Lan Airlines late last week announced a revamped pricing structure that sorts all fares into seven categories. The Latin American carrier's announcement was the latest in a series of recent simplified pricing developments at foreign airlines, including Air New Zealand, Qantas and SAS.
Lan said its fare categories now include first, business, business value, full flexible, flexible, economy and promotional. The airline also said it standardized many of the rules governing reissues, date changes and refunds, which would "significantly streamline sales procedures for travel agencies."
Meanwhile, SAS last week switched to a simplified fare structure for most of its European network. Tickets purchased at all points of sale now all are one-way and no longer require Saturday-night stays. SAS service to Germany will transition to the new pricing design in January. Pricing for flights to North America is unchanged.
"We are following up on the success of one-way fares in Norway and Sweden
(BTN, April 8, 2002) by introducing the same concept on all European routes," said Jørgen Lindegaard, president and CEO of the SAS Group.
Australia's Qantas Airways this summer also expanded a simplified fare structure to North America, including reduced fare types, fewer restrictions, lower change fees and looser minimum-stay requirements. Because the changes generally focused on economy fares and therefore the leisure market, most corporate contracts won't be impacted.
Similar changes were enacted in June at Air New Zealand. Both transpacific carriers followed Irish carrier Aer Lingus in reforming aspects of long-haul pricing
(BTN, Oct. 4, 2004).