AirAsia India doesn’t let up on cut-fare offers, launches new promo

The air fare wars over Indian skies, particularly in the southern region, show no signs of abating as new entrant AirAsia India continues to up the ante.

AirAsia today kicked off its latest promotion, with 1.5 million seats on sale at fares starting as low as Rs690.

AirAsia India is offering all inclusive fare from Rs690 for Bengaluru to Chennai / Kochi / Goa and Rs2,390 from Bengaluru to Jaipur or Chandigarh. This offer is also available on AirAsia Berhad and Thai AirAsia flights.

All-inclusive fare is available from Rs4,999 from Chennai/Kochi/Kolkata/Tiruchirappalli/Bengaluru to Kuala Lumpur, and Rs4500 from Chennai to Bangkok.

Passengers can book on www.airasia.com from now until 5 October 2014 for the travel from 15 January 30 Jun 2015.

Booking is also available via AirAsia's mobile apps on iPhone, Android devices and the Blackberry 10, and also AirAsia's mobile site at mobile.airasia.com.

Eyeing an entry into the country's card loyalty programme segment, AirAsia said it is in discussion with banks to expand its regional reach.

"Actually to be honest, we have been in discussions for a while with Indian banks - private and public - to enter into card loyalty programme to expand regional reach," Loh Wai Meng, chief operating officer of AirAsia BIG, the global loyalty programme of the Malaysia-based carrier, said.

The tie-ups will help bank cardholders to convert their reward points to "Big Points" and fly AirAsia. Meng said the company is expecting to make announcements in this regard by early next year. "We are hoping sometime early next year to make announcements pertaining to our tie up with Indian banks," he said.

He also said the low-cost airline company has already partnered with prominent banks outside India, including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

"Outside India, almost every bank has partnered with us in Malayasia and Thailand. We have the biggest bank in Singapore. We just tied up with DBS and Starhub in Singapore at the end of 2013," Meng said.

He said AirAsia BIG has 400 partners, representing petrol stations, shopping malls and banks, which are mutually beneficial to both companies.