PIA increases fares for Pakistani destinations

LONDON: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has increased its fares for Pakistani destinations from the UK, creating resentment in the Pakistani community, particularly those planning to travel to hometowns over Easter break. The Pakistani travel agents are angered by the sudden increase of £100-£200 with the Association of Pakistani Travel Agents (APTA) - the main representative body of the travel agents of Pakistani origin - refusing to sell the national airline’s tickets. The increase comes at a time when travelers from Britain were braving effects of recession, price hike and government cuts of hundreds of thousands of workers. Pakistanis here are among the most-affected groups, now struggling to make both ends meet.
“The decision has been taken at the most unfortunate time when the spending capacity of the British customers had been dealt a blow by the spending cuts and downsizing in the jobs sector,” Mehboob Ahmed, spokesperson for the APTA, told The News. He said the PIA management did not take its customers or the sales agents or even APTA into confidence over the fare hike.
“It’s a one-sided decision and we have decided not to sell PIA tickets because for us to explain to customers hike in the prices is cumbersome.” Ahmed said it is sad that the Pakistani travel agents have to advice customers to try other airlines with much cheaper fares. “PIA has made it a point to push its allies to the wall. We are left with no option.” Ahmed alleged that the PIA senior management had lost the plot, leading the national airline towards destruction. He repeated his call on the PIA for cutting its “army of managers” in the UK for failing to increase its revenues. PIA is already involved in a London High Court claim case of £2.69 million brought by the 43-member strong APTA, which represents some of the oldest PIA sales agents. PIA increased the fares on Sunday, according to a circular seen by The News. Since then, this correspondent tried to contact the airline but no one from the PIA’s London headquarters was available for comments on the circular.
According to the circular, PIA asked its travel agents to increase fares from Sunday, January 30, 2011. “We hope that through our teamwork we can maximise revenue to our mutual interest, i.e, PIA and yourselves,” it read.