Jeju Air is offering discounts of up to 77% on February flights from Incheon and Busan to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, ChosunBiz reported.
Trinity Airways, formerly T’way Air, is cutting Southeast Asian fares by 22% for travel through January.
A Jeju Air flight from Incheon to Da Nang on Nov. 21 has base fares starting at just 10,000 won, while Trinity Airways listed an Incheon-Nha Trang flight on Nov. 1 for 15,000 won.
However, fuel surcharges and airport fees can add 110,000-190,000 won each way, with extra baggage and meals potentially costing further.
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A Jeju Air plane. Photo courtesy of Jeju Air |
Airlines are lowering fares to fill seats on flights they need to maintain to retain operating rights and airport slots.
Selling cheap tickets helps cover some costs, even if the flights remain unprofitable, industry officials told ChosunBiz.
Routes between Incheon and Vietnam carried 7.33 million passengers in the first nine months of the year, down 5.4% from a year earlier, according to Air Transportation Information Portal data.
Passenger numbers on the Thailand and Philippines routes fell by 14% each.
On the other hand, passenger traffic between South Korea and Japan rose by 20.3% in the first eight months, while China routes recorded a 23% increase, Seoul Economic Daily reported, citing transport ministry data.
The newspaper said a weak yen had helped attract travelers to Japan, and new flight connections had made China more accessible.
Shorter flights also mean lower fuel surcharges than trips to Southeast Asia.
Alongside fare cuts, Trinity Airways plans to suspend certain flights to Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Bangkok during the winter schedule to limit losses.