In the words of the CEO of Polynesian Airlines, Seiuli Alvin Tuala, they are ready to meet the challenges presented by its newest competitor on the inter Samoa market.
Coinciding with the launching of Talofa Airways, Polynesian issued a statement yesterday saying it has been selling sale fares of $150 round trip since the beginning of last week.
The airline did not publicize the reduced fares until its statement yesterday but it says the fare information has been made available to travel agents.
Before now, the cheapest air fare on Polynesian out of Tafuna has been $160 roundtrip.
Based on the airline’s new on line booking service one can pay up to $245 for a roundtrip.
The Polynesian CEO says the speed of their competitor’s aircraft is not a major concern with Polynesian Airlines.
Talofa Airways has two, 9-seater Twin Commando aircraft and flying time from Fagalii to Tafuna is just under 20 minutes.
Seiuli touts the comfort of Polynesian’s Twin Otters.
He says, “With our Twin Otter aircraft, it’s only a 30 minute plane ride to Pago from Fagalii Airport and the majority of our people prefer to travel in a comfortable and bigger plane.”
According to Seiuli, the Twin Otter aircraft “have been in operation on the Pago route for years starting from the late 1980s so the Pago market are very much used to this type of aircraft.”
“The Twin Otter aircraft is world renowned for its safety record and versatility and these STOL (short take-off and landing) type of aircraft are ideally suited for short runways like Fagalii Airport.”
Seiuli stated that he and his team have been working on a lot of areas to improve their airline’s service to the travelling public.
Polynesian has been the only airline flying the two Samoa for more than 3 years after Inter island Air suspended service.
CEO Seiuli says, “We welcome competition. Competition is good for everyone as it means cheaper fares for the travelling public and improved services from the airlines involved and this will only serve to benefit the economies of the two Samoas.”
