Jeju Air asks for more flights

Korea?s Jeju Air, a ?premium? budget carrier that started flights to Thailand, late last year, says it will increase capacity based on postive bookings trends by both Koreans and Thais.

Currently the airline offers four flights a week between Seoul?s Incheon International Airport and Bangkok?s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

It is asking for two more frequencies from Department of Civil Aviation and hopes to start additional services as soon as traffic rights are granted. The aim is to have daily services, but it will settle first for six weekly services, omitting a flight on Monday.

Jeju Air operates a 189-seat Boeing 737-800, with an all- economy class. It serves light meals and non-alcoholic drinks and offers on-board duty shopping. It claims ?premium budget? status as opposed to the no frills category represented by Air Asia and Orient Thai?s One-Two-Go, here in Thailand.

Flight 7C 2202 departs Bangkok at 0100 and arrives at Incheon at 0830.  The Bangkok-bound flight 7C 2201 departs at 2000 and arrives at midnight.

Sky Aviation is the appointed a general sales agent in Thailand. The company?s CEO, Pavin Sachaphimukh, told TTR Weekly that tourism demand for Korea rose and has been robust since late last year.

?Vacant seats are hard to find on all carriers serving Korea. At Jeju Air, advanced bookings show it is pretty full until end of April.?

He said that a healthy business is the result of the rebound of the Korean economy and the wide choice of airlines serving Thailand, which is giving tour operators in Korea more options to package travel.

Fares are very competitive but demand is high during for the up coming school holidays and Songkran festival, he said.

?Because of high inbound demand, there is a shortage of seats to cater to the outbound market on routes to Korea. It forces Thailand residents to go via Vietnam, Macau, Beijing or Hong Kong. The fares are lower than on nonstop services from Bangkok and some agents combine the intermediate destination into a tour package to add value,? Mr Pavin elaborated.

Jeju Air is the latest player to offer non-stop service between Thailand and Korea. It launched services since April last year as a charter operator, but had to pull out during the political turmoil in Thailand. It resumed charter services again in mid-September and began scheduled service last November.

Legacy carriers offering non-stop scheduled flights on the Bangkok-Seoul route are Korean Air, Asiana and Thai Airways International, while Jin Air and Jeju Air offer premium low cost fares services.

Jeju Air?s GSA is located at 140 One Pacific Place, Unit 1507, 15th Floor, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110. Tel; 02 653 1144-49. Email: [email protected]

Sourced = The TTR Weekly