Airline Division seeks self-rescue new road debut unlimited package
Can "Fly With Heart" heat up the aviation travel market?
Our reporter Pan Fuda
The 3322 yuan “Flying on the Weekend” product launched by China Eastern Airlines has just ushered in the first weekend that can be redeemed for travel. More than 10,000 passengers took the lead in tasting the first unlimited and free-flight aviation products in the field of civil aviation; China Airlines followed closely, A nationwide unlimited flight package of 2999 yuan was launched. The new fancy self-rescue measures of the airline company attracted passengers' enthusiasm, and also quickly "returned blood" to part of the cash flow.
However, some travellers reported that the "Xia Xian Fei" products, which seem to be "wool", are not free to use and have many restrictions. In the eyes of the civil aviation industry, the innovative packages launched by various aviation companies can temporarily bring cash flow, but whether it can save the industry's loss and stir up the aviation travel market is still optimistic.
65,000 person-time experience "flying with your heart"
"In order to do business, I have to go back and forth between Chengdu and Kunming every week. With this package, I feel that I am saving a few hundred million yuan." At 7 a.m. on June 27, passenger Mr. Zheng first walked to Kunming Airport The China Eastern counter handles the "Fly As You Like" business.
In the afternoon, passengers going to Lhasa were welcomed one after another at the check-in counter, and 90% of the passengers bought the "Fly As You Like" products. "I always wanted to go to Lhasa to play, but in the past, the air tickets were very expensive, so I don't have to worry about the price this time." "Miss Li" passenger Ms. Li and her boyfriend said when checking in.
On June 27th and 28th, China Eastern's "Fly to Heart" product ushered in the first weekend of use. The first wave of early adopters successfully redeemed more than 65,000 tickets. Since the sale of China Eastern Airlines on June 18, the product sales have been hot, and passengers have successfully redeemed more than 100,000 tickets.
It is understood that the "Flying on the Weekend" product will be launched on June 18, and passengers can pay for 3322 yuan to redeem unlimited domestic flights for each weekend before the end of this year.
"The product not only revitalizes the airline's current capacity resources, but also spawns a new round of travel demand for passengers, benefiting consumers, airlines, travel services and other related industries, and effectively promoting economic development to pick up steadily." .
Some passengers experience "don't care"
"It seems that the product is very tempting, read the rules of use carefully, and it's not'free-handed' in use." Zhou Zhou, who works in Beijing, immediately started a set of "free-flying" products. . He noted that the instructions for use stipulates that after the flight is redeemed, "no signing, no rescheduling, and refunds must be at least 4 days (inclusive) in advance".
What he is most concerned about is that if the booking has not been taken after three times of redemption, and the refund has not been processed within the specified time, the purchased "Xixinfei" will be automatically invalidated. "The remaining usage time is only more than 20 weekends. Under the influence of the epidemic, especially the uncertainty of Beijing's round-trip flights, the time limit for booking refunds is very strict." Five or six times, otherwise you will lose."
On Weibo, Zhihu and other platforms, netizens have mixed reviews of the product, and most people's complaints are focused on the restrictions on the use conditions.
"A product like Infinite Flight is an actuarial product of an airline. It will not make a profit at a loss. Passengers may make a small profit but the airline company will certainly not lose money." Some people in the civil aviation industry said that the product is not cost-effective for everyone. , More suitable for users with flexible time.
Airline fancy self-rescue to restore passenger flow
The data previously disclosed by the Civil Aviation Administration showed that the industry had a total loss of 39.82 billion yuan in the first quarter, of which airline companies lost 33.62 billion yuan. According to the first-quarter performance data of the three major airlines, the three major airlines suffered a loss of 14 billion yuan in the first quarter. Under the severe impact of the epidemic, airline cash flow has become a top priority.
Civil aviation expert Lin Zhijie believes that airlines selling packages such as "fly free" and "infinite flight" actually prejudged the market in the second half of the year. Lin Zhijie said that the marginal cost of a passenger is actually only more than 100 yuan. If a flight wants to take off and one more passenger takes the airline, as long as the airline pays more than 100 yuan, the product is designed to make money. However, if the consumption of business passengers is degraded, the airline company may lose money after multiple rides. He believes that out of self-rescue, other domestic aviation companies are expected to follow up with the launch of similar "fly free" products, but this product that came into being due to the epidemic may disappear due to the end of the epidemic and the stability of flight sales.
Affected by the epidemic, major airlines had to put down their bodies and try their best to save themselves. In the past few months, it has been the helplessness of airlines to launch “cabbage price” tickets. Various airlines also urgently adjusted their capacity and converted passenger planes into cargo planes. Shenzhen Airlines, Western Airlines and Shandong Airlines have joined the live broadcast team, and Xiamen Airlines and Sichuan Airlines have even opened group meals and take-out services.
People in the civil aviation industry generally believe that self-rescue and recovery are still the main tone of the current civil aviation industry. It will take some time for the industry to usher in a rebound in passenger flow and even return to its original level.