The low-cost carrier (LCC) of India, GoAir recently launched flights to Bhubaneswar and from Bhubaneswar. This gives an option to travellers to commute to this city economically. Prior to this, full-fledged carriers -- Air India and IndiGo provided services on these routes. However, the commencement of operations by GoAir will increase the competition and may regulate prices in favour of travellers. This Mumbai-based airline owned by the Wadia Group already operates flights to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and other metro cities, but is now planning to expand its network in the Tier II and III cities. Bhubaneswar is the 22nd city in the list of its network, which is expected to be accompanied by international destinations in the coming years.
This LCC currently operates over 140 destinations of the country, and may start global operations by the month of May, 2015. It posted over INR 100 crore profit in the previous year, and is expecting to surpass the record in this year. As per reports, the flight occupancy is quite high, and it already posted revenue of over 50 crores in the half yearly statement. Apart from this, it asked for the permission regarding international flight schedule, after receiving the 20th aircraft and completion of five years of operations in the industry. It stands at par on all the terms and conditions lay down by ministries regarding the global operation, and may soon launch flights to Dubai or Singapore at a low airfare.
The chief executive officer of the company said that the carrier is planning to launch short or medium-haul flights. In the initial years, destinations that take around four hours or less to reach will be added in the list of operations. However, currently it is increasing options for travellers who are planning their trip to Odisha. People can board these flights from Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to Biju Patnaik International Airport of Bhubaneswar, and can return to same destinations. The first day operation on 26th of October led to changes in pricing mechanism of carriers already operating in the region. As per reports the cost reserving seats in these flights is between INR 4000 to 6500, which was over 6500 in the previous few weeks. Passengers can expect decrease in airfare even further as soon as other airlines commence operations on these routes.
With the onset new technologies and infrastructure in the aviation industry, the price of flight booking has been reduced significantly. The automation of reservation system and de-regulation of the industry were the milestones in the functioning and restructuring of the whole process. These not only affected the process of reserving a seat with different carriers, but also changed the approach of people towards air travel. The advent of low-cost carriers in the late 1990s affirmed this wave of change, and perhaps introduced most drastic changes in all the aspect, starting from price. Not only air travel, but other modes of transportation also underwent this process of modification. Now, travellers can opt for any of these flights to go to new places or explore old ones. However, in case of long distances that can take hours to reach via car or train, flights are usually preferred. In recent days, it has been observed that even for short-haul journeys people opt for air travel because of its time and cost efficiency. Here is a list of tips that can prove to be cost-reducing while reserving seats with any airline.
Timing and Advance Booking
The air ticket price is usually high during festivals or peak tourist seasons. Hence, experts advise on avoiding these times while planning the trip. Apart from this, the booking in advance can save a great deal of money as most of the flights are vacant, and carriers offer them at low cost to achieve minimum load factor for operation. This advance period may vary from three months to 20 days, but after that, there are less chances of cracking a lucrative deal. Last-minute deals are treated as the last resort as the chances of success are less than 30 per cent. However, it is worth noting that booking in advance for festive seasons also do not help; hence those times should be avoided if possible.
Look Beyond Price
Most of the people compare ticket prices on the basis of price. However, there are several other aspects that need to be considered like baggage allowance, meals offered and other services included in the ticket price. It has been seen that the lowest priced deals do not always give the best value for money. The cost is one of the most important factors, but others that may affect the travelling experience and needed to be kept in mind before ticket booking include the number of stops, flight and connecting timings.
Number of Stops
A direct flight to the destination is often the best option, but it is usually priced quite high. Hence, people can book a flight with one or two stopovers. This will neutralise the total cost of travel at the expense of precious time. However, it is not the best option for people who have to attend urgent business meeting or family event.
Connecting Options
There are certain routes, where a direct flight is not operated due to technological constraints or because of the revenue issues. Travellers, who have to travel to such destinations, need to check for airports on which these deals may land them. They can easily get connecting flights from popular airports. These little things help passengers in getting the cheapest deals, which offer the greatest value as well.
