Oasis Air extends HK$1,000 fare offer
Hong Kong Oasis Airlines, expected to make its first commercial flight later this month, yesterday said it would extend its seat sale to cover the first full month of operations, offering all economy class tickets to London for HK$1,000 one way.
The airline industry's first low-cost long-haul carrier also agreed to sell all business class seats in the month for HK$6,600 one way before taxes or at about a third of the price premium carriers such as Cathay Pacific Airways are charging.
Oasis had originally committed to sell just 10 per cent of its economy class seats at the steeply discounted price for the first year and it had not said what proportion of business-class tickets would be offered for the lower rate.
'We would like to celebrate our launch and offer every single available economy and business class seat for the inaugural month at the 'hot deal' ticket price,' chief executive Steve Miller said yesterday. 'Our offer is a reflection of our promise to make long-haul travel more accessible and affordable for everyone.'
The company said it had sold more than 10,000 tickets since opening sales on September 5. Oasis is currently selling forward to the end of March, making 115,000 seats available on its daily flight to London and raising the spectre that sales may be behind expectations.
It has yet to receive its air operator's certificate (AOC) from Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department - legally allowing it to offer commercial flights - and problems finding used B747-400 aircraft in the market earlier this year forced Oasis to delay its August launch until November, the traditional slack season.
Commercial director Ken Chad yesterday said Oasis was comfortable with its forward sales.
'Ticket sales are doing reasonably well - better out of the United Kingdom than Hong Kong. But that may be influenced by the fact that we have yet to receive our AOC,' Mr Chad said.
'However, the extension of our seat sale is more about us wanting people to try our product.'
The AOC is expected to be awarded long before October 25.
Oasis' launch will bump to nine the number of daily flights offered between Hong Kong and London, with Air New Zealand soon to enter the fray. It will be the only airline flying to Gatwick airport.
