Sharp practice
\nat RI airlines?<\/p>\n
Although the ticket price war involving national airlines
\ngenerally benefits passengers, this may not be so if an airliner
\nadopts a very smart (or sly?) business tactic.<\/p>\n
On March 7 I suddenly had to fly to Yogyakarta. I contacted
\nthe Indonesian Airlines (IA) office and was told the Jakarta-
\nYogyakarta ticket was Rp 270,000. I was advised to buy the ticket
\nat their counter at the airport.<\/p>\n
At the airport I was surprised to learn that tickets priced at
\nRp 270,000 were sold out and there were only four seats left at
\nRp 335,000. (In fact, there were 10 left.) As I urgently had to
\nfly to Yogyakarta, I bought one of these tickets anyway. Some
\nother passengers did likewise.<\/p>\n
On board I found, to my dismay, that there were no special
\nseats for holders of tickets priced at Rp 335,000. One of the
\npassengers joked bitterly that a holder of a Rp 335,000 ticket
\nmight get a sweeter cup of coffee!<\/p>\n
Later, I learned that some passengers had bought tickets at
\neither Rp 210,000 or Rp 270,000 from other outlets in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Suspecting we were unhappy about the differently priced
\ntickets, one of the stewardesses told us the airline sold only 20
\nseats to 25 seats at Rp 270,000 each, with the remainder at Rp
\n335,000 each. Another stewardess even suggested that we put our
\ncomplaint in writing, but none of us took up that opportunity.<\/p>\n
Later, when I contacted the IA counter at the airport, I was
\ntold the airline sold 40 seats at Rp 270,000 each. An officer at
\nthe IA head office told me if there were a lot of passengers,
\nthey would sell more seats at Rp 335,000. At Lebak Bulus bus
\nstation, interprovince buses do not usually raise their fares,
\neven if there are a lot of passengers for the routes they ply.<\/p>\n
SUGENG HARTONO
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sharp-practice-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}