Daily discount schemes a hit: SpiceJet fills more seats than any other airline in August

New Delhi: The almost-daily fare discount schemes and an improved cabins seem to be working for SpiceJet, at least in terms of aircraft loads. For the third month in a row, SpiceJet has managed to fill more seats on its aircraft than any other domestic airline with August load factor at 82.5 percent. This means it managed to fill almost 8 in 10 seats.

SpiceJet tops flight occupancy figures for the third straight month in August

Mumbai: Low fare carrier SpiceJet topped flight occupancy figures in the industry for the third straight month in August, although it ceded second position to Jet Airways after ousting it in July.

The carrier managed on average to fill 82.5% of its flights during the month, according to figures from DGCA. In comparison, market leader IndiGo just managed to fill 74.8% of its flights.

SpiceJet Comes Up With Super Sale Offer Again

Budget carrier SpiceJet has announced a discount sale offer with fares starting from an all-inclusive Rs 1,999 for specific routes on its domestic network.

The booking for this SpiceJet scheme will remain open till September 16, 2014. This SpiceJet offer is applicable on travel period between October 7, 2014, and January 15, 2015.
SpiceJet has been one of the most aggressive players in offering promotional schemes, announcing more than a dozen offers this year.

Will SpiceJet be the next Kingfisher?

New Delhi: Is the low-cost carrier SpiceJet going the Kingfisher way? This is the question that is being heavily debated in aviation circles these days. If sources within the airline are to be believed, then the situation is indeed very alarming. While on one hand the airline is announcing fancy schemes to woo passengers, there is another side to the story too.

The low-cost carrier faces the same issues Kingfisher had faced. Allowances over the many months have not been paid, foreign travel allowance of last 12 months have not paid. A percentage of foreign travel allowance of pilots and crew has been cut. Employees haven't received Form 16 as yet. Management hasn't deposited TDS. Ground staff at certain sectors have not been given salaries for some months.

SpiceJet to operate flights to Mysore during Dasara

Mysore:  The Heritage City will have air connectivity this Dasara season after all. On Friday, SpiceJet informed the Airports Authority of India that it'll operate flights between September 16 and October 25.

There's no change in the destination given that Mysore will be linked to Chennai via Bangalore like earlier. However, there are some changes in the schedule which stakeholders expect will help travellers and generate traffic.

SpiceJet Extends Booking Period for Rs 499 Scheme

Budget carrier SpiceJet has extended its Rs 499 limited offer limited-period special fare scheme. Under the 'Early Bird' scheme customers can book customers ticket prices as low as Rs 499 on its domestic network.

The offer is now applicable for bookings made till September 5, 2014 (inclusive) and travel date between January 16, 2015, and October 24, 2015 (both dates inclusive). In the original offer, the bookings for this scheme were open till September 3, 2014.

SpiceJet dropped 26 routes, 7 stations in FY14

Mumbai: Chennai-based low-cost carrier SpiceJet discontinued 26 routes and seven stations, and further reduced capacity on 14 routes, during the financial year 2014, the airline has said in its latest annual report.
The stations discontinued by the airline include Bhopal, Allahabad, Pondicherry, Tiruchirappalli, Guangzhou, Riyadh and Bangkok.
The Kalanithi Maran-controlled airline, which is currently trying to turnaround its operations towards profitability, posted a record loss of Rs 1003.30 crore during FY14, up from Rs 191 crore during the previous fiscal.

SpiceJet gets 1,00,000 bookings for special offer tickets priced Rs 499

Loss-making, low-cost airline SpiceJet rolled out yet another cheap fare offer called Early Bird on Monday with tickets priced as low as Rs 499 on its domestic network making it the fifth discount bonanza for fliers in the last two months. Within hours, one lakh tickets for the three-day offer were sold.
The way it was lapped up by customers on Monday indicates a record of sort, an airline source told news agency PTI. "By 4 pm, tickets sale touched the 1-lakh mark," the source said adding, "it expects to set a new sales record in terms of booking in a single day."

SpiceJet turns focus on the domestic sector

Chennai: SpiceJet has significantly reduced its international operations since January this year to focus more on the domestic sector. The number of international flight departures dropped by nearly 60 per cent between January and July, according to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The number of international passengers carried by SpiceJet in July dropped to 67,071 as against 113,013 in January.

The airline is clearly focusing on the domestic sector, said an industry source who did not want to be named.

Now SpiceJet Offers Rs. 499 Fare on Domestic Network

Mumbai: Country's second largest airline by market share, SpiceJet today launched yet another limited period special fare scheme, 'Early Bird', offering customers ticket prices as low as Rs. 499 on its domestic network.

The bookings for this three-day offer commences from today with a travel validity period between January 16 and October 24 next year, SpiceJet said in a release.
SpiceJet's Next Year's Tickets Go on Sale from Rs. 499
AirAsia India Offers Fares From Rs. 1,290 on Tickets Till December
SpiceJet offers discounted flying options to destinations across the country, with one way fares starting as low as Rs. 499 (including fuel surcharge but excluding applicable statutory taxes and fees), the release said.

This sale will allow customers to enjoy low fares by planning their journey and holidays in advance.

The sale offer is applicable on all direct, via and connecting flights on SpiceJet's domestic network.
Read news in full 01/09/14 NDTV

SpiceJet to Launch Daily Bangkok-Kolkata Flights

SpiceJet has confirmed it will launched a daily flight between Bangkok and Kolkata on 25 September 2014.
To celebrate, SpiceJet is offering an all inclusive introductory promotional one-way fare of THB 1,499 (Bangkok-Kolkata). The promotion is for limited period. Terms and conditions apply.
 Mr. Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer, SpiceJet Ltd, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to announce our new flight between Bangkok and Kolkata. We believe there is tremendous opportunity in the Bangkok-Kolkata market, and this flight will also connect our Bangkok-origin customers to and from other Indian destinations.
Read news in full 01/09/14 Asia Travel Tips

Can SpiceJet's COO Sanjiv Kapoor turn around the cash-strapped airline?

On June 25, four men associated with low-cost airline SpiceJet came by Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, which houses the aviation ministry, in central Delhi for a closed meeting with the new minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati.

The group had the ceremony of a high-level delegation, but would wait for nearly an hour because the minister was being interviewed — rather profusely — by a television journalist.

Three members of the group, senior executives of SpiceJet, settled on a beige sofa in a cramped room and killed time by attending to their phones. Their easy mien showed they were used to waiting at the ministry.

Air India tops list of passenger complaints, SpiceJet second

New Delhi: Air India tops the list of passenger complaints lodged against Indian airlines in July this year, followed by no-frill carrier SpiceJet, official data shows.

Most air travellers, who have lodged complaints against the airlines, complained of problems relating to delayed flights and their customer services.

While Air India topped the list with the maximum of 213 complaints, it was followed by SpiceJet with 129 and IndiGo with 92. These carriers were followed by GoAir with 81 complaints and Jet Airways 61, the data for July showed.

SpiceJet management churn still on, 4 senior executives resign

Chennai/Mumbai: The management churn in financially beleagured carrier SpiceJet is still on. In the last two weeks four senior executives at the airline have put in their papers, three sources in the know told ET.

Exits include Anurag Jain senior vice president network planning , Sandeep Verma head of in-flight services, Anshu Tiwari general manager HR and IP Singh chief security officer. Sources said some more exits are likely to follow.

SpiceJet offers 'festive season' fares for as low as Rs 1888

New Delhi:  Rolling out yet another limited- period special fares offer, no-frill carrier SpiceJet today announced discounts on one-way all-inclusive fares starting as low as Rs 1,888.

The catch is you will have to book your flight by August 27 and travel between September 25 and January 15, an airline spokesperson said, adding the offer is applicable on all direct, via and onward flights on SpiceJet's domestic network.
There would be "limited inventory under the offer which will be available on first-come-first-served basis and is not applicable on group bookings," he said.

SpiceJet Offers Fares From Rs 1,888 in Festive Season Offer

Budget carrier has come out with yet another discount offer. Under the festive season offer, SpiceJet is offering all-in fares from Rs 1,888.

This limited-period offer is valid on booking till August 27, 2014 (inclusive) and travel between September, 25, 2014 and January, 15, 2015 (both dates inclusive).

This sale offer is valid for bookings made on SpiceJet's domestic network.

As SpiceJet drags feet on info, DGCA audit of airlines to miss deadline

New Delhi: The financial and engineering audit of domestic airlines being conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will get delayed, with low-cost carrier SpiceJet yet to furnish complete information, a top official at the aviation regulator told FE.

To assess the operational health of airlines reeling under accumulated losses of almost Rs 50,000 crore, the DGCA had first asked all carriers to submit detailed financial data for the 2013-14 fiscal by mid-June. Later, in July, it again asked for additional inputs. This information is expected to primarily help in assessing the safety preparedness of the airlines, and understand whether the recent trend of aggressive price discounts is sustainable.

SpiceJet under lens for alleged I-T breaches

Hyderabad: Low-cost airline SpiceJet is under the scanner of the income tax (I-T) department for suspected violations of TDS (tax deducted at source) and non-distribution of Form-16 to its employees, a Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) official said on Friday.

“Action is to recover the tax, then penal interest and some penalty will be there," CBDT Chairman K V Chowdary told reporters here.

He was responding to queries on reports of non-disbursement of Form-16 by the Kalanithi Maran-controlled loss-making carrier.

Chowdary declined to reveal the due from the airline to the I-T department.

Struggling SpiceJet Hit By Pilot Exodus

New Delhi:  Loss-making budget carrier SpiceJet, whose auditors have raised red-flags over the company's 'going concern' status, is now seeing an exodus of pilots. Over 60 pilots have quit and are serving the mandatory six-month notice period, sources told HT.

A majority of those who have quit are likely to join a rival low-cost carrier, which unlike SpiceJet, has an-Airbus fleet, the sources added.

"Pilots are leaving in droves. There is too much uncertainty in the airline," said an airline executive, who did not wish to be identified.

Maran to pump Rs 200cr into SpiceJet via warrants

New Delhi:  Paving the way for fund infusion, low-cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet has increased its authorized share capital from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 1,500 crore. The negative net worth LCC has also got board approval to "allot up to 18.9 crore warrants convertible into equivalent number of equity shares, in various tranches, to the promoters of the company, on preferential basis".

Before this board-approved move, promoter Kalanithi Maran had hit the threshold limit of 53% holding in the company and he could not have infused more funds. With the enhancement of authorized share capital and decision to issue warrants, the Maran family — which has so far put in about Rs 1,400 crore into SpiceJet — will now be able to pump in another Rs 200 crore in tranches as convertible debentures.

The LCC desperately needs money to stay afloat as it faces statutory tax issues and is yet to give Form 16 of last fiscal to its employees.
Read news in full 23/08/14 Times of India