Tickets for Korea-China routes enter round of price wars
With an aviation liberalization pact signed between South Korea and China in July, airline companies in both countries are engaging in price cuts to attract more customers. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, the two major South Korean airlines, are offering a more than 50-percent Internet discount on February tickets for travel to tourist destinations in China, including Yantai and Dalian. Korean Air is providing round-trip sale tickets between Incheon and Dalian for only 120,000 won (US$132) between February 10-15. During the same period, round-trip discount tickets between Incheon and Qingdao and Incheon and Shenyang will sell for 130,000 won and 190,000 won, respectively. Asiana Airlines is offering discounts to additional locales. Until February 9, travelers that score sale seats need only to pay 133,000 won for round-trip routes between Incheon and Dalian, Yantai, and Shenyang. Round-trip tickets between Incheon and Yantai and Incheon and Qingdao will be sold for 114,000 won for travel between February 10-11.The moves come as a response to Chinese airline companies cutting their ticket prices for routes between South Korean and Chinese cities after the July aviation pact. Industry experts said that competition is intensifying as Chinese airline firms are slashing prices, but added that this competition will likely pose no serious threat to the financial status of South Korea’s airlines, as most Koreans opt for their national carriers regardless of price. Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
