JEDDAH: A number of airline companies, including Malaysian, Turkish, Egypt Air and Garuda Indonesia, have increased their ticket fares this summer by up to 40 percent. The high fares will be applied during the months of June, July and August.
Sources in the air travel market attributed the increase in fares to high fuel prices and operation costs. As a result of overcrowding at airports during the season, planes have to stay there for a long time and pay higher charges.
Sameer Najm, director of Holidays, a travel and tourism agency, said the increase in fares of Saudi Arabian Airlines was in line with the rise in prices of air tickets on international routes as a result of growing operational costs.
“This is the first time Saudia has increased its ticket charges,” Najm told Arab News. “For the last several years the airline’s domestic were the same,” he said.
Saudia increased its fares by $90 to the Middle East, $100 to Europe and $120 to the Americas. “Passengers will see another increase in fares when airlines cut the commission they give to travel agents,” Najm said, adding that Saudia plans to reduce the commission from 10 to 7 percent from July 1. “Other airlines have also decided to reduce the commission,” he added.
Jameel Muhammad, director of Al-Waha Travel & Tourism Agency, said private airlines in the Kingdom increased their fares from May.
More flights
Saudi Arabian Airlines announced that it will offer 7 million seats on its various flights to cope with the summer rush from June 25 to Oct.10.
All preparations have been made to meet the huge rush of travelers, Khaled Al-Mulhim, the airline’s director general, said in a statement yesterday. “A period of 108 days from June 25 to Oct. 10 is designated as the peak season this year. The airline is also prepared for increased demand for seats while families return after the Eid vacation,” he added.
He said more staff has been put on field duty with measures such as cutting short vacations, offering intensive training for quick passenger-handling and a duty shift system guaranteeing the smooth flow of work around the clock.
— With input by Jihad Ziadah
