Budget Airline Guide

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AirAsia resumes Kuala Lumpur – Solo route

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia will resumes flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Solo, Indonesia with effect from December 21, 2012.  The route was temporarily suspended earlier this year.

AirAsia will offer 3 round-trip flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. One-way fares start from 99 MYR ($33 USD).

“Indonesia is a very important market and offers a chance for AirAsia to develop. The closure of the Kuala Lumpur–Solo [Surakarta] route in the beginning of this year was part of the process to improve [AirAsia’s] business model in Indonesia so we can improve our services and facilities,” said AirAsia Berhad CEO Aireen Omar in a quote to tribunnews.com.

Scoot postpones new routes to Qingdao and Shenyang

By Budget Airline News

Scoot Airlines has postponed the launch of their new routes from Singapore to Qingdao and Shenhang, China. The original launch date was November 27, 2012, but has been pushed back to January 11, 2013.

The low-cost airline was forced to postpone these flights as it has not yet obtained regulatory approval for the new routes.

Scoot has offered a $50 SGD travel voucher to passengers affected by the cancelled flights.

 

AirAsia Philippines adds Singapore and Taipei, cancels Macau and Palawan

By Budget Airline News

Philippines’ AirAsia has announced changes to its routes from Clark International Airport.  The low-cost airline will be adding two international routes to Singapore and Taipei, but cancelling routes to Macau and Puerto Princesa (Palawan).

Flights to Singapore will commence on December 1 and flights to Taipei will commence on December 15, 2012.

Commenting on the new international routes, Philippines’ AirAsia CEO Maan Hontiveros said: “”With our two new international routes, we would like to draw in-bound tourist to the country and help contribute to tourism dollar revenues.

“We need to build up routes within an infrastructure that supports low-fare services since we are in an industry that is not immune to rising fuel cost and operational challenges. We intend to open up new international routes within these markets, as well as add frequencies on existing routes, thanks to the aggressive campaign of Department of Tourism in promoting the country abroad.”

Passengers holding tickets on the cancelled flights will be contacted with their options for obtaining a refund.

AirAsia cancels deal to buy Batavia Air

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia has cancelled a USD $80 million deal to acquire Indonesian airline Batavia Air.  The deal was called off because it “induced too many risks” for shareholders due to Batavia’s existing debt and aging fleet.

Speaking about the aborted deal, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said: “We always knew it was not going to be an easy transaction. It has been a very good experience and we come out of it feeling more confident of what we need to do to grow the market in Indonesia. Our aggressive focus in Indonesia remains and we will push our Indonesian IPO plans while still maintaining close co-operation with Batavia Air.”

Batavia Air has said it will carry on business as normal, and will cooperate with AirAsia in other areas such as pilot training.

Although AirAsia is the largest budget airline in Asia, it controls only 2% of the Indonesian market, which is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. Batavia Air currently controls 12% of this market.

 

 

AirAsia Japan announces new route to Busan, South Korea

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia Japan has announced it will offer daily flights from Tokyo (Narita) to Busan, South Korea starting November 28, 2012.  This is the airline’s second international route following Seoul, South Korea.

One-way fares start from 7,980 JPY ($100 USD) plus taxes.

The schedule will be:
JW 884 PUS-NRT ; 11:05 – 13:05hrs
JW 885 NRT-PUS ; 08:05 – 10:35hrs (Mon –Fri)
JW 885 NRT-PUS ; 08:00 – 10:30hrs (Sat & Sun

 

AirAsia Japan to fly Tokyo – Seoul

By Budget Airline News

AirAsia Japan has announced its first international route will be from Tokyo to Seoul, Korea. The new route will launch on October 28, 2012, with one round-trip flight per day.

The Tokyo (Narita) – Seoul (Incheon) route will be operated  using  Airbus A320 aircraft. One-way fares start from 6,980 JPY ($90 USD) plus tax.

Commenting on the new route, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said: “This is a great day for all of us, and an even greater day for the consumers & air travelers in Korea. With AirAsia’s low fare, everyone can now travel to more places more often. AirAsia Japan’s announcement of this international route today is a dream come true for us, and I am looking forward to see the Narita – Incheon flights begin operations. Congratulations to Kazuyuki and his team for making Japanese and Korean skies friendlier and more affordable.”

Peach launches flights to Taipei

By Budget Airline News

On October 16, 2012, Japanese low-cost airline Peach begins its newest route from Osaka to Taipei, Taiwan.  This is the airline’s third international destination after Hong Kong and Seoul.

The initial schedule will be one round-trip flight per day. Starting December 15, 2012, the schedule will increase to two round-trip flights per day.

One-way fares from Osaka to Taipei start from just 7,080 JPY ($90 USD).

 

 

AirAsia X suspends flights to Tehran, Iran

By Budget Airline News

Low-cost, long-haul airline AirAsia X has announced it will be suspending its service from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Tehran, Iran. The last flight will take place on October 14, 2012.

In a statement, AirAsia X said the suspension of its 4x weekly service to Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport it due to economic reasons, including the volatility of the Iranian currency.

According to the AirAsia website:

“AirAsia X will offer guests who hold bookings after these dates an option of a full refund or credit shell. All changes will be made at no additional cost to mitigate the inconvenience caused as a result of the withdrawal. All affected guests will receive an e-mail stating the available options.

Affected guests who booked flights via our exclusive sales agents in Iran should contact them directly for service recovery options.”

 

Cebu Pacific launches 4 new domestic routes

By Budget Airline News

Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ largest airline, has launched 4 new domestic routes. The new routes and their frequencies are:

Cebu – Coron (Busuanga): 3 flights per week
Davao – Butua: 4 flights per week
Davao – Dipolog: 4 flights per week
Iloilo – Tacloban: 3 flights per week

“We are very pleased to expand our Philippine network, especially since these direct flights will boost travel, tourism and trade in different regions of the country. With its trademark low fares and seat sales, Cebu Pacific will continue to enable even more Juans to travel by air to reach their destinations,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

“With the delivery of over 50 brand-new aircraft until 2021, Cebu Pacific will continue to explore opening more routes, launching more destinations and adding more flights. CEB remains committed in making travel convenient and more affordable through the most extensive route network in the Philippines,” she added.

Ticketing for the new routes is available online at www.cebupacificair.com.

 

VietJetAir adds 4 new domestic routes

By Budget Airline News

Budget airline VietJetAir will launch 4 new domestic routes before the end of the year.

The new routes are Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh (launching November 15), Ho Chi Minh City to Hue (launching November 22), Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc (launching December 20), and Hanoi to Da Lat (launching December 7).

Online ticketing for the new routes is now available with one-way fares starting from 10,000 VND (USD $0.50) plus taxes.