Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news
Chinese air-carriers are offering hefty discounts this month to regain
passenger trust, today's Beijing Daily reported.
Generally, with the
Christmas and Spring Festival approaching, air-ticket sales will be on the rise
by the year end, and air-carriers will usually take back their discounted air
tickets offered in November every year, and raise airfares in
December.
However, things have changed this year.
Domestic airlines are
offering 70 percent or more discounts to passengers. China Eastern Airlines, Air
China, China Southern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines have each successively
introduced special offers such as 260-yuan from Beijing to Shanghai, 190-yuan
from Beijing to Jinan, 260-yuan from Beijing to Hangzhou and 210-yuan from
Beijing to Qingdao.
China Eastern Airlines has also promised that air-tickets
with less than a 70 percent discount can be rerouted free of
charge.
Improving passenger trust in air travel is given as the main reason
for the hefty price cuts, an industrial analyst explained. The recent air
disaster in Baotou has made many passengers feel unsafe about the air travel and
the continuous foggy days in Beijing and the surrounding areas have also made
passengers prefer to take trains, dragging down the sales of air ticket this
month, the analyst pointed out.