AIRLINE FARES TO BE CUT

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26514, 31 August 1951, Page 9

AIRLINE FARES TO BE CUT

PLANS OF BRITISH CORPORATIONS LONDON, August 29. Britain's two State-owned airlines, the British Overseas Airways Corporation and Britisii European Airways, plan to Introduce cut-price "tourist rate” services designed io attract passengers who normally travel second or third-class by rail and sea. The new services will offer up to 25 per cent, reductions in the normal fares. The reductions are expected to be achieved without loss by cutting out free drinks, meals, and free gifts to passengers, which at present are keeping air fares high. The tourist class aeroplanes would carry more passengers and meals and drinks would be an extra charge. The aviation correspondent of the “Daily Herald” states that 8.0.A.C. and B.E.A. are taking a leading part in the international drive to shift air travel out of the luxury class to match the pocket of the average man. At next month’s meeting of the Ii ernational Air Transport Association the new “tourist” rates will be fixed. The British airlines will throw their weight behind the movement for mass air travel. The idea is to give value for the money in miles flown, not ir. free services. October, 1952, is the date the airlines have in mind for the Change-over. The present ordinary fare to Paris is about £l4 return, which will be reduced to about £lO 10s if the proposed cuts are made. The special excursion fare of £ll will be reduced to £8 ss.

New Aircraft The report states: “B.E.A.’s view is that the sale of mass air travel to the public should be based on the provision of a comfortable seat in an efficiently operated aeroplane from the airport o? departure to the airport of arrivallater to be reinforced over the shorter stages by helicopters flying directly from city centre to a city centre.

“The present practice of including in the cost of the ticket free transport between a city centre and the airport, free wines ana liqueurs in the air and, in some cases, free gifts to passengers, is prolonging the period of high fares." The report says that the Ambassador class of aircraft was due to co into service next month. Forty-nine passengers would be carried on normal flights and 53 flights on the tourist rate services. Heading the list of new machines on order is the de Havilland Comet, which will go into operation between London, Rome, and Cairo next January. In February the Comet route will be extended to Johannesburg. 8.0.A.C. has placed orders for nine Comet aircraft fitted with Ghost engines an a further six fitted with Rolls-Royce Avon engines. In 1955 the corporation plans to bring in a fleet of 19 Bristol 175 aircraft. Thesj machines are capable of carrying 96 or 70 passengers, according to the degree of luxury required, and they will be used on all the corporation’s routes. The corporation’s first Ambassador aircraft is to make its inaugural flight from London to Paris on September 1, and they will replace Vikings on that route bn the following week. The first Viscount is due in October, 1952, and the new Marathon will be next in service.

The 8.0.A.C. report says that the corporation has given up flyingboats. The new Princess class flyingboats, which are larger than the Brabazon airliner, would not be nut into service for passenger work, but would be handed over to the Royal Air Force.