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SINGAPORE – Tickets for flights from Singapore to Hong Kong were bought a day after the announcement of a bubble of air travel between the two places, which begins on November 22 and allows for leisure travel.
Air tickets for one-way direct flights from Singapore to Hong Kong by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Cathay Pacific Airways from November 22 to the end of the month were sold out at 5.30pm on Thursday (November 12).
A check with Google Flights data about an hour earlier showed that on November 30 it cost $ 994 for a SIA economy class reservation.
One-way direct flights from Hong Kong to Singapore sold out at 8pm.
Noting the “positive response” from bookings since the announcement, Cathay Pacific told The Straits Times that seats for the Hong Kong to Singapore flight departing on November 22 were sold out within 24 hours of being available. .
SIA said it has seen an increase in bookings since the announcement, but declined to release figures due to commercial sensitivity.
Both airlines are currently the only ones authorized to operate flights under the air transport bubble deal announced Wednesday.
Starting Thursday night, economy one-way tickets from Singapore to Hong Kong in December cost between $ 397 and $ 586 for SIA flights.
For the same route, Cathay Pacific economy tickets ranged from $ 347 to $ 648.
The air transport bubble provides a daily flight to each city, with 200 passengers allowed per flight.
Starting December 7, this will double to two daily flights to each city.
The Singapore Civil Aviation Authority said that travelers on these flights between Singapore and Hong Kong will take Covid-19 tests instead of quarantine or stay-at-home notices.
Travel service provider Trip.com said Thursday that searches on its booking platform for flights from Singapore to Hong Kong jumped 200 percent just three hours after the announcement. Flight searches from Hong Kong to Singapore grew 300%.
Similarly, searches on travel booking platform Expedia for travel between Singapore and Hong Kong tripled after the announcement.
Hotel searches also skyrocketed.
Trip.com said that the most sought after hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong were luxury and high-end hotels, especially those offering discounts and flexible booking policies.
Travel agencies like Dynasty Travel said the high demand for travel bubble flights could be due to travelers visiting friends and family.
“For these travelers, price may not be a concern because they can finally see their loved ones without going through quarantine,” said Ms Alicia Seah, director of public relations and communications for Dynasty Travel.
Aaron Wong, 32, was one of 200 people who managed to reserve a seat on the inaugural flight to Hong Kong on November 22.
“If you want to travel for pleasure, the only way is to go through the air bubble if you want to avoid being quarantined for weeks,” said the 32-year-old founder of travel hacks site The Milelion.
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