Discounted flights and hotel packages among Cathay Pacific’s bid to cater to ‘price-sensitive travellers’

Hong Kong’s premier airline rejected establishing a new budget carrier as the city’s airport was unable to take new flights and instead targeted measures such as ‘fanfare promotions’ that would include rediscounted ticket sales and cheap hotel packages

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Cathay Pacific chairman John Slosar said the carrier could match low-cost airlines and the needs of thrifty passengers. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 7:01am, 18 Aug 2017Updated: 9:31am, 18 Aug 2017

Cathay Pacific Airways is considering new measures to cater for price-sensitive travellers without creating its own budget airline.

These may include more “value for money” tickets as the airline attempts to rebound from a HK$2.05 billion loss recorded in the first six months of the year.

Cathay Pacific chairman John Slosar said the carrier could match low-cost airlines and the needs of thrifty passengers.

“It is not the case that just because we are a full-service airline doesn’t mean we can’t compete with so-called low-cost airlines,” he said. “If you look at their pricing, they may be low cost, but they might not be low price.”

Ronald Lam Siu-por, the airline’s director of commercial and cargo, disclosed to analysts the company would “further differentiate” economy class against rivals so “the value for our customers will improve”.

Despite the challenges, analysts were optimistic that the worst of the losses accrued by Cathay Pacific were behind it. Photo: Bloomberg