Virgin Blue Capitalizing on Reduced Demand with Bargain Priced Fares
Monday, October 5th, 2009
Virgin Blue is attempting to capitalize on the global downturn in demand for flights by rolling out bargain-priced fares on up to 50 of its new 737s. The company operates 65 aircrafts that includes 50 planes and 15 jets. The airlines’ CEO Brett Godfrey recently told ATWOnline that “he is not satisfied with Blue’s 30% share of the Australian domestic market and hopes to boost it to 50% in the long term.”
The airline will be attempting to capture market share by introducing its “Airline of the Future” project, a program which will be subdividing the cabin into more classes so that the flights can be booked to capacity with ease. This means that more seats will be available at bargain prices, and gives passengers on any budget a chance to travel. The airline will also be reconfiguring its seating plans to accommodate for more seats in the back of the plane, which in turn, may help to lower costs.
Virgin Blue is currently one of the most popular low-cost carrier in Australian, and offers competitive fares and itineraries for both domestic and international travelers. The airline serves both business and leisure travelers, and offers rewards points for small businesses and other incentives through its Velocity Rewards program. Still, the carrier has been struggling during the economic downturn, and is rolling out a variety of programs such as the ‘Happy Hour Flight Sales’ that run from noon until 1 p.m. Australian time to attract more travelers.
The Happy Hour Flight Sales program allows travelers to log onto virginblue.com.au between noon and 1 p.m. AEST to book some of the lowest fares available. The airline releases only a number of select fares to domestic destinations through this online booking program, and is an easy way for budget-conscious travelers to reserve some cheap flights.