one flight per day departing Bangkok at 9.20am and arriving in Trang at 10.40am. The return flight departs Trang at 11.25am and arrives in Bangkok at 12.45pm.

To attract interest for the new route, Thai AirAsia is offering promotional fares for as little as THB690 (USD23) one-way for travel between January 15 and June 30, 2012.  This route is already served by competing budget airlines Nok Air and Orient Thai.

New budget airline Scoot reveals its first route

By Budget Airline News

Upcoming Singapore budget airline Scoot has revealed its first destination – Sydney, Australia.

Starting in June 2012, the new low-cost, long-haul airline will fly daily from Singapore’s Changi Airport to Sydney, Australia. The route will be operated using a Boeing 777 aircraft and add about 400 seats per day to the route.

“Scoot is absolutely delighted that Sydney, one of the world’s great cities, will be our inaugural destination. And as the first true no-frills airline operating nonstop daily between Sydney and Asia, we can’t wait to bring a whole new style of travel, even better airfares and our unique attitude – our Scootitude – to shake things up. Sydney, here we come! “said Campbell Wilson, Scoot’s CEO.

Tickets will be available in the first quarter of 2012 and prices have not yet been revealed. Passengers have a chance to win a pair of tickets for the inaugural flight by entering a contest on the official Scoot Airlines website at http://flyscoot.com/.

In the long-term, Scoot plans to have a fleet of 14 planes by 2016 and operate scheduled flights to India, China, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Jetstar begins direct Singapore – Beijing flights

By Budget Airline News

Budget airline Jetstar began its new route from Singapore to Beijing on Thursday, November 24, 2011. Jetstar is the first low-cost carrier to fly this route and capture the small business and leisure travel markets. Jetstar also plans to add two more routes from their base at Singapore’s Changi International Airport to China later in 2012.

“Things are moving very quickly in China,” Jetstar Asia Chief Executive Chong Phit Lian said. “It’s already the world’s third-largest outbound tourist market and moving up. The appetite for Chinese to visit Singapore and the region is growing.”

Jetstar will operate its new Singapore – Beijing route with an Airbus A330. The aircraft has 303 seats and a mixed business and economy class configuration. One-way fares start from SGD128 (USD105) with extra fees for checked luggage and on-board meals.

Jetstar’s Australian passengers can also take advantage of this new route to China. Travelers from Melbourne to Beijing can take a Jetstar flight with a brief stop-over in Singapore.

It is also anticipated that upcoming budget airline Scoot will fly the Singapore – Bejing route in 2012.

New Budget Airline Planned for Hong Kong

By Budget Airline News

Hong Kong Express Airways has announced it will transform itself into a budget airline by mid 2012.

As a low cost carrier, it will fly to cities in China, South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia and use the existing traffic rights of Hong Kong Express to operate to Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Taipei.

The new budget airline, which has yet to be named, plans to acquire 15 Airbus 320 aircrafts over the next three to four years. According to Yang Jianhong, the president of Hong Kong Airlines, the new budget carrier will be headed by a CEO with a background in European budget airlines.

Hong Kong Express’ fleet of five Boeing 737-800s will be turned over to Hong Kong Airlines next year. Its pilots can opt to retrain for the new budget carrier or work for parent company Hong Kong Airlines.

Hong Kong Express Airways’ transformation to budget carrier will pose a threat to full-service carriers, including Cathay Pacific, which enjoy a monopoly on lucrative regional routes from Hong Kong.

Some analysts say that the collapse of Viva Macau and Hong Kong’s Oasis Airlines is an ominous sign for low cost carriers based in Hong Kong. Though budget carriers in other Asian cities are thriving, Hong Kong lacks a budget terminal and thus local carriers face higher overheads than those based in Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok.

“The new budget carrier will have a tough time competing with AirAsia and Tiger Airways for Southeast Asia destinations because they have relatively low operating costs in their hubs in Singapore and Malaysia,” said Kelvin Lau, a transport analyst for Daiwa Capital Markets.

Cebu Pacific to start Manila-Hanoi flights in March 2012

By Budget Airline News

Cebu Pacific will become the only airline flying between Manila and Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, when it launches its flights on March 17, 2012. It will be a twice weekly service, utilizing one of Asia’s youngest aircraft fleets.

Flights for this route are scheduled to depart Manila at 10:30pm every Tuesday and Saturday, arriving in Hanoi at 12:30am. Return flights will leave Hanoi at 1am every Wednesday and Sunday, and arrive in Manila at 5am. Cebu Pacific also operates daily flights between Manila and Ho Chi Minh.

“This announcement is very timely given the visit of Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang to the Philippines last week. He wished then for more direct flights between Manila and Hanoi. Cebu Pacific is more than happy to oblige, to further promote trade and tourism between our two countries,” Cebu Pacific VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

“With direct flights, Cebu Pacific offers significant linkages between the Philippines and Vietnam. It allows inbound tourists quick access to the Philippines’ top urban destinations, and provides our country’s business stakeholders immediate connectivity to Vietnam’s capital city,” she added.

Lowest year-round fares from the Vietnam capital to Manila start at USD 69.

Manila-Hanoi-Manila will be the airline’s 78th route, with Hanoi being Cebu Pacific’s 17th international destination. Cebu Pacific operates flights from the Philippines to the most number of capital cities in the ASEAN, and serve the most number of routes. It offers more than 90 flights per week from the Philippines to 8 ASEAN destinations in 6 countries.