Monday, January 07, 2013

Big jump in airfare for KL/Sibu flights this Lunar New Year


SIBU: The one-way Kuala Lumpur/Sibu airfare during the peak period in the run-up to the Lunar New Year has ballooned to about RM1,000.

Managing director of Equitorial Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd Robert Tan lamented that those without deep pockets may be compelled to shelf their plan to celebrate the Chinese community’s most important festival with their families here.

“A few days prior to the Lunar New Year celebration, from Feb 6 to 8, the air ticket costs about RM1,000 and this is an all-time high. I have never seen anything like it before.

“It is indeed a record breaking of sorts, given that during the peak period in the run-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, the ticket costs about RM900. Despite the high price, tickets are being snapped up,” Tan said, adding that the premium airline charged even more.

He compared this to the airfare for Kuala Lumpur/HongKong which was not more than RM1,000.

Asked the reasons for the exorbitant airfare, he said there was an exceptionally high number of students of institutions of higher learning in the peninsula flying home, besides peak demand from the central region.

As for the outgoing Sibu/Kuala Lumpur flight, he lamented that from Feb 13 to 15, the airfare was equally expensive.

“Travel agents are hard-pressed when air tickets are costly.”

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