Tokyo’s “No Luggage” Tickets Hit the Market: V Air Breaks Low-Cost Airline Boundaries

▲EVA Air. (Photo / Reporter Cai Wenjun)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

China Airlines announced on May 24 that it will launch a "no luggage included" ticket option, attracting customers with low prices. Passengers can purchase additional baggage according to their needs, very similar to the purchasing model of low-cost airlines. As for whether it will follow suit,EVA Airstated: there are no plans.

One of the cost-reduction strategies of low-cost airlines is to sell tickets separately and then allow passengers to add services such as in-flight meals or checked baggage based on their needs. China Airlines’ current approach of offering baggage as an add-on service retains the original full-service package while only making baggage an optional purchase. In fact, in Europe and America, some traditional airlines have already launched similar options, giving customers the choice to opt in or out of checked baggage.China Airlinesstated that sales have been good so far, and they will further evaluate whether to offer this service on other routes in the future.

▲China Airlines. (Photo / Reporter Chen Jun?)

Taiwan-based low-cost airlineV Air spokesperson Tang Dun-taistated that the growth of low-cost airlines in Europe and America has taken away customers from traditional airlines. In order to compete for mid-range passengers, traditional airlines have introduced self-purchase baggage options, and low-cost airlines have also successively launched bundled packages including meals and baggage. In the future, the boundary between traditional airlines and low-cost airlines will become increasingly blurred. Compared to China Airlines' new plan, Tang Dun-tai believes the most obvious difference between low-cost and traditional airlines is that low-cost carriers can continuously offer a large number of affordable tickets.