Flexi-fare system cuts cost of flying with Freedom

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

No-frills airline Freedom Air has a new online booking system that lets fly-anytime customers pay less for tickets.

Freedom Air's revenue manager, Darren McLean, said the Fare Choice system offered savings of up to 50 per cent to passengers who booked three weeks ahead and were flexible about when they flew.

It let them create their own fares by giving an individual price, based on the destination, the time period they could travel within, how long they wanted to stay and how many days notice they required before travel, he said.

The budget price airline has no in-flight movies or entertainment, and sells snacks and drinks.

McLean said the less notice passengers needed before travel and the wider the possible travel period meant the system could search through more flights to find a seat.

This would be a bonus for leisure travellers, and could bring transtasman airfares down to $200 excluding taxes.

"That makes our airfares cheaper than some bus fares," he said.

Fare Choice was tested for three months in Waikato.

McLean said market research showed that 30 per cent of users would not otherwise have flown with Freedom Air.

Freedom had exclusive rights to the Fare Choice software, which was developed in Christchurch by Sigma-Zen, and was looking at ways of expanding its use.