The Romania-based low-cost carrier (LCC) recently announced its flight schedule for the coming summer. It started operations in the year 2004, and mostly operates out of Bucharest-Henri Coanda. However, in its initial years, domestic flights were also operated by the airline, and then entire operations were taken by Management Solution SRL. There are certain terms and conditions of the deal that still need to be approved by both the parties. As per reports, the load factor was recorded 92 per cent, and the carrier was evaluated at 150 million Euros.
Its primary hub is at Baneasa Airport and the secondary base at Bacau International Airport. These bases may be shifted to a new airport, as planned by the government. Currently, it manages flights to around 26 destinations along with charter services in Southern Europe, with more than 10 aircraft. Travellers can opt for online air ticket booking with this airline to these destinations after going through the recently-launched schedule. Apart from this, it has also introduced a smart flying concept for frequent flyers. It is dedicated to people who have to travel quite often due to business or other reasons. They have to pay less on advance bookings, and the sooner they reserve the seat, the greater value of money they get.
The airline has asked tourists to make their travel plans as soon as possible to avail its services on lowest fares. For a vacation or holiday, they can choose cities in Italy, England, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Bacau or Ireland. These offers are valid for a specific time and are available on making booking on pre-decided dates.
The 2015 Blue Air Summer Schedule
As per the announcement, it will be serving five flights every week from Larnaca to Bucharest along with a number of daily flights on popular routes. Travellers can find the full list on travel portals along with added information regarding booking. They can book it directly from there or can do their share of research for future reference. This airline keeps introducing such offers, and it is expected that the booking will increase as many fliers keep looking for cheap flight tickets on such routes.
The Indian aviation market is one of the most lucrative ones, and the support given by government eases things for carriers operating in the country. This is the reason global carriers want to start operation in this country; and the Malaysia-based carrier AirAsia is a fine example of it. The expansion of services to tier 2 and 3 cities has developed an extensive network connecting them closely with each other. Apart from this, the cost of booking air ticket has also reduced significantly along with rise in the accessibility. People who used traditional modes of transport are now shifting to air travel because of its time efficiency and effectiveness. They book flight tickets in advance in order to save their precious time, and spend it with their friends and family instead.
With the growing competition, airlines are trying to provide best-in-class services at the cheapest possible costs to attract fliers. This increases the affordability; hence, is becoming popular in the country. It no longer is a status symbol or a service availed by elites only. Now, a larger chunk of society commutes from one city to another through flights, especially if the train journey takes 20 to 30 hours or more. The simplified ticket reservation with airlines and improvements in the check-in process are also some of the reasons travellers prefer it. However, in the hustle-bustle, many forget to carry important documents or carry something which is prohibited. Here is a list of tips that can be followed by travellers while boarding flights to Mumbai, Lucknow, Nagpur or any other city.
Plan Itinerary
It is suggested that travellers plan their entire itinerary in advance, especially people who are going to the destination for the first time. This will help them in reducing chaos during the trip, and give enough time to explore places of the destination. Instead of wasting time on taking decision after arrival, they can use their leisure time and decide on what all sites they want to explore. However, those who are going back to their home or for business purpose can decide in advance the schedule, and book the return ticket accordingly. Most of the times, the cost of booking tickets of a round trip is cheaper than any one-way flight.
Grab the Cheapest Deal
The travel duration between cities of a country is usually 2-3 hours; hence, travellers can grab the cheapest deals without worrying about travelling conditions. They can fly with low-cost carriers (LCCs) as they usually include charges for basic amenities in the ticket price, and operate on the lowest possible costs. Apart from this, they offer the latest in-flight amenities during the journey, which can be availed by paying a few extra bucks.
Provide Correct Information while Ticket Booking
A spelling error or missing digit in the identification number can prove to be a costly affair for travellers. It may take hours to deal with mismatched information while the check-in process. This may delay plans or may result in denial of boarding pass, in the worst case scenario. Experts advise on cross checking all the details before final submission and carrying required documents while travelling. If these small things are taken care of, the travel can be smooth and hassle-free.
