Ahead of peak season, social media platforms are flooded with consumers’ opinions on the high price of domestic flights. Airlines say, while peak pricing is currently effective, the price of domestic flights has technically reduced.
A one-way flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town for the week of 23 December currently ranges between approximately R2 000 and R5 000 depending on the airline. Flights between Johannesburg and George start at around R2 800 and Johannesburg and Durban from around R1 900.
Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer for FlySafair, said: “The increase we’re seeing in the domestic market for the year to date is below inflation, which means the price of flights has come down slightly.”
However, the airline has noted a surge in demand since September, he added. “In the past two months, it has been up but not by a wide margin and certainly nowhere near 2022 when the fuel price went through the roof with closure of local refineries.”
Airlink has noted similar trends, according to the airline’s CEO and Managing Director Rodger Foster. “We have not seen airfares across the board harden over the past year – they’ve softened commensurately with the key cost driver: fuel. Jet fuel costs less this year than it did a year ago.”
Pricing is driven by supply and demand, Foster pointed out. “During high season, this time of the year, there is opportunistic pricing by all of the carriers.
“I’m not admitting that we are opportunists but, when you have sold out all of your cheap seats a year in advance and you’re only left with the last few seats and there is more demand than availability, you’re going to sell at full price.”
If travellers have left their high season travel arrangements to the last minute, there is a good chance they’re going to pay full fare, Foster said.
South African full fares are a fraction of the price in other parts of the established world, he added.
Linden Birns, Managing Director of Plane Talking, said air travel appears relatively expensive compared to some of the world’s biggest markets but South Africa is actually among the cheapest.
Several factors determine the price, creating “razor thin” profit margins for airlines, he pointed out.
