Malaysia Airlines offer discounted fares at fair
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A three-day Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair, which kicked off on Friday, was a great help for 26-year-old Alia who planned to meet her husband, who is studying in London, due to the airlines cheap fares.
"Normally a return ticket for Jakarta-London costs about US$1,300. At this fair, Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) offers it for only $600," she said after visiting booths featuring 40 travel agents at the Jakarta Convention Center, Central Jakarta.
The Malaysian national carrier held its first ever fair outside the country. The fair offers up to 60 percent discount on air fares to its 100 destinations worldwide for trips valid until May 30, 2006.
MAS regional manager for ASEAN Syed Abdillah Aziz said the fair was targeting a growing population of young Indonesian professionals. "We are targeting to attract 50,000 visitors and to generate over 20 million Malaysian ringgit (US$5.3 million) through the fair."
The company report said it transported over 300,000 Indonesians last year and earned 169 million ringgit.
The company's assistant general manager for advertising, promotions and branding, Yazid Mohamed, said aside from generating revenue, it would also support community development programs in Indonesia.
All the money raised from the Rp 10,000 (99 U.S. cents) entrance fee, he added, would be donated to social foundations Yayasan Kusuma Buana in Tebet and The Center for the Betterment of Education in Mampang, both in South Jakarta.
Despite the optimism, a sales representative with Gullivers Travel Associates expressed doubt over the potential success of the fair here.
"I was present at the last fair in Malaysia," the representative, Hestin, told The Jakarta Post. "Only seconds after it was officially opened, hundreds of people flooded the venue. Here, I don't experience the same situation."
The fair has always been held in Malaysia's major cities of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching, Sarawak and Kota Kinibalu. This year, the airlines had held a similar fair in February that attracted over 120,000 visitors and generated about 70 million ringgit in transactions.
However, not all visitors had a good story like Alia's.
One visitor, who booked a flight to Istanbul, canceled her travel plan since she could not get the right dates for her connecting flights although she said she was at the hall 30 minutes after it opened.
"I hope Malaysia Airlines will not follow the practice of some domestic budget carriers that advertise good airfare prices, but only have limited seats available," said the visitor, who declined to be identified.
Responding to the complaint, MAS Indonesia area manager Dzulkefli Zakaria called on visitors to avoid making travel plans during the peak season.
"I suggest potential passengers avoid the holiday period after Idul Fitri (in early November) until the year end," he told the Post.