Indian low cost carriers (LCCs) are trying their best to offer the cheapest air tickets possible to fliers. In order to make money, such budget airlines are expanding their routes and destinations. Another common practice of such budget aviation firms is to have their bases at more than one places in a country. Such an arrangement makes flying to a large number of destinations comparatively easy. One of the main hubs for LCCs in India is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. It is the busiest airfield in India by passenger traffic and second largest by cargo movements. Together with the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, it handles almost half of the air traffic of South Asia.
The site was built for military purposes during the Second World War, a service that it provided till 1962. In the said year, the aviation operations in the national capital were shifted to the IGI airport from Safdarjung Airfield due to increasing traffic. It now works under the Airports Authority of India Limited – a government company. In 2006, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a subsidiary of GMR group was vested with the task of operating and managing the air-transit hub of the nation. The complex is about 15 km from New Delhi Railway Station and is connected to the city via metro, buses and taxis.
Runways, Terminals 1C and 1D: Domestic
It is situated in the south-western part of the city and occupies a total area of around 6300 acres. There are three runways, catering to the high aircraft movement, numbered as: 11/29, 10/28 and 09/27. Runway 11/29 is the primary asphalt pavement for flights, is 4.4 km long, 60 metres wide and equipped with CAT III system to facilitate movements during low visibility. Runway 10/28 is 3.8 km long and 50 metres wide while runway 09/27 is 2.8 km in length and 45 metres in width. To ease congestion and handle more flights, DIAL operates all the three runways simultaneously. There are two main terminals catering to passengers: Terminals 1 and 3. Terminal 1 is further split into two sections: 1C is used for arrivals by GoAir, SpiceJet and IndiGo while the other is used by the same companies for departures.
Terminal 3: International and Domestic
Terminal 3 (T3) was inaugurated in 2010 and is now used for international operations by Indian as well as foreign companies. With an area of 502000 sq. metres, it can handle an astounding 34 million passengers annually. Its first floor is used for arrivals and upper floor is utilised for departures. It is carpeted, well-lit, spacious and decorated with statues and other things. This mammoth building has 15 X-ray machines, 78 aerobridges, 168 check-in counters, 48 contact stands, 95 immigration counters, 54 bays for aircraft-parking and 14 baggage conveyors. It also has travelators and escalators to allow people to get from one place and level within the building to the another easily. Also in this building are lounges of various travelling classes and airlines, shops, restaurants and duty-free liquor/tobacco stores. Apart from international flights, Air India – the flag carrier of the country – also operates domestic flights, for instance flights to Gwalior, from this site.
AirAsia, the Malaysian airline, has been judged the best low-cost carrier (LCC) at the World Travel Awards, held in New Delhi. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company said that they were extremely glad to receive the award third time in a row. He further added that it shows that the world is appreciating the effort that the carrier has put in to make air travel better. Established by a government-owned firm in 1993, it went private in 2001 and since, has seen an upheaval in profits. It now has many subsidiaries, such as AirAsia India, which give many domestic flight offers to people in the largest democracy of the world.
In 2001, at a time when it was extremely crash-strapped, it was bought and bailed out by the Tony Fernandes-owned Tune Group for around USD 11 million. He introduced fares of as low as USD 0.27 or MYR 1, starting with its primary hub at the Kuala Lumpur airport. A secondary hub was established in Senai International Airport, close to Singapore, and the first international flight to Bangkok was launched. The coming years saw air services being started on more routes and in 2006, it announced its plans to start flights to China, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. Two years later, the carrier revealed the addition of 106 new routes to its list of 60.
Current Situation and Aftermath
The Indian subsidiary of AirAsia was set up in 2013, with an initial investment of USD 50 million from the parent company. On 30th May, 2014, after getting the final permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), it revealed its first Indian flight between Bengaluru and Goa. The conferring of the said award on the carrier may further intensify the already explosive aviation competition in the country. Air travel is constantly on the rise in the country, and more and more carriers are coming up with innovative schemes to attract customers and dominate the competition. In the coming days, GoAir, IndiGo and SpiceJet offers relating to new routes and brought-down costs to compete with AirAisa may be a common phenomena.
