Singapore - Business class airfares in the Asia-Pacific region climbed 4 per cent in the first quarter of this year on demand for long-haul flights to the Americas and on regional routes, a business travel monitor said on Thursday. Airfares across the region rose 7 per cent year-on-year, said the American Express report. "Current economic conditions seem to be having little effect on published airfares across (the) Asia-Pacific, with demand still outstripping supply, The Business Times quoted advisory services head Kurt Knackstedt as saying. Some airlines are shifting towards a different business model to capitalize on the popularity of business class seats. Singapore Airlines is converting its daily direct flights to Los Angeles and New York to all-business class. India was the exception to the upward trend in airfares in the region, the report said. Competition from new airlines and low-cost carriers in the domestic market caused an 8 per cent quarter-on-quarter drop in discount business and economy fares. |
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