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Lao Airlines to offer more flights, lower fares
Lao Airlines plans to add more domestic and international flight routes and lower some fares as part of a new marketing strategy, according to a top company official.
President of the state-owned enterprise Dr Somphone Duangdara announced on Monday that the company will add more flights to northern parts of the country and lower service charges in an effort to attract more customers.
“For example, we will increase the number of flights from three to four per day on some routes and lower fares to around 800,000 kip for a single trip,” he said at an annual conference the company held with sale representatives and travel agents in Vientiane on Monday.
He said that the average number of passengers on a Vientiane-Luang Prabang flight is about 60, adding that this is not maximum capacity but enough to merit adding more flights to the world heritage town of Luang Prabang.
“We add more flights so passengers have more choice. It's no longer necessary for passengers who have a meeting in Vientiane or Luang Prabang to stay overnight as they can return home on the same day with Lao Airlines,” he said.
Heavy rainfall over the past several weeks has caused landslides along major roads in the north of Laos, including Road No 13 North, providing an opportunity for the airliner to attract more customers. The national carrier also expects to welcome more tourists in the upcoming high tourist season, which will begin in the next few months.
Mr Somphone said that besides plans to open new international routes from Vientiane to Singapore in November and Vientiane to Seoul in early 2012, the airliner is now studying the possibility of introducing trans-Indochina flights linking Vientiane to Siem Reap of Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
He said that Lao Airlines would negotiate with Cambodian authorities to allow it to fly to the top tourist destination in the neighbouring nation, adding that Vietnam would have no reason to disallow Lao Airlines from flying to Ho Chi Minh City as the Lao government allows Vietnam Airlines to fly to Luang Prabang.
Mr Somphone said that Lao Airlines would offer a special promotion for its new Vientiane-Singapore route of only 2.9 million kip for a round trip. The fare for the 2.5 hour flight would be the same as a Vientiane-Bangkok flight.
The opening of the Vientiane-Singapore route, which was abolished in the early 1990s, aims to attract more tourists from Europe and the US looking to travel to Laos without having to transit through Bangkok.
Laos experienced a large drop in tourist arrivals after the closure of Bangkok airport by protestors in 2008 as most tourists visiting Laos arrive via Thailand.
Mr Somphone urged tourism authorities to organise campaigns to attract more tourists, adding that Lao Airlines stands ready to take part in promoting the Lao tourism industry.
vientiane times
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