Cheap seats give Chinese airlines a much-needed passenger bounce

Looking to travel from Beijing to Hangzhou in eastern China? A flight can be had for as low as 180 yuan ($26) - one of a slew of deals fuelling a robust recovery in Chinese passenger levels and which could provide a model for a beleaguered industry globally. Led by China Eastern Airlines' June offer of unlimited weekend flights until Dec. 31 for 3,322 yuan ($485), domestic carriers have fallen over themselves to woo passengers back with bargain-basement fares. At the same time, China’s success in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus has helped consumers regain the confidence to travel. Although the airlines are still loss-making and analysts say the recovery for China’s aviation market is fragile and subject to setbacks, the cheap airfare strategy is far more cost-effective than having planes grounded. It also provides a model for other countries to borrow from or even top. “We may have reached the point where some airlines begin to pay for some people to travel, offering free seats and then seeking to generate ancillary revenues that support the service whilst at the same time rebuilding traveller confidence,” John Grant, OAG chief analyst said on his firm’s website. Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Aviation has come close to doing that, offering fares for next year’s Lunar New Year holiday from 2,021 dong (9 US cents) on all flights from north and central Vietnam to the country’s south. Story has more.<br/>