INCREASED direct flights between Koh Samui and Singapore are expected to grease the way for more meeting and incentive traffic from the city-state to the southern Thai island, which draws mostly high-end leisure travellers.
SilkAir launched a thrice-weekly Singapore-Samui service from September 27 on top of its codeshare arrangement with Bangkok Airways’ daily flight on the same route. The Airbus A319, which provides business and economy class seats, is used by both airlines.
SilkAir has plans to raise frequencies to five flights a week from the year-end.
Singapore-based Fortune Travel manager, Gwen Ong, expects to convert incentive and meeting enquiries into confirmed bookings with SilkAir’s new flights. She said enquiries often stopped short at the quotation stage due to high airfares from Bangkok Airways.
Singapore’s Euro-Asia Holidays director, Maggie Tay, said SilkAir dangled an introductory fare of S$130 (US$99), excluding tax and fuel surcharges of around S$120, until end September, while Bangkok Airways kept its fares at S$320.
Ong hoped SilkAir would continue to be aggressive with its pricing strategy. “Bangkok Airways will feel the heat (and lower its price), which will help us to confirm more meetings and incentives to Koh Samui,” she said.
However, Bangkok Airways sales manager-South-east Asia and Indian Ocean, Sutee Yongudomkit, said there were no plans to reduce fares on that route. He explained that the route was lucrative and that it was normal for SilkAir to enter the market with an attractive price offer.
