Busan is good

Air Busan to Enter Budget Air Market

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Air Busan is all ready to enter the nation's budget air travel market, with the first service being scheduled Monday.

 

As an affiliate of Asiana Airlines, the Busan-based carrier is expected to take advantage of the parent company's know-how on operation and management.

 

It will operate two 127-seat B737-500 aircraft for the Busan-Seoul route nine times a day starting Oct. 27. It will adopt one more plane soon and provide five daily services between Busan and Jeju starting Dec. 1, and two additional flights by June next year.

 

Asiana, the full-service carrier, will stop operation on the routes and have a code-sharing operation with Air Busan. Code-sharing is an agreement through which an airline sells seats on another carrier's flights under its own name ― meaning, those who make reservations with Asiana on the routes will board Air Busan's planes.

 

It is the first code-sharing in Korea between a low cost carrier and a full-service airline. It is part of efforts by both airlines to increase domestic operation profits, a market in which existing carriers are suffering losses amid fierce competition and low demand.

 

``Asiana's boarding rate on flights between Busan and Jeju was 70 percent and those between Busan and Seoul, 60 percent. Through code-sharing, we expect the rates to go up to 80 percent and it will help both Asiana and Air Busan make profits,'' an Asiana official said.

Passengers of Air Busan can select their seats when making a reservation online. The airfare for the Busan-Seoul route was set at 52,400 on weekdays and 64,000 won on weekends, and those purchasing tickets online can get 10 percent discount on weekdays and 5 percent, on weekends.

 

Air Busan recently made public its aircraft and crew uniform.

 

In navy blue, light blue, lime green and white colors, the plane has the carrier's logo on the tail, which consists of a seagull, sea wave and sky.

 

The uniform, in blue, focuses on giving comfort to wearers and adds to young and lively image of the airline.

The source of news  : The Korea Times, October 24, 2008