Malaysian airlines offer fare discounts for returning voters
PETALING JAYA - Malaysia Airlines will be offering 20 per cent discounted fares to facilitate voter movement for the 15th General Elections set for Nov 19.
In a statement on Thursday, Malaysia Airlines said it launched the “Jom Balik Mengundi” (Let’s go back to vote) campaign which would run from Oct 20 to Nov 19 for travel from Nov 11 and Nov 27.
The airlines will also mount 26 additional flights and upgrade 16 domestic services to wide-body A330 aircraft to accommodate the surge in demand to several routes in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
The 20 per cent discount promotion is applicable on all fare categories and is available for booking via malaysiaairlines.com, the airlines said.
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) will monitor the pricing of flight tickets to ensure that airlines do not hike up prices arbitrarily in light of the general election, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Dr Wee also said Mavcom can intervene if airlines have unreasonably increased prices for flight tickets.
Earlier, there were Malaysians complaining on social media that flight ticket prices had soared following the Election Commission’s announcement of the Nov 19 polling date.
Meanwhile, Firefly Airlines will add up to 70 flights from Subang and Penang for selected domestic routes from Nov 17 to Nov 20 with up to 24 per cent discounted fares.
The promotion is available for booking from Oct 20 until Oct 24 for travel from Nov 1 to June 30, 2023.
“MASwings customers travelling from Miri to Mulu, Sandakan to Lahad Datu, and Bintulu to Sibu will be able to book flights from RM135 for one-way all-in fares,” it added.
Malaysia Aviation Groups Chief Executive Officer Captain Izham Ismail said as a national airline, supporting the GE15 movement for those travelling back to their hometown to fulfil their responsibilities was part of their national commitment.
“In view of this, all airlines under the Malaysia Aviation Group are pleased to mount additional capacities for certain sectors, where possible.
He added that customers are encouraged to take advantage of the promotions and book their flights early, for the best deals on Malaysia Airlines, Firefly or MASwings. - THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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