More travel predicted

[?]s Pacific air [?]re cuts start

By a staff writer

Air travel across and in the >uth Pacific is expected to rise i up to 30 per cent, in 1967l, and the seven South Pacific ternational air carriers will be jhting to get more of the multi illion dollar business.

IHE much-publicised air fare re ductions, which were decided at t October’s International Air affic Association in Honolulu, start >m April 1. (See PIM, Nov., 1966, 127).

Airlines will mount intensive adver ing and promotion campaigns to e the expected extra passengers o their planes.

A PIM survey found that all travel encies, tour operators and airlines pect big increases in Pacific air vel with the fare reductions. Some a 40 to 50 per cent. :rease, but all expected at least a per cent, rise.

The biggest rises are expected on ms-Pacific travel between North nerica and Australasia, and the ms-Tasman route from Sydney and dbourne to New Zealand cities.

The big two airlines in the South cific—Qantas and Pan Am—hope entice several thousands more nericans to take package-deal its of the Pacific Islands, Australia d New Zealand.

Advantage

Qantas and Pan Am’s flight fre encies and big number of stops 'e each a distinct advantage over ;ir five competitors.

However, in April, BOAC goes ross the South Pacific for the first ic, using Boeing 707-420’s, which : slightly bigger than Qantas’ «ing 707-338’s. The 707-420’s also have converted seats from BOAC’s ■y successful DClO’s, which fly the lantic runs.

BOAC could have made a big hit th a DC 10 in the Pacific but un tunately operational and crewing ficulties made this aircraft un anomical.

Air New Zealand will promote :w Zealand extensively because urn fares from Australia at off ak periods carry 40 per cent, re ctions. The company will also amote a “South Pacific Circle Fare

Plan” taking in New Zealand, Fiji or Noumea from Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. This run carries a 25 per cent, cut at certain periods of the year.

UTA-French Airlines, will, of course, maintain promotion on trips to Noumea and Tahiti. The French airline will also have a circle plan, taking in Noumea, Fiji or New Zealand.

Canadian Pacific, which opposed the fares reductions at the Honolulu meeting because it thought they weren’t enough, has forced lATA to review its fare structure gain in April, 1968, with a view to bigger reductions.

While Air-India has no immediate plans to double its weekly Sydney- Nadi service it welcomed the re ductions and stepped up advertising for travel to Fiji.

With at least two airlines skipping the Nadi stopover on their trans pacific runs, and poor economic con ditions in New Zealand curbing the spending of its best tourist visitor, Fiji looked forward to big fare cuts from the October conference.

It hoped for a reduction of 25 per

cent, in ordinary tares across tW Pacific and return fares available fo the whole year. If it had pinned muc on these hopes it must be now bit terly disappointed.

Return fares concessions weit extended from seven to eight month for Fiji, an increase of one mont!

But the late August-Septembe tourist period, popular because Au; tralian and New Zealand schoo holidays are held then, is not no’ included in this concession—so th airlines have in fact taken awat more than they have given, and Fii will notice it.

Package fares, or “inclusive” fare as the airlines refer to them, wen made available to Fiji. These pu hotel bills, plane fares, food ant touring all in the one charge whic; must not be less than 110 per cem of the ordinary return fare.

Mr. R. M. Major, Fiji’s represent ative in Australia, said in Sydne: that package deals restricted inde pendent travel and didn’t let peopll stay with relatives because they woull be booked into a hotel with thei food and other amenities arranged., “We welcomed the changes madl at the conference,” he said. “W just wish they could have goni further.”

Of the seven airlines, only BOAO told PIM it hoped to draw peopll away from sea travel in the Soutl: Pacific.

A BOAC spokesman said hi believed in many cases people wouli rather spend two or three day look ing around an island centre such at Suva than at sea.

Despite this, the big increases ii passengers flown across the Pacifii will intensify competition among thu air carriers, not start a sea and aii war for tourists.

The shipping cruise lines in thu South Pacific do not see the fan cuts as a move by the airlines to tak: shipping tourists away from therrr They argue, as a spokesman fo< P and O Orient Lines put it, than a person who goes for a cruise by ship is quite different from someonti who prefers to travel by air.

“It’s two separate types of holiday —the person on a ship spends mos> of his time at sea relaxing and enjoy, ing himself. Air travel is only i means of getting somewhere,” thu spokesman said.

P and O said cruises on the Orsovt and the Arcadia in the Pacific an booked out several months ahead.