Visiting Hong Kong has never been cheaper as protests drag on – US$400 fares from New York, US$180 from Singapore, anybody?
- A drop in tourism amid anti-government unrest has seen airlines slash fairs. The biggest cuts are on long-haul routes, with leading carriers offering deals
- Flights from London can be had for US$460, and from Los Angeles for US$310. In Asia, flights from Bangkok are down to US$140; hotels have cut room rates too
The average cost of flying a Boeing 777-300ER, a workhorse on long-haul travel, into Hong Kong International Airport is HK$110,732 (US$14,125) for landing, parking and passenger fees. In contrast, Singapore’s Changi airport charges the US$12,720 and Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou charge US$11,593.
Protesters occupied the airport in August, and nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled. Arrivals that month fell by 12,4 per cent according to the Airport Authority, which forecasts the airport will handle two million fewer passengers in 2019 than in 2018.
That would be its first decline in traffic in 10 years, and contrasts with its earlier prediction of 3 per cent traffic growth this year. Several countries have travel advisories in place for Hong Kong.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways revealed it suffered a 12 per cent decline in passengers flying out of Hong Kong in August compared with the same period last year. It has cut the frequency on some of its most popular routes.
Some of the best deals on flights to Hong Kong in October are from the United States. American Airlines is offering return flights to Hong Kong from Washington from US$500. For those able to book a last-minute trip, a search on trip.com for flights departing on October 3 shows flights provided by multiple airlines starting from US$400.
Travellers from New York can snap up return flights for as little as US$450 with Aeroflot on selected dates throughout October. Again, flights that use a combination of airlines are selling for US$400.
People wanting to fly from Los Angeles to Hong Kong can secure fares as low as US$310 with American Airlines, for an October 3 departure. The airline’s prices for the rest of the month average US$330. It is offering return flights from Seattle for an average of US$350 throughout October.
Travellers from Europe can also pick up cheap flights. Flights from London are being offered by Swiss Air for an average of US$460 throughout October.
If you want to make a last-minute trip from Paris, Lufthansa is offering US$480 seats for travel on October 3. Those looking to depart from Frankfurt can snap up seats with Etihad Airways for as little as US$497 on selected dates in October.
In Asia, ticket prices are at an all-time low. The price of a return flight to Hong Kong from Singapore is averaging US$180 in October. Singapore Airlines is offering return flights from US$189, and Scoot from US$176.
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Flights from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, are selling for as little as US$123 with Air Asia, while Cathay Pacific flights from Manila in the Philippines start from US$124; AirAsia is offering flights from Manila for US$112.
From Bangkok, return tickets with AirAsia start from US$140, while travellers from Shanghai can cash in on deals that start at US$127 with Shanghai Airlines.
A Hong Kong Tourism Board spokeswoman said it hoped such low fares would encourage more people to visit Hong Kong.
She said: “The number of visitor arrivals is affected by various influences, including macroeconomic environment, currency exchange rates and socio-economic situations, among others.
“It is difficult to conclude the effect of a single factor, but undoubtedly for some markets that are sensitive to pricing, lower priced travel offers will help attract tourists to the destination.”
