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omonatheydidLocal airlines will begin operating "international sightseeing flights" this weekend to improve their profits as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic weighs on the aviation industry.
The special flights take passengers over other countries and then return to Korea. Passengers will get duty free benefits, after the government decided to allow these flights to be operated for about a year to support the ailing aviation and duty free industries.
Asiana Airlines will begin flights over Kyushu, Saturday, utilizing its A380 fleet. Its planes will leave Incheon International Airport at 1 p.m. and fly over Busan, Miyazaki and Jeju Island, before returning to Incheon at 4:20 p.m.
"We will offer passengers amenity kits and in-flight entertainment services," an Asiana official said. "Passengers can also earn frequent-flyer points, but we will not offer in-flight meals, in line with antivirus guidelines."
The official said the service will be available until early January.
Jeju Air will begin a similar service, also starting Saturday. The budget carrier said the flight will take off from Incheon airport and fly over Fukuoka, before returning to Incheon.
"Seven flights will be operated until Jan. 2," a Jeju Air official said, noting that takeoff times vary depending on the date.
"We have prepared various benefits for passengers in cooperation with Shinsegae Duty Free," he said.
Air Seoul, another budget carrier, said it will launch its service next week. Its flight will leave Incheon at 1:30 p.m. and fly in Japanese airspace, before returning to Incheon at 3:30 p.m.
The flights operate on Dec. 19, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1.
According to officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, two to three other local carriers are preparing to launch similar services.
Industry officials expect the flights will attract passengers who have longed for air travel and help improve the carriers' sluggish earnings caused by the worldwide public health crisis. They said domestic sightseeing flights, widely called "flights to nowhere," which were launched in October, were in great demand.
But skepticism has also risen, because daily new COVID-19 cases have increased rapidly in recent weeks amid the third wave of infections here, which led the government to raise its five-tier social distancing measures to its second-highest level.
Amid growing concerns over further mass outbreaks and uncertainty about demand, Korean Air has postponed its plan to launch international flights without landing.
"We were originally planning to launch the service this month, but had to postpone the plan due to the COVID-19 situation," a Korean Air official said.
More about the "flights to nowhere" in this post
source: The Korea Times
The special flights take passengers over other countries and then return to Korea. Passengers will get duty free benefits, after the government decided to allow these flights to be operated for about a year to support the ailing aviation and duty free industries.
Asiana Airlines will begin flights over Kyushu, Saturday, utilizing its A380 fleet. Its planes will leave Incheon International Airport at 1 p.m. and fly over Busan, Miyazaki and Jeju Island, before returning to Incheon at 4:20 p.m.
"We will offer passengers amenity kits and in-flight entertainment services," an Asiana official said. "Passengers can also earn frequent-flyer points, but we will not offer in-flight meals, in line with antivirus guidelines."
The official said the service will be available until early January.
Jeju Air will begin a similar service, also starting Saturday. The budget carrier said the flight will take off from Incheon airport and fly over Fukuoka, before returning to Incheon.
"Seven flights will be operated until Jan. 2," a Jeju Air official said, noting that takeoff times vary depending on the date.
"We have prepared various benefits for passengers in cooperation with Shinsegae Duty Free," he said.
Air Seoul, another budget carrier, said it will launch its service next week. Its flight will leave Incheon at 1:30 p.m. and fly in Japanese airspace, before returning to Incheon at 3:30 p.m.
The flights operate on Dec. 19, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1.
According to officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, two to three other local carriers are preparing to launch similar services.
Industry officials expect the flights will attract passengers who have longed for air travel and help improve the carriers' sluggish earnings caused by the worldwide public health crisis. They said domestic sightseeing flights, widely called "flights to nowhere," which were launched in October, were in great demand.
But skepticism has also risen, because daily new COVID-19 cases have increased rapidly in recent weeks amid the third wave of infections here, which led the government to raise its five-tier social distancing measures to its second-highest level.
Amid growing concerns over further mass outbreaks and uncertainty about demand, Korean Air has postponed its plan to launch international flights without landing.
"We were originally planning to launch the service this month, but had to postpone the plan due to the COVID-19 situation," a Korean Air official said.
More about the "flights to nowhere" in this post
source: The Korea Times
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Date: 2020-12-10 11:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-10 11:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-11 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-11 03:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-11 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-11 06:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-12-11 10:20 am (UTC)also i've flown with Jeju Air, Air Seoul, and Asiana. because they were cheap. there is no first class with these airlines - there are no fancy chairs or privacy curtains
I DON'T GET IT WHO WANTS TO DO THIS
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Date: 2020-12-11 01:25 pm (UTC)also isn't this extremely weather dependent?? last time I flew to Japan it was so cloudy I only saw anything when we were about to touch down at the airport.
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Date: 2020-12-11 04:46 pm (UTC)