Cheap Airline Australia: OzJet flogs seats in 2 for 1 deal

Cheap Airline Australia: OzJet flogs seats in 2 for 1 deal

New business class airline OzJet introduced temporary 2 for 1 special
By: Oliver Koester
January 09, 2006 __________________________________________________________________________
 
NEW Melbourne-based business class airline OzJet has launched a two-for-one travel special in an effort to boost passenger numbers.

OzJet, currently operating between Sydney and Melbourne with a fleet of three aircrafts, are offering travellers a free flight for themselves, a friend or relative. Every customer bying a ticket till the end of January will receive a another free flight for themselves, or another passenger to be used by February 28, 2006.

Hereby the airline responds to its struggles to attract passengers since it began flying in Novbember 2005, carrying as few as three people on some flights. Ozjet chief executive Hans van Pelt today explained the circumstances which led to these alarmingly low passenger numbers. The airline had launched during the quietest period of the year, after gaining its operating certificate in November. "We could have sat back and waited until February, but we thought we'd give people the chance to try it out," Mr van Pelt said.

"We probably got less (passengers) than we thought we would," he said, of Ozjet's December passenger numbers. But he said today's launch was an attempt to get passengers on board before the full return of business traffic in the first week of next month, and that the special deal will let more people experience OzJet's unique new service at affordable prices. He is convinced that people are likely to convert to OzJet once they have experienced its service.

Since OzJet is a business class airline, offering a flights between Sydney and Melbourne for around A$250 one-way, it will not slash its prices to enter a competition with budget airlines like Jetstar or Virgin Blue. "We don't think there's any value in entering a price war ... we are after a different market," he said.

During the traditionally quite Christmas period OzJet halved ist schedule between Sydney and Melbourne to eight sectors a day - four flights each way. It hopes to boost that to 12 sectors a day from next Monday and increase that to 16 the week after the Australia Day holiday on January 26. The airline, owned by ex-Formula One Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart, has a fleet of three aircraft, with two more to begin operating by the end of February.


Resource: News.com.au - January 09, 2006