New Delhi: The budget airlines have floated a fresh low fare plan. However, this time the discount is of 30% unlike the earlier scheme of 50% cut in fare announced ten days ago. First SpiceJet came up with the 30% offer on Friday, followed by IndiGo, GoAir and JetKonnect. This time too the offer is for a limited period. SpiceJet announced the 'second chance' sale of 30 per cent discounted tickets on domestic routes for a limited number of seats. IndiGo followed it with its 'Happy Weekend' offer. With the peak travel season coming
to an end, Indian carriers, barring Air India, triggered the second fare war offering low fares across several sectors within the country.
After GoAir also joined the fare war, JetAirways and JetKonnect followed suit but with more relaxations on booking of tickets. This time, Air India has not offered any fare cut.
According to a SpiceJet statement, the offer is for 30 days advance booking for travel till April 15. And the booking is allowed from January 31 to February 2. However, there will be restrictions on the number of seats
on offer on discount and on flight dates and sectors. The airline claimed that the first offer announced ten days ago was "overwhelming success" and hence the new plan.
Last time, IndiGo, GoAir, Jet Airways and Air India had joined SpiceJet in the competition to seize business offering 50 per cent discount on domestic travel.
The airlines' strategy is to boost business during the lean period going till April.
Under the first plan, tickets were sold dirt cheap. A Delhi-Mumbai or Delhi-Kolkata flight, for example, was priced just Rs 2830 by a domestic carrier while the market rates were hovering above Rs 10,000 for current booking.
AirAsia India being launched soon is promising the cheapest tickets in the market from April when it takes to air. "I think we are coming very close and March-April should be time when we should begin the India
operations," the Malaysia-based airline major AirAsia's chief executive officer Tony Fernandes had said in Davos. The airline is ready for the launch and is waiting for the Indian Government's approval. The airline runs cheap flights in Malaysia. It has partnered with Tata group and Arun Bhatia-led Telstra Tradeplace for its
low-fare operations in India. Air travel is cheap in Thailand, Indonesia and many other countries. Meanwhile, the Tatas are also forming another joint airline with Singapore Airlines.
