Cebu Pacific hikes sales volume by 90% since 'Go' fares promo

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the airline unit of JG Summit Holdings Inc., has seen a considerable increase in demand for air travel since the introduction of its new 'Go' fares recently sales volumes in its own ticket offices surging 90% above the levels of previous weeks.

"We were expecting increased demand for our new 'Go' fares and we planned accordingly but the response from the public is beyond our expectations," said CEB general manager Bong Mojica.

He said that the airline has seen a 90 percent increase in bookings only three days after it launched the 'Go' fares.

"In response to this demand, we have increased our call center lines by 25 percent and are now operating a 24-hour schedule. We have also extended the operating hours of our ticket offices located in the malls until 10pm," he added.

Also, the airline expects the surge of bookings to continue well after the holiday season because the 'Go' fares are available year round. From the volume of bookings the airlines had been getting, "it is obvious that we are not only encouraging people to fly more often but we are also seeing people fly for the first time," he stressed.

CEB is offering fares as low as P688 one-way, giving travelers savings ranging from about P1,000 to more than P2,000 per one-way trip. The 'Go' fares are not promotional fares but are a year round permanent offering of discounted fares as practiced by low-fare carriers worldwide.

"We still have wide availability of seats for the 'Go' fares but the key to getting these low fares is to plan and book your trip ahead of time. If you're looking at traveling in December then we urge you to buy your ticket now. It's never too early to book your seat for travel in 2006. The best plan of attack for getting a real bargain is to plan ahead and book now" Mojica said.

He further emphasized "all of our new fares offer the flexibility to change and refund. If traveling on business and travel plans may change, then get the Flexi fare, which allows changes up to 45 minutes before departure at no charge. If however changes to plans aren't necessary then we would recommend a 'Go' fare which requires a 48 hour notice for changes prior to departure with payment of applicable fees. At Cebu Pacific we are all about choice and we want our customers to choose the fare that is right for them."

Cebu Pacific pioneered low fares in the country in March 1996, forcing other airlines to do so too. It also was the first to introduce on-time service, e-ticketing, fun games on flights, and flight booking through SMS.

CEB now operates two brand-new A320 and two A319 aircraft and will take delivery of two more A319s next month. Eight more will be delivered next year until February 2007 when it shall have completed its re-fleeting program. The airline flies from its Manila and Cebu hubs, currently servicing 14 domestic destinations aside from Hong Kong and South Korea. - Ehda M. Dago-oc