Round-trip can be as low as 153 yuan Many airlines launch "fly as you like"
Industry insiders: Civil aviation will welcome the traditional off-season, and the influence of products is limited
On March 3, China Southern Airlines officially launched the 21 "Travel China" product, which includes six versions of the selection, all of which are stated in the rules of use as flights within 2023 months, and the total number of redemptions is unlimited for a limited period. The Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News reporter found that early on the morning of the 3nd, the Chengdu Tianfu version of the six versions was sold out.
In addition to the "Travel China" launched by China Southern Airlines, after the Spring Festival this year, many airlines across the country have successively launched a variety of fancy "fly as you like" products, such as a blind box for a round-trip ticket of 298 yuan, unlimited flights within 1999 months of 3 yuan, and two optional flights for 2000,2020 yuan international Hong Kong and Macao, among which unlimited flights for a limited period are easily reminiscent of the "fly as you like" product in <>.
In Chengdu, citizen Ms. Lin snapped up the "Fly Easy" products of three airlines in one go. She said: "Taking the Chengdu Tianfu package in China Southern Airlines' 'Travel China' for 3 yuan as an example, if you fly every weekend, the price of a round-trip ticket is about 1999 yuan (excluding machine construction, fuel and ticket redemption fees), which also includes the May Day holiday. ”
With the hot sales of China Southern Airlines' flight products, will it drive more airlines into the market? Industry insiders believe that civil aviation is about to enter the traditional off-season, so the flight products launched by airlines may also hope to use the vacant seats in the off-season market to increase flight revenue.
"Fly as you like" returns?
A number of airlines offer special ticket packages
In 2020, the "fly as you like" war that stirred up many airlines across the country may be a little bit of a sign this year.
On March 3, China Southern Airlines' 21 "Travel China" product officially went on sale, launching a total of six versions of package options: the national version, the exploration version, the Chengdu Tianfu version, the Beijing Daxing version, the northeast version, and the Yunnan version, and users can choose different packages according to the place of departure and time. The reporter saw that the price of these packages ranges from 2023 yuan to 2499 yuan, and the specific usage rules of each version have changed slightly, some can make 4888 round-trips per route, and some are 3 times, but the rules of use indicate that it is a flight within 2 months between April 2023, 4 and July 3, 2023.
Taking the Chengdu Tianfu version as an example, if you use a 50 yuan early bird coupon, you can get it at least 1999 yuan. After purchasing this package, users can redeem it for flights from Chengdu (Tianfu Airport only) to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other routes, which are available seven days a week. However, early on the morning of the 22nd, the Chengdu Tianfu version has been exhausted.
"Unlimited flight, refundable, optional package", such a promotional phrase as the product page should make some friends who often pay attention to air ticket discounts find that the gameplay of China Southern Airlines in 2023 "Travel China" is quite similar to the "Fly as You Like" ticket products launched by some airlines in 2020.
Before China Southern launched its flight products, many airlines had already laid out various preferential aviation products. On February 2, China United Airlines released a "Fly as You Like" season pass called Tachun "Enjoy Fly", priced at 22,3188 yuan, valid from February 2023, 2 to May 22, 2023, unlimited rides. China United Airlines also launched a 5 yuan round-trip "random flight" and 31 yuan round-trip blind box tickets. The reporter noted that after purchasing such products, flying from Chengdu to Shenzhen is expected to achieve round-trip flights (excluding tax) at 298 yuan.
In March this year, Sichuan Airlines launched the "Anyi Fly" package for international, Hong Kong and Macao regions, with prices ranging from 3,2000 yuan to 6900,2000 yuan for A, B and C. Taking the 2,4 RMB package A<> as an example, customers can choose three routes, including Chengdu-Hong Kong, Chengdu-Ho Chi Minh City, Kunming-Vientiane, etc., and get <> free economy class tickets. In addition, Sichuan Airlines has also launched a two-round-trip, multi-route Xinjiang card package.
Passengers settle the account: "Fly every week, round-trip tickets can be as low as 153 yuan"
In 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, many airlines launched unlimited flights and optional time tickets. In mid-June of the same year, China Eastern Airlines launched the first "Fly as You Like" product on the entire network, and then airlines such as Air China, China Southern Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Shanhang Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Spring Airlines quickly entered the market. "Fly as you like" tickets became a hot spot for a while.
"Compared with buying tickets directly, 'Fly as You Want' is definitely the most cost-effective air ticket product that ordinary people can buy." Ms. Lin, who is in Chengdu, bought a variety of air ticket products early this time, she bought China Southern Airlines 2023 "Travel China" early bird coupon, China United Airlines 298 yuan round-trip ticket plane blind box, Sichuan Airlines "Anyi Fly", "Anyway, you can refund it all if you don't have to, it is indeed very cost-effective." ”
Ms. Lin calculated an account for reporters: "Taking the Chengdu Tianfu version of the 1999 yuan China Southern Airlines 'Travel China' package as an example, if you travel by plane every weekend, you can travel 13 times during the use period, and the price of a round-trip air ticket is about 153 yuan (excluding machine construction, fuel and ticket redemption fees), which also includes the May Day holiday." ”
On Xiaohongshu, many netizens asked to form groups and share experiences. Some netizens calculated the cost of flight: during the period, according to the increase in the number of flights, the cost of a single flight gradually decreased, "If you fly 20 times, the average cost of a single flight is about 252.5 yuan." ”
But there are also some problems with this kind of "fly freely" products. In 2020, Ms. Lin bought China Southern Airlines "Fly as You Like Fit", "On the one hand, there is a problem of redemption, the number of 'Fly as You Like' places released by each flight is limited, and there may be situations where popular flights cannot be exchanged at popular times." On the other hand, some airlines temporarily cancel their flights, which will disrupt many arrangements. Moreover, for office workers, it is also very tiring to fly two days a week, and the frequency of use is actually not so high. ”
Industry Watch
Civil aviation will enter the traditional off-season
Just revenue-increasing products
The main production indicators released by Civil Aviation of China in February 2023 disclosed that the passenger traffic of domestic routes was 2.4249 million, an increase of 5.36% over the same month last year. The regular load factor of the aircraft was 1.77%, and the regular load factor of the aircraft was 6.67%.
"In the first quarter of this year, the domestic market has gradually recovered to the level of 2019. In the past consecutive week, the daily flight volume passenger traffic has exceeded that of 2019, and the industry load factor has reached about 80%, close to the norm in 2019. Lin Zhijie, a civil aviation industry insider, said, "But then civil aviation will enter the traditional off-season, so China Southern's 2023 'Travel China' may also hope to use this product to use the vacant seats in the off-season market to increase flight revenue." In addition, this product is very regional, and it is a preferential product launched for a specific market. ”
Lin Zhijie believes that "for airlines, 'fly as you like' (similar products) has no immediate effect on profits. It is an innovative revenue increase product that allows passengers to take advantage of empty seats on flights at a very low price. Especially for the regional market with weak demand and low guest seats, it can play a significant stimulating role. ”
"Less than half of a flight during the pandemic, the launch of 'Fly as You Want' is timely. Now that the market has returned to normal, the number of seats that can be exchanged per flight is bound to be limited, so the influence and role of such products is not as great as in the previous two years. Lin Zhijie said.
Chengdu Business Daily - Red Star News reporter Yan Xue