Flight booking is constantly on the rise due to air travel becoming increasingly popular. Aviation is the speediest means to commute and in this fast-paced life, it is highly useful. Carriers are also regularly engaged in deals with major manufacturers to buy new aircraft in order to keep up with the rise in the number of travellers. Another idea behind acquiring more and more planes is to make as much profit as possible because nobody knows when the economy may face a slump. Airports too, keeping up with the demand, build new arrival and departure terminals, operate more than one runway simultaneously and construct hangars for keeping the planes safe. All such practices often lead to the airspace and runways being over-congested, which in turn leads to delays or sometimes even cancellations. The body that tries its best to keep planes arriving and departing on time is Air Traffic Control (ATC).
The Complete Control
ATC is based on the ground within airports and helps flights in take-off to landing. Avoiding on-ground and mid-air collisions, regulating traffic on runways and en flight, and directing/assisting the pilot are the primary duties of the body. The controllers are seated amongst sensors, screens and computers in the top-deck of a high tower near the primary runway. As soon as the flight reaches about 9-18 km near the airport, the local handlers swing into action. The most basic way of controlling movements within runways is by looking out of the window with or without binoculars. Their display systems include maps of the areas, position of planes, their tags, speed and altitude, all obtained from radars. Various other advanced systems are used by controllers to regulate the flow of planes in the airport or en route during unfavourable weather conditions. Duties of ATC are under three categories: ground, air or local and clearance delivery.
The Three Categories
Ground controllers see to the runways, taxiways and other areas where vehicles move about. Every mobile object, be it aircraft, buses, taxis or people, have to attain clearance from the tower to enter their territory. Such clearance is attained via signals, sent over radio or through flashing lights in specific patterns. With first-hand information of the ground situation, handlers can efficiently influence further activities of the air control. Local control is an ATC subsidiary, responsible for what happens on the asphalt airstrips. This arm clears machines for landing or take-off and can ask the pilot to re-attempt the above-said procedures if they deem conditions unsafe. To maintain the flight status efficiently, both the arms of the body have to be in a disciplined communication and synchronisation.
Clearance delivery issues the final permits before pilots take-off from or land at the strips and also co-ordinate on details of the flying-route. These regulators also guide pilots within their airspace and hand them over to the on-coming ATC and its airspace. Another important function of the tower is to give advice and directions to an airborne aircraft. This role becomes even more significant when the weather is bad and it is tough to fly. The information shared between these people includes the current and safe altitudes for flying or approaching the strip, distance between two aircraft and the ground situation.
The number of fliers is growing day by day as per International Aviation Transport Association (IATA). An addition of over 900 million passengers has been calculated in tenure of five years, starting from 2012. Most of them will be domestic fliers; hence airlines are adding capacity on small cities of the home country. India is one among them and is witnessing a fast pace in the aviation sector. This has attracted many new players in the market, including global players. For instance, AirAsia – a Malaysia-based carrier – recently started operating in the Indian market, and provides ultra cheap airline tickets to a number of destinations lying in the southern part of the country. It has recently started operations in non-metro cities such as Jaipur. Other full-fledged as well as low-cost carriers (LCCs) have also announced flights on such routes.
As per several researches and analysis, it has been found that demand of flights connecting small cities will rise in the coming months, and the signs can clearly be seen in the current scenario. Patna Airport is one of the busiest airports of the country, connecting Bihar with other states of the country. Millions of fliers board flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata as well as international destinations from terminals of the airport. Hence, leading carriers, especially LCCs, have launched new services to this city in the past few months. The state government has decided to extend the capacity of the terminal or may soon pass bills to build a new one because of the traffic.
Apart from this, GoAir recently made an announcement to commence services from and to Biju Patnaik Airport of Bhubaneswar after doing a thorough study. Air India and IndiGo provided their services to this city, but researches showed that the number of travellers is quite high; hence operation on this route can prove to be lucrative. The officials of the airline also expect an increase in the GoAir ticket booking after initiation of these scheduled flights. These reports emphasise on higher disposal income and rapid urbanisation as some of the important reasons, which have led to the boom in the industry. The number of passengers is expected to grow by 75 per cent, numerically over 217 million, in the next six years.
