|
| Tour Operators Complain about Expensive Domestic Airfares |
| UPDATE : 22 June 2010 |
Tour operators have criticized local airlines for expensive domestic flights, saying that costly tickets are discouraging Thais from traveling within the country.
President of the Association of Domestic Travel, or ADT, Maiyarat Peerayakoset said expensive domestic airfares have recently been a stumbling block to local tourism, driving away Thai travelers.
She noted that certain domestic flights cost even more than international flights. For example, Phuket airfares are more expensive than flights to Singapore.
Maiyarat added that both the national airline, Thai Airways, and low-cost carriers are charging very high prices. She cautioned that low-cost flights may not be as cheap as they seem, since there are a very limited number of seats available and passengers may have to pay extra fees for additional services.
She said that what we have seen as good value-for-the-money offers actually end up being just a marketing ploy to lure customers into paying more, while normal ticket prices on budget airlines, in many cases, are almost the same as premium carriers.
The ADT president stated that with high airfares, it is more difficult for tour operators to create attractive packages. Meanwhile, individual travelers may have to plan their trips very early in order to get cheap tickets.
Maiyarat went on to say that her club will submit a letter seeking discussions with the Tourism and Sports Minister Chumphon Silapa-archa regarding the issue and the possibility of lowering domestic airfare prices.
Recently, the letter was received by Chumphon, who said he would discuss the matter with Transport Minister Sophon Sarum.
However, the Tourism and Sports Minister said it might not yet be necessary to call a meeting of all airline operators regarding this matter.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
