Low cost carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo are once again planning to announce discounted fares on advance purchase of tickets for domestic sectors, said industry sources on Tuesday evening.
This is the fourth time in the year that SpiceJet has given discounts under its advance purchase offer, a move which led to price war of sorts with other airlines (no-frills) following the Chennai-based airline in offering discounted summer fares.
The discounts IndiGo is planning to roll out is anywhere between 15-35%, and can be availed for tickets booked between April 1 and September 30.
SpiceJet meanwhile is planning to announce a flash sale on advance purchase fares for domestic sectors. The sale will be on from March 11 to March 16, for bookings made between April 14 and June 30.
Both, SpiceJet and IndiGo officials confirmed that their respective airlines were in the verge of announcing discounts but both refrained from stating the nature of the discounts.
“The advance purchase fares are a huge incentive for travelers to plan their travel early. It is a great opportunity for passengers to reduce their travel cost by almost 30% if you book at least 90 days in advance, as these fares are for a limited inventory,? said Neelu Singh, COO, Ezeego1.com.
?Spice Jet and Indigo have announced Flash sales on 30-90 day advance purchase window. With travel-period falling in the summer holiday months, this is a good opportunity for travellers who couldn?t get discounted airfares last time. We expect flight-ticket sales to rise and a few more players to join in as summer holiday travel demand continues to be fueled by these promotional fares.?- Rajesh Magow, Co-founder & CEO-India, MakeMyTrip.
Recently, a report by Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said that Indian carriers lost $1.65 billion on revenue of $ 9.5 billion in FY13, while 40% of the annual loss was generated in fourth quarter (January-March 2013) period itself.
The fourth quarter is generally considered the weakest in the year, according to industry experts, when airlines often struggle to fill up its seats.
