March 05, 2008
Korea’s top air carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, are locked in tight competition to secure their respective positions in Paris, France, one of the key destinations in Europe.Asiana announced yesterday that it has set a date for its first Incheon-Paris flight for the last day of this month. A Boeing 777 will leave Incheon at 1:15 p.m. and arrive in Paris at 6:20 p.m. local time, a 12-hour flight. The airline secured a license to run this route, which has only been available locally through Korean Air for nearly 30 years, during a Korea-France flight conference in January last year. Asiana plans to set itself apart from Korean Air by lowering its fares and offering a variety of services and discounts. Target customers for Asiana’s new route will be students and tourists. Its round-trip tickets will be from 300,000 won ($318) to 400,000 won less than Korean Air’s.“To stand our own against Korean Air on this route, which they’ve had a monopoly on for so long, we needed to up our game in prices and services,” said an Asiana spokeswoman.The Paris route saw its first flight in 1975 through a joint Korean Air-Air France contract. According to Korean Air, over 350,000 people traveled the route last year .Meanwhile, Korean Air has also been stepping up its efforts to market Paris recently. Last month, the airline sponsored the Louvre Museum’s offering of its multimedia guide service in Korean. After Japanese, Korean is the second Asian language added to the system, which is now available in seven languages.“Paris is one of the top three European destinations for Korean Air, along with Frankfurt and London,” said a spokesman for the airline.By Cho Jae-eun Staff Reporter [jainnie@joongang.co.kr]
Korea’s top air carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, are locked in tight competition to secure their respective positions in Paris, France, one of the key destinations in Europe.Asiana announced yesterday that it has set a date for its first Incheon-Paris flight for the last day of this month. A Boeing 777 will leave Incheon at 1:15 p.m. and arrive in Paris at 6:20 p.m. local time, a 12-hour flight. The airline secured a license to run this route, which has only been available locally through Korean Air for nearly 30 years, during a Korea-France flight conference in January last year. Asiana plans to set itself apart from Korean Air by lowering its fares and offering a variety of services and discounts. Target customers for Asiana’s new route will be students and tourists. Its round-trip tickets will be from 300,000 won ($318) to 400,000 won less than Korean Air’s.“To stand our own against Korean Air on this route, which they’ve had a monopoly on for so long, we needed to up our game in prices and services,” said an Asiana spokeswoman.The Paris route saw its first flight in 1975 through a joint Korean Air-Air France contract. According to Korean Air, over 350,000 people traveled the route last year .Meanwhile, Korean Air has also been stepping up its efforts to market Paris recently. Last month, the airline sponsored the Louvre Museum’s offering of its multimedia guide service in Korean. After Japanese, Korean is the second Asian language added to the system, which is now available in seven languages.“Paris is one of the top three European destinations for Korean Air, along with Frankfurt and London,” said a spokesman for the airline.By Cho Jae-eun Staff Reporter [jainnie@joongang.co.kr]
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