Air India launches special fares to woo Far East fliers

Muscat: Eyeing travellers to Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Osaka with a stopover in India, Air India, the flag carrier of India, has announced its Freedom Fares for the first time, yesterday.

“This is a summer bonanza. We have launched special fares to Far East for passengers planning to visit holiday destinations along with their India trip during forthcoming summer vacations. Passengers can now fly to Far East and Southeast countries by paying a small premium on their tickets to India,” Amresh Choudhary, Air India’s country manager in Oman, told Times of Oman.

“We are having this promotion for the first time to these destinations. It is being launched because of the facilities we have in the newly-built Delhi airport terminal. These special fares are valid for sales and travel with immediate effect until 31st March 2014. Travel validity of tickets is six months and one date change is free,” the country manager said.
According to the country manager, Air India has also introduced a unique stopover product, branded Air India stopover packages.

“The stopover package will enable passengers transfer-connecting on AI flights over Delhi to experience the city, with a range of accommodation on offer to fit all budgets. These stopover packages including hotels, airport/hotel transfers and sight-seeing options can be booked online through Air India website,” the country manager said. Air India has also included Island Nation Maldives with fares starting from OMR125 for passengers travelling to Maldives via Chennai or Bangalore.

Meanwhile, a travel agent said that this promotion will be helpful for Omanis, and also Indians.

“Indians who are having plans to travel back when their children’s schools are closed for annual holidays can benefit from this promotion. They can stay in India and also later on travel to any of these two destinations,” Xavier Kavalam, a travel agent in Muscat, said.
“If we go for direct flights from Muscat to these two destinations we won’t get a stopover and at present, Air India’s promotional fares are the cheapest ones,” the travel agent added.

Air India’s current global networks are London, Frankfurt, Paris, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh and Sharjah, Colombo, Kabul, Kathmandu, Yangon, Male, Chicago, New Jersey, New York and Toronto. Additionally, Air India has code-sharing arrangements with other international carriers in Europe, USA and Canada, Asia Pacific, South Asia and Africa.

Air India launches special fares to woo Far East fliers