AirAsia Philippines is celebrating a successful first month of 2023, with an impressive 90% average load factor. This marks a 10% increase compared to the same period last year and is a promising start for the airline.
Domestically, Caticlan, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Davao, and Iloilo have remained popular destinations for travelers, while Seoul, Bangkok, Osaka, and Tokyo have become the most sought-after international routes.
Steve Dailisan, Head of Communications and Public Affairs at AirAsia Philippines, expressed his excitement over the recent trends in travel demand. He attributes the increased travel to the reopening of more international destinations in the fourth quarter of 2022 and specifically mentions the reopening of the China market as a cause for optimism in restoring the airline’s international capacity. He goes on to emphasize that AirAsia Philippines will continue to offer their guests the best value deals and exceptional service that they have come to expect.
In an effort to make travel more accessible, AirAsia is launching a three-day sale event. Taking advantage of its dominance in the Cebu hub, the airline is offering up to 20% off on flights from Cebu to Manila, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Davao, and Incheon. These discounts will be available at the Cebu leg of the BDO Travel Fair, happening from 27 to 29 January 2023. Other destinations are also included in the sale and are valid for travel until 30 September 2023.
AirAsia is also making the travel experience even more exciting with their a-Access promo. This promo offers exclusive discounts on AirAsia partner establishments and activities in Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Dumaguete, and Puerto Princesa. Guests who take advantage of the a-Access promo will also receive raffle tickets for a chance to win a FREE AirAsia flight. The promo period is valid until 6 February 2023 and can be redeemed through the Super App.
Strict eTravel Requirement Compliance
As the Philippines prepares for an influx of tourists this year, AirAsia Philippines is reminding all international travelers to complete their Philippine One-Stop Electronic Travel Declaration, also known as the eTravel card, three days or 72 hours before their scheduled departure. The eTravel platform, which replaces the One Health Pass, is the only travel requirement for fully vaccinated Filipino and international travelers and is available online at etravel.gov.ph.
“During the recent months, we monitored around 20% of arriving international guests who are still unable to complete the eTravel requirement prior to their flight, causing long queues at the arrival area. As a mandatory requirement of the Philippine Government on safety and security, we would like to highly encourage the compliance of our guests as we promote a seamless customer experience with AirAsia,” Dailisan said.
The Department of Tourism in the Philippines expects more than 4.8 million tourists to visit the country this year, with the majority of arrivals anticipated to increase in the second quarter of 2023 during the summer season, particularly for island destinations such as Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, and Puerto Princesa.
In an effort to attract more international tourists, AirAsia has recently opened its three-week flight to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and will soon be offering best value deals for flights to Guangzhou (Canton), China, and Tokyo (Narita), Japan, which are expected to commence next month.
AirAsia also advises international departing passengers at NAIA Terminal 3 to allocate sufficient time before their estimated departure time for smooth check-in, security clearance, and immigration screening. The World’s Best Low-Cost Airline encourages its guests to download the Super App for flight schedules and other travel advisories and to regularly visit the airasia fly safe page and airasia Super App social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter.