I think it would be fair to say that after all these years of flying, I may well have acquired a little bit of a nose for airline pricing structures. This evening's flight research yielded some unexpected additional information. I found myself researching flights and prices between two Yunnan-ese towns to confirm for myself that they did indeed bypass the provincial capital, and on a route which would be flown by an aircraft only slightly larger than a Fokker Friendship or the like. For my Australian readers that would be the equivalent of flying from, say Narrabri in regional NSW on a direct flight to Griffith, NSW. For my non Australian readers, if you haven't heard of these places, that's just my point. My Chinese airline search engine produced the above option: a one month in-advance low season ticket showing only 4 seats left in First class (and with plenty of seats clearly still available in economy). Here's my question: Who buys a first class seat on a less-than-one-hour flight between nothing-town and nowhere's-ville, at least three (theoretical) time zones away from Beijing (ie no-one's looking), on a route that would offer, at best, a Mars bar to distinguish you, and a 12" high curtain behind your headrest to separate you, from the AUD $40 (GBP 26) fare-payers... when they don't have to? [Click here to read my friend and long-term Kunming resident Paul's local observations and comments on a similar theme.] [Additional note for travellers to Yunnan province: this is, incidentally, an excellent option for transferring between two superb Yunnan tourist attractions ie Xishuangbanna in the south and Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge in the north in a very short amount of time, bypassing Kunming and for a tiny price] |
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