| 05 Jan 2009 |
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Airlines Slash Fares during Low Season
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ABU DHABI - Airlines in the region have cut their ticket prices to around 40 per cent to cope with the drop in demand at this time of the year.
Wafa Al Zahed, GCC Regional Manager of Egypt Air said, "We are now in the low season and the traffic, particularly, in the Middle East and northern Africa (MENA) is on the decline in recent times.
"The prices came down by about 40 per cent depending on the period and special offers," added Al Zahed.
"Normal reduction in prices," he pointed out, adding that the prices would go up again during the period, January 12-17 as the vacation of the first term of the academic year begins in the UAE.
Al Zahed said most of the airlines' have moved to handle this low-demand period in the year and remove the fuel tax from the passenger.
Airlines have reduced the fuel tax from air tickets by up to 20 per cent.
Emirates Airline said in statements that the reduction list ranged between 20-35 per cent on tickets for more than 50 destinations in Arab and Asian countries.
The Fly Emirates offers reduced 20 per cent on tickets in case a ticket is bought in a month and has a six-month validity.
Adnan Qazim, Vice-President of Emirates said the company is all the time trying to revise prices with the passenger and the profit margin factors kept in mind.
Emirates decreased 10-15 per cent on tickets for destinations to Europe, China and India.
There were reductions for the American and Arab sectors as well.
The reduction would be applicable for tickets purchased, in the UAE between Jan 1 to March 31 2009 and, the departure must be from Dubai.
Meanwhile, Thomas Clarke, spokesperson of Etihad Airways, said Etihad is having the usual promotions t this time of the year.
Travel agencies said about 70 per cent of the airlines have reduced reduced their fares.Mohammad Rebhi, Costumer Service Officer at Al Masoud Travel Agency said that the reduction came to meet the drop in demand that has et in after the global meltdown hit world markets.
"The airlines reduce to meet the low demand on travel in this period every year to meet the operational costs," he said.
Reduction In Fuel Surcharge
- British Airways -- UK's flagship carrier which operates 28 weekly flights from the UAE to London Heathrow announced they would cut its fuel surcharge by as much as a third on long-haul services.
- The reduction in fuel surcharge is the airline's second in two months.
- This applies to all four British Airways travel classes -- World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), Club World (business) and First.
- "The lowered fuel surcharges mean UAE customers will save on return trips to London and north America, depending on their class of travel," said Paul Starrs, British Airways commercial manager, Middle East.
- "The fuel surcharge further cuts represent great value for our customers flying from the Middle East," added Starrs.
British Airways' fuel bill for 2008/09 was expected to rise 50 per cent from £2 billion to £3 billion, a daily equivalent of £8million and the move reflects the reduction in the price of oil and the airline's fuel hedging policy for 2009/10.
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz
© Khaleej Times 2009
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