Analysts from the Centre for Aviation claim that much of the above-mentioned growth will come from smaller cities. As per records, a hike of 17 per cent has been recorded at these places since the year 2009. It is more than twice the growth recorded on popular metro routes. The government of the country is supportive and has recently announced construction of around 50 airports all across the nation to connect small towns. President of IndiGo, in agreement to all these statistics, said that opportunity is changing, and flights destined to these locations are fuller when compared to those operated on trunk routes. Zav Airways and Air Costa are planning to launch flights to the cities falling in the north-eastern and southern part of the nation by 2015, respectively.
Alliance Air was started as the low-cost carrier (LCC) of the Indian Airlines, which later merged with the national airline – Air India. After the deal was signed between both parties, its name was changed to Air India Regional, which currently caters to more than 190 flights every week. As a subsidiary of the flag carrier, it serves around 18 destinations of the country. It is listed among one of the most efficient airlines of the country and is planning to extend its unparalleled services in the north-eastern region. People will soon be able to book an online air ticket to cities falling in that region. Currently, it operates with a fleet size of five, and as soon as the plans are finalised, it may take some models on lease.
As per reports, the carrier is aiming at strengthening its position in the market and has recently been sought bidding for lease of turboprop models. Official sources reveal the fact that these 70-seater aircraft may be taken on lease for around 12 years that are scheduled to be deployed on new routes. The ATR 72-600 model is lashed with all economy seating – an ideal design for LCCs. It is expected that these machines will be taken on Dry lease, which means providence of aircraft without crew and the airline is expecting delivery by 2015-16. Now, apart from cheap flights to Allahabad and other northern cities, travellers can book flight to other parts of the country as well with this airline.
It has recently resumed its services to Guwahati and other four cities in the same region after North Eastern Council (NEC) extended its help financially by funding the losses caused while operating these flights. Silchar, Shillong, Lilabari and Tezpur are other destinations included in the list, which are also gateways to a number to tourist attractions. This will not only increase the accessibility, but also may lead to upward growth in the performance graph of the tourism industry. These resumed services are result of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between NEC and subsidiary of Air India. Under this, the total cost of operations will be revised quarterly and NEC will help the airline in obtaining subsidies on landing, jet fuel and other costs.
One of the leading low-cost carriers of the country – SpiceJet – is planning to implement new strategies to increase its profits and bookings. It has announced a number of sales and offers in the past few months, and air ticket booking with the airline has increased significantly due to this. It has become the largest service provider of the country as far as load factor is considered. In the previous quarter and months, it has recorded over 80 flight occupancy. Apart from this, it also stepped up in the ranking chart on the basis of market share, by pushing back Air India. This Sun Group-owned company has emerged as the first choice of fliers because of the cost efficiency and top-notch services.
It was started as an aviation foray of the Sun Group in the year 2005. The carrier has expanded its business in Indian as well as international market with a fast growth rate. Currently, it operates more than 350 flights everyday to various destinations with a fleet size of around 52 aircraft. However, the airline is planning to bring down the number of operating flights. As per reports, older models will be kept idle it is an attempt to lower the cost of operations as fuel efficiency of new aircraft is higher. The fleet of SpiceJet consists of efficient models like Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft and Boeing 737 Next Generation. However, some of them are quite old as well that increases the operational charges, and replacing them with new ones will prove to be beneficial for the carrier. It has placed an order of 57 new models scheduled to be delivered in the coming months. As soon as it is received by the company, the airline may drop down the price of tickets even further. This will increase the number of fliers opting for SpiceJet online booking in the coming future.
The carrier has started cutting down the capacity, and has successfully reduced it by 10 per cent. As per reports, it aims at shrinking it by 14 per cent by December. However, it is expected that with the receipt of new machines, it may start increasing the capacity.
Stiff competition in the Indian aviation industry has lead to fare wars between low-cost as well as full-fledged carriers. This market has also witnessed a number of twists and turns in the previous quarter. As per Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reports, SpiceJet gained substantial market and pushed back the flag airline of the country – Air India – in the ranking orders. Other low-cost carriers (LCCs) also managed to allure fliers by offering cheapest airfare, which in turn increased their flight occupancy. However, the Sun Group-owned company – SpiceJet – not only recorded growth in the number of fliers, but also topped the charts in terms of load factor.
