Cebu Pacific has announced that they are will be taking on the long-haul flights starting on the third quarter of 2013. The company will be leasing 8 new Airbus A330-300 aircraft capable of up to 11 hours of non-stop flight.
The largest airline in the country also said that the new planes will allow them to lower down the long-haul fares by as much 35% lower than what other airlines are offering. On seat sale promos, the figure can be up to 85%.
Although the destinations where
Cebu Pacific will serve is not yet finalized, Lance Gokongwei said in the press release that they are exploring areas where many Filipinos are located such as Europe, Middle East, Oceania and the USA. He also mentioned one specific example, Saudi Arabia, where many Filipinos still fly on non-continuous flights.
A Revolution in International Flight Market?
Cebu Pacific has the known reputation of being a trendsetter in terms of marketing strategy. Their low-cost airline model for Cebu Pacific has boosted the company to be the largest in the Philippines overtaking the long-standing Philippine Airlines (PAL).
Cebu Pacific low-cost promo offers also helped boost Philippines' local tourism. The huge discount on airline fares attracted many locals to travel and explore the country. Due to the popularity of their promos, "Piso Fare" and "Cebu Pacific" has become household terms.
And with this new direction to go on long-haul flights, Cebu Pacific is bound to be bigger than what they are now. I'm hoping that they will become a trendsetter not only locally, but also internationally when it comes to offering low-cost flights to the passengers.
