With the ever-expanding business of low-cost carriers all over the world, it may come as no surprise that South Africa is part of the phenomenon. The world’s economy has changed and the price of airfare has been locking too many people out of travel. To combat this, new airlines have been springing up everywhere over the last 15 years to offer customers a new way to travel.
Traditional airlines include everything they charge for in the ticket price. This price accounts for the fuel, food and drinks, luggage allowance, and upgrades. In contrast, budget airlines decided to offer the commuter an initial cost much lower than that of traditional airlines, but with all the amenities excluded. By offering passengers the choice to pay for things like checking bags, a lunch meal, and drinks, the cost of a ticket is increasingly more affordable. These airlines have made quite the impression in Europe and Asia, and now the rest of the world is following in their footsteps.
After winning the privilege to host the World Cup, South Africa spent enormous amounts of money on improving their infrastructure. This included hotels, roads, and means of transportation. Due to the stadiums for each of the tournament’s games being a fair distance apart, the budget airlines in South Africa dropped their prices and offered visitors a cheap and easy way to travel around the country for the duration of the tournament.
The three budget airlines, Mango, Kulula, and 1Time, operate roughly 30% of the flights in and around South Africa. Kulula, the first budget airline introduced into the country, attempted to use some humor in their advertising during the World Cup. They claimed to be the “Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What.” This sadly backfired, as FIFA came after them, but they, along with the other two airlines, did very well during the tournament.
The three airlines have been around and in competition for just under ten years. As Kulula was the first, they have had a majority role in choosing routes in and around the country, but the other two came in at the perfect time just as low-cost carriers were gaining in popularity. Recently with the economy around the world taking a turn for the worst, the question now is if there’s room for growth.
The benefit these budget airlines have over their competition is their ability to survive during difficult financial times. It isn’t as necessary for them to attract a high volume of customers like traditional airlines do. By keeping ticket costs low, and ancillary products offered for additional costs, they will continue to grow and make money. That being said, a brand new low-cost carrier may not be in South Africa’s immediate future as the established three companies account for so much of the country’s travel. But as tourism has every opportunity to grow after the World Cup, it’s only a matter of time before a new airline is needed.
Guest post by Jamie Myers a writer for Thailand Holidays, an online travel guide with customer reviews, tips, and advice for Thailand travel.
Blogger Muzi Mohale
I’m Muzi Mohale, based in Roodepoort (South Africa). Blogger with www.travelwires.com. Love Travelwires.com since I get to travel our beautiful country through blogging and get first hand tourism experience.
