ID :
42492
Sat, 01/24/2009 - 17:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/42492
The shortlink copeid
MAS TO REDUCE FUEL SURCHARGE FOR TRAVEL WITHIN ASEAN
BANGKOK, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will slash the fuel surcharge by up to 60 percent for travel within South East Asia, starting with the Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok route next Wednesday.
MAS senior general manager for sales Bernard Francis said that the
Thai route would see the fuel surcharge being reduced from US$75 to US$27, while
reduction for other Asean routes would be announced next week.
"We are revising our fuel surcharge to enable us to offer more competitive
prices. For other international routes, we will review again in February," he
said after attending the "Top Agent Award Night 2008" held to honour travel and
tour agents in Thailand.
Also present were MAS country manager for Thailand, A. Vijayakumaran,
Tourism Malaysia's new Thailand director Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof and his
predecessor Sani Sham Ahmad.
Asked why MAS had not remove the fuel surcharge like some of its
competitors,Francis said although the crude oil price has dropped to around
US$40 per barrel compared to a high of US$147 last July, the jet fuel price had
not dropped significantly.
MAS had removed the fuel surcharge for domestic travel last week.
He said while 2009 would be a tough year for all airlines, MAS was still
targeting positive growth and had no plan to drop any existing route.
"But capacity on individual routes could be reduced or increased depending
on its profitability," he added.
Despite the global economic slowdown where long haul travel to the United
States and Europe is expected to drop, Francis said there were still strong
growing markets like the Middle East, as well as more domestic and
intra-regional travel.
Citing the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur and Phuket-Kuala Lumpur routes, Francis said
MAS managed to record a 10 percent growth in 2008 despite the political crisis
here, adding that, the airline was hoping for a 20 percent growth this year.
He said MAS would also increase its seats for the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur route
by using the bigger Boeing 737-800 aircraft that could carry 176 passengers
compared to the current 140.
On the sales generated from internet sales, Francis said it had increased
from seven percent to 15 percent last year and during promotion periods, went up
to 30 percent.
"Bangkok was one of the top markets for us when we had the internet
promotion as we sold 3,000 seats in a single day," he said.
-- BERNAMA
AR AS
MAS senior general manager for sales Bernard Francis said that the
Thai route would see the fuel surcharge being reduced from US$75 to US$27, while
reduction for other Asean routes would be announced next week.
"We are revising our fuel surcharge to enable us to offer more competitive
prices. For other international routes, we will review again in February," he
said after attending the "Top Agent Award Night 2008" held to honour travel and
tour agents in Thailand.
Also present were MAS country manager for Thailand, A. Vijayakumaran,
Tourism Malaysia's new Thailand director Iskandar Mirza Mohd Yusof and his
predecessor Sani Sham Ahmad.
Asked why MAS had not remove the fuel surcharge like some of its
competitors,Francis said although the crude oil price has dropped to around
US$40 per barrel compared to a high of US$147 last July, the jet fuel price had
not dropped significantly.
MAS had removed the fuel surcharge for domestic travel last week.
He said while 2009 would be a tough year for all airlines, MAS was still
targeting positive growth and had no plan to drop any existing route.
"But capacity on individual routes could be reduced or increased depending
on its profitability," he added.
Despite the global economic slowdown where long haul travel to the United
States and Europe is expected to drop, Francis said there were still strong
growing markets like the Middle East, as well as more domestic and
intra-regional travel.
Citing the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur and Phuket-Kuala Lumpur routes, Francis said
MAS managed to record a 10 percent growth in 2008 despite the political crisis
here, adding that, the airline was hoping for a 20 percent growth this year.
He said MAS would also increase its seats for the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur route
by using the bigger Boeing 737-800 aircraft that could carry 176 passengers
compared to the current 140.
On the sales generated from internet sales, Francis said it had increased
from seven percent to 15 percent last year and during promotion periods, went up
to 30 percent.
"Bangkok was one of the top markets for us when we had the internet
promotion as we sold 3,000 seats in a single day," he said.
-- BERNAMA
AR AS
