Tasmayee Laha Roy Moneycontrol News
Iceland's low-cost long-haul airline WOW air's maiden flight from Delhi to Reykjavik, Iceland takes off on Friday. The airline is not only excited about commencing India operations, it is looking to increase an array of offerings in the country. Since the airline announced its foray into India, it has been aggressively promoting low rates that can get a passenger a flight ticket for the US or Canada for as low as Rs 14,500. Kiran Jain, MD at WOW air India spoke to Moneycontrol to reveal the airline's strategy.
Edited excerpts:
Q: You have flights starting at Rs 14,500 for Delhi to various locations in the US and Canada, which is the price only for the seat. Given the flight duration, passengers will have to buy food onboard and pay for the luggage, will this push up the price of the journey drastically?
A: Firstly you have complete control over what you want to pay for, so add-ons need to be selected smartly. Secondly, given all basic add-ons, we would still be charging passengers 25 percent less as compared to other carriers. There is no cheaper way to get to North America and Canada from India.
Additionally, these extremely low price seats are limited (he did not disclose the number of seats), hence those who constantly keep tracking tickets can avail these offers. It's like a fastest finger first arrangement. But like I said, the price will still remain lower as compared to other carriers.
Staying true to our mission of enabling everyone to fly, we're offering reasonably low fares to our destinations and are hopeful that more people will have an opportunity to fly around the world.
Q: What has been the response so far? Was the maiden flight to Iceland fully booked?
A: I cannot reveal numbers, but the response we have received from India has been overwhelming and we hope to continue this trend going forward. Our ultra-low fares reflect the need for affordable travel from India to transatlantic destinations and has also given an opportunity for Iceland to open up to the world as a tourist destination for the Indian travellers.
Q: Tell us a little about your India operations.
A: WOW air serves a number of destinations from New Delhi including Chicago, Orlando, New York, Detroit, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington DC in the US, Toronto and Montreal in Canada and Reykjavik in Iceland. We are flying three days a week -- on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. WOW air has four exciting fare options including WOW basic, WOW plus, WOW comfy and WOW premium. The airline gives a cost-effective opportunity to break-up long-haul journeys across the Atlantic and simultaneously enjoy breath-taking scenic destinations or outdoor adventures in Iceland.
Q: Do you plan to expand operations from India?
A: Expansion totally depends on how customers accept us in the Indian market. For now we will fly out only from Delhi and the frequency of operations will remain the same at least until the end of this fiscal. Later we will evaluate our performance and decide the way ahead.
Q: What are the India specific offerings you have?
A: We have recruited a part of our crew from India and we have concentrated on serving food that suits the Indian taste. The Oberoi Group is our food partner and we have meals that would suit Indian taste buds. That apart, we are running special promotions for the wedding season where a couple getting married between November this year and May 2019 get a chance to win a fully paid five-day trip to Iceland.
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