Published: 10/29/1997

Vnukovo Airlines has also detailed its winter timetable and the company's new approach to work with tourist agencies. Aleksandr Klimov, first deputy general director on commerce, said the boom in flights abroad has ended, making Russian operators look for niches on the CIS market. Claiming itself the biggest carrier on Russian routes, Vnukovo Airlines is making steps to secure its leading position. In the winter timetable the geography of scheduled services will be wider, with 15 new destinations all over Russia. The company will make 39 regular flights daily. Quality of services on traditional routes will be increased with help of British Airways Service, which is contracted to train 150 Russian stewardesses in England. Director for customer relations, Vladimir Rubtsov announced new terms for tourist agencies taking effect in late October. The policy of having one strategic partner - in the shape of Intourist agency - has not proved a success, he said. According to Rubtsov, Intourist did not manage to deliver fully its obligations on the provision of a sufficient number of tourists. As a result, the operator was unable to load its fleet to capacity in September and October. Unhappy with Intourist, Vnukovo Airlines is going to have "a club of friends" that would consolidate the flow of tourists more effectively. Rubtsov says that from now, charter flights will be sold only under comprehensive long-term agreements. This would allow the airline to reach a balance of interests and improve planning. Rubtsov explains, "In February we plead with tourist agencies for passengers, in August they chase us for tickets. As a result, we all live in fever mode". The practice of long-term agreements would allow a smoother load on Vnukovo Airlines and guarantee tickets for "friendly agencies" in peaks of the tourist season. "Those who fly with us in winter will fly with us in summer", Rubtsov said. As one of measures to attract tourists in the "dead season", Vnukovo Airlines offers a wide choice of winter resorts in Europe and Siberia. Klimov and Rubtsov admit that by selling tickets in large quantities, Vnukovo Airlines is leaving small tourist agencies for other operators. Touching on the theme of so-called "shop-tourists", Klimov said his company will not court them. "They are so uncivilised that after 40 or 60 flights you've got to replace the whole upholstery in the passenger cabin." In the last two months Vnukovo Airlines has had intensive contacts with 500 tourist agencies. As a result of these contacts, the company has decided to slash prices on charter flights abroad by 20%. The prices will remain the same regardless of seasonal peaks in traffic, and be valid until 1 October 1998. In addition, the operator offers a system of discounts to very large clients, up to 10%. Rubtsov explained that the cut in prices was made possible "after intensive work of the whole company's personnel on measures aimed at decreasing our operating expenses." The new prices are quoted in a press-release dated 23 October. It says that Vnukovo Airlines is distributing to tourist agencies its new list-price on 46 typical charter flights abroad on the Tu-154 and Il-86 airliners with 162 and 300-340 seats respectively. A typical 5-hour round trip Moscow-Istanbul, for instance, is offered at $30,140 for the Tu-154 and $52,440 for the Il-86. In September, the prices were $36,170 and 62,930, correspondingly. Aleksandr Klimov says that currently international flights account for 10-15% in the company's total traffic, and that by keeping the prices down it would be possible "to get closer to the optimum of 20-25%." According to him, Vnukovo Airlines is now ready to withstand competition from Aeroflot, which practices dumping prices on popular routes like to the Arab Emirates.(AL1097.5) (VK)

Article ID: 70