Affordability of tickets now a concern as demand for travel rises

MANILA, Philippines — The affordability of ticket prices has resurfaced as among the concerns of Filipino travelers, indicating the increasing appetite of many to travel again as long as the price is right.

Cebu Pacific chief strategy officer Alex Reyes said results of the airline’s recent survey showed that affordability has replaced safety and security in the top three travel concerns of consumers.

The other two concerns remain travel restrictions and travel requirements.

“What we see in consumers today is there is growing confidence to travel again,” Reyes said.

“The concerns of consumers have shifted markedly this year. Back in April when we were in the midst of another COVID surge, travelers were quite concerned about their safety and security. And we saw that many travelers were postponing their travel plans and there was indeed a large reluctance among consumers to purchase air tickets,” he said.

Travelers were not particularly concerned about affordability based on surveys conducted by Cebu Pacific in January and April this year, as they were more concerned about safety and security.

“What consumers were telling us early in the year was that no matter how affordable we will make flights, many of them will be reluctant to make a purchase because with various measures that the Philippines was putting in place to cope with COVID created this climate of concern,” Reyes said.

“Now in our most recent surveys, those safety and security concerns have receded and consumers are now mostly back to thinking about what travel restrictions or travel requirements are in place for them to complete their travel. Affordability is also now among the top three concerns, which is something that Cebu Pacific can address really well,” he said.

Reyes said affordability is part and parcel of Cebu Pacific’s business model, being a budget airline.

“While we are highlighting affordability, the P1 sales are not to say that we won’t continue to do things that will further rebuild on consumers’ confidence to fly and to fly safely,” he said.

Another low-cost carrier, AirAsia Philippines, for its part, is also looking to capitalize on this growing demand for air travel through its affordable fares and promos.

“AirAsia has been synonymous with great value through the democratization of air travel with low fares and great service,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.

Dailisan said people now have the confidence to plan for their future trips as reflected in the forward bookings from 31 to 120 days.

“This booking behavior can be significantly attributed to the continuing downtrend of daily COVID-19 infections and the ongoing progress of the government’s nationwide vaccination program,” Dailisan said.

“We are banking on revenge travel for a very strong 2022 recovery,” he said.

Local airlines have ramped up their flight frequencies to domestic destinations to meet the surge in demand for air travel during this holiday season.