Wendy, Yifan and I am planning to get back to home in Luoyang in January. We booked flight ticket away ahead, so we are happy to got tickets between Shanghai and Zhengzhou as low as 99 RMB (14 USD) per adult for the 2 hour flight. It is Spring Airline.
However, the biggest part of the cost is not the charge by airline. The fuel surcharge was 150 RMB per person (Yifan enjoy infant waiver) and the airport construction fee is 50 RMB.
Recently, the airline fuel surcharge was lowered to 40 RMB per person, but for people like us who have already have the ticket issued have no option to refund. The refund policy is, they will only refund the fuel surcharge and airport construction fee, and the 99 RMB fee is not refundable – still 11 RMB higher than the benefit of getting a new one – but really a lot of work to do, so we gave up.
P.S. With the adjustment on fuel surcharge, many things get cheaper with the expectation that 2009 will be a tough year for them. Gas price dropped by 0.45 RMB, and even mortgage rate got 30% off.
From the consumer point of view, it is good thing, but meanwhile, it is also a strong signal that recession is getting started.
99 RMB？Really cheap! Buying the ticket going homing can be a bit of a bind for me evey Spring Festival. I went home by train during most of the passed years, since the airline ticket is too expensive, which hardly has any discount. I’ve got no idea where my ticket will be so far.
I bought my ticket 6 months ago to enjoy a super saver low international fare too.
A lot of airline is trying to encourage people to take their airline. If not their aircraft still need to fly with no passengers.
A sensitive topic.
Nice to see so good informations. Very good blog.
JS,
you actually take Spring Airline? A lot of my colleagues told me not to take this airline saying that it is not safe. Why is that so?
When I asked further, they said cheap tickets meaning they will have poorly maintain aircraft. Is that so that they compromise on safety?
I have taken a lot of budget airlines like Spring in other countries too. This is the first time I heard this kind of reason for budget airlines.
Please help to clarify. Thanks.