国内航空公司的挑战者Rex打响机票价格战的第一枪，将墨尔本和悉尼之间的票价降至“低于出租车费用”。 <br />
Rex的首个航班将在3周内起飞，它急不可待的想同澳航和维珍澳航展开竞争，在激烈的国内市场中开拓自己的一片领地。
于是，促销票价从单程79澳元降至49澳元，商务舱则从299澳元优惠到199澳元。该特惠价格仅适用于3月份的航班，同时必须在2月底之前预定。
Rex的副董事长John Sharp表示，便宜的票价是“一个难得的机会，让人们把对新冠的担忧抛诸脑后，在澳洲最大的两个城市间翱翔。”
Sharp先生说：“大多数情况下坐个出租车到机场都超过49澳元。”他还补充指出，票价包括23公斤托运行李，7公斤随身行李和机上小零食。他确认，如果航班受新冠影响停飞，Rex保证全额退款。
49澳元的票价比其他航空公司在此航线上的票价相对便宜，维珍澳航的单程票价是95澳元，而澳航则为110澳元，捷星航空为105澳元。
澳航和维珍澳航都认为，旅客预订机票所看重的不仅仅是机票的便宜。
两家航司均将不收取改签费的政策延长至2022年，以使旅客放心，这样他们可以不用支付任何费用就可以变更航班。
澳航还升级了经济舱的空中服务，包括从中午开始免费提供啤酒和葡萄酒，并在早餐和晚餐提供热餐。
作为回应，维珍澳航推出双倍积分活动，会一直持续到下周三结束。
维珍澳航的一位发言人称：“我们期待可以让更多的澳大利亚人再次乘坐飞机去旅行或者度假，也可以去探望亲友，洽谈生意，我们有灵活的政策，低廉的价格还有双倍的积分。”
从3月1日开始，Rex每天运营9班往返于墨尔本悉尼的航班，全部使用波音737机型，每架飞机上168个经济舱位，8个商务舱位。
现阶段在墨尔本和悉尼之间，澳航和捷星航空每天提供40个航班，而维珍澳航提供18个航班。要知道在疫情爆发之前，墨尔本和悉尼之间的航班数每天不止100个。
Rex计划到4月份将737机队继续增加，到年底还要再次扩充。Sharp表示。Rex有能力根据需求调整服务。
他说：“我们的处境比对手灵活得多。”
原文链接：
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/bus … 2784b78b89691a1016e
Domestic airline challenger Rex has fired the first shots in an airfare war, dropping prices to “less than a taxi fare” on Melbourne-Sydney services.
With its first flights due to begin in under three weeks, Rex is desperate to take up the fight to Qantas and Virgin Australia and carve out a place in the competitive domestic landscape.
As a result, sale fares have been slashed from $79 one-way to $49, and business fares from $299 to $199. The fares are available for flights in March only, and must be booked by the end of February.
Rex deputy chairman John Sharp said the cheap fares presented “a wonderful opportunity to get between Australia’s two biggest cities on a whim to get over the COVID blues”.
“Most taxi rides to the airport cost more than $49,” Mr Sharp said, adding that the fare included 23kg of checked baggage, 7kg of carry on and refreshments on board. He said Rex also guaranteed a full refund in the event of flights being affected by COVID-19.
The $49 fare undercuts sale fares offered by other airlines on the route, with Virgin Australia charging $95, Qantas $110 and Jetstar $105 one-way.
In an effort to reinvigorate demand decimated by COVID-19 and snap border closures, Qantas and Virgin Australia have acknowledged travellers want more than cheap fares to book flights.
Both have extended no change fee policies until 2022 to give travellers confidence they can move their flights at no extra cost if needed.
Qantas has also upgraded its in-flight service in the economy cabin to include complimentary beer and wine from midday and a hot meal option at breakfast and dinner.
In response, Virgin Australia has launched a double Velocity points campaign until next Wednesday, as an added sweetener to book a flight.
“We look forward to giving more Australians the opportunity to fly again, to go on holiday, to reunite with family and friends and to do business, thanks to cheaper fares, free flexibility and double Velocity points,” a Virgin Australia spokesman said.
From March 1, Rex will operate nine return flights a day between Melbourne and Sydney, using Boeing 737s, with eight business-class seats and 168 in economy.
It’s unclear if the extra capacity will be needed, with Qantas and Jetstar offering a total of 40 return services a day and Virgin Australia 18 return flights.
The major carriers are still yet to ramp up to pre-COVID levels, when more than 100 flights operated between Melbourne and Sydney each day.
With Rex planning to increase its fleet of 737s to five by April, and as many as 10 by year’s end, Mr Sharp said it would have the ability to adjust services in response to demand.
“We’re starting very small and as the market grows, we’ll keep dialling it up by adding extra aircraft and extra crews — we’ll only do that as demand requires it,” he said.
“We’re in a much more nimble position than our competitors.”
Services to Queensland were expected to start after Easter to complete the “Golden Triangle”, so called due to the heavy business traffic normally carried between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
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