Yesterday saw the launch of faster train travel between Korea’s two main cities, Seoul and Busan. The travel time between the two cities via KTX rail has been reduced by 22 minutes to two hours and 18 minutes with stops in Daejeon, Daegu, Gyeongju and Ulsan – after the completion of a new high-speed rail between Daegu and Busan.
Local budget carriers have hit back and are offering new promotional packages and improved services to keep customers. Air Busan, a local budget carrier of Asiana Airlines, the nation’s second-largest carrier, said recently that it “will compete with KTX directly by offering flights from Seoul to Busan once every 30 minutes and from Busan to Seoul once every 60 minutes.”
“In addition, we are planning to offer discounts to passengers in contrast to KTX, which has raised its prices by 4,000 won ($3.58),” said an official from Air Busan. Air Busan and Korean Air are the major carriers offering flights to Busan.
An average one-way flight from Seoul to Busan on Air Busan costs 74,600 won, including the air tax fee, while a KTX ticket on the route costs 55,500 won on the weekend. With the 20% discount, a one-way flight to Busan would cost 52,400 won.
Meanwhile, Air Busan said it is planning a service between Busan and Cebu in the Philippines and Busan-Taipei to launch by January 2011.