As per reports, SpiceJet booking has increased because of the frequent flash sales announced by the company. Apart from this, the commencement of flights on new routes also contributed. The chief executive officer on the other hand shares a different view. Responding to these reports, he said that these discounts definitely helped in attracting new passengers, but the consistency in services provided by the carrier played an important role in retaining them. The airline operates more than 300 daily flights to over 45 national and 10 international destinations. Its fleet size of around 53 aircraft consists of the latest models launched by Boeing and Bombardier. These fuel efficient models allow these LCCs to cut down tariffs, which attracts more customers and is ultimately reflected as profits in the books of carriers. One of such offers includes SpiceJet tickets at just INR 699 to a number of domestic destinations.
This LCC recently announced Early New Year Sale followed by Early Bird offer in September. Under this deal, travellers can book flights to different cities of the country at INR 699 for travel dates falling between 16th January and 24th October, 2015. However, the bookings had to be made by 1st of October, 2014. Jet Airways and Air Asia also came up with similar offers, but to selective destinations of Southern India. The booking window for both of them was longer, till 5th of October. IndiGo, the leading airline of the country with over 32 per cent market share also announce similar offers to tackle this price-based competition.
With the advent of low-cost carriers (LCC) in the aviation market, the number of fliers has significantly increased. As per reports, a record growth of over 8 per cent has been seen in the month of August as compared to July. Apart from cheap tickets, improved services, easy accessibility and new marketing strategies are some of the important reasons behind this growth. In absolute terms, around 5.2 million people availed services of these airlines in the month of July, which climbed up to approximately 5.7 million in just 30 days. However, on year on year basis, the jump was of around 5.31 per cent, with a total of over 41 million fliers. Carriers like SpiceJet, GoAir and IndiGo also got into competitive spirit, which lead to a fare war and ultimately in increased fliers.
GoAir with around 10 per cent market share continued offering seats at a low cost. This Wadia Group-owned airline is growing at a fast pace and is planning to launch international flights in the coming year. As per industry experts, travellers can see a few international destinations in the GoAir booking option list. It has recently commenced operations on a number of new routes including Odisha. With over 100 everyday flights to over 20 destinations in the country, it is one of the rare airlines to report in its financial books. It is expected that as soon as it starts global operations, these profit figures will go up.
IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet also gained a significant number of passengers in the previous month. This raised the load factor of different airlines, but it remained in the 70-80 points range as the increment was slight in the last few months. However, more than 80 per cent seats of SpiceJet aircraft were reserved in the previous quarter. This LCC has left behind the leading carrier IndiGo in terms of flight occupancy, but as far as market shares are considered, it is still on the third spot. If the progress graph remains the same, we can expect interesting twists and turns in the performance reports of all these carriers in the following quarter.
The Indian low-cost carrier (LCC) GoAir is one of the leading airlines of the nation. This LCC is aggressively expanding its business in the country and may soon initiate its international business, as per latest reports. It has recently announced flights to Odisha from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. Currently, it operates on more than 100 routes to over 20 Indian cities. A few days back, the airline initiated several feasibility reports for the initiation of operation in the state. The result seems to be positive as it has made an announcement regarding the commencement of operations in Odisha. It will provide travellers with an option to book cheap air ticket to the city. Biju Patnaik International Airport at Bhubaneswar will be its 22nd destination, where four flights are expected to land and depart in the coming months. Two of them are destined to New Delhi and one to Kolkata and Mumbai.
As per reports, the LCC is also keen to operate on Bhubaneswar and Bangalore route, but it may take some time as a number of studies have to be done before the commencement. Travellers can book tickets for the newly-launched routes after a week, but services will be initiated in January, next year. It is the third carrier to serve in the city after Air India and IndiGo. As per resources, GoAir booking counter will be opened at the terminal along with three check-in counters. The terminal currently handles 15 daily flights, which will be more than 20 in the coming months.
Apart from this, the airline will soon start global operations as it will receive the 20th aircraft as well as complete the fifth year by the end of this year. It is planning to submit an application regarding this as soon as the aircraft is received by the carrier.
