Airphil Express continues 2012 expansion with launch of 4 new routes

MANILA, Philippines – Airphil Express is making Clark one of its major hubs in its on-going expansion program this year. Starting March 29 this year, the country’s fastest-growing budget carrier is launching four new routes from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo, Aklan and Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan. This will increase to 32 Airphil Express’s total domestic destinations.

“With its highly improved road network and increasing flights, Clark is setting out to become a natural entry point to major tourist destinations and a major hub for business and tourism in the country,” says Alfredo Herrera, senior vice president for sales and marketing of Airphil Express.

Herrera said that by operating out of Clark, Airphil Express would be able to target emerging population centers in Pampanga and Central Luzon. “It goes hand in hand with our commitment to help spur growth for the country’s economy via the promotion of local tourism in the area,” he adds.

The new routes would kick off under this new flight schedule – Clark to Cebu route (v.v.) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; Clark to Davao route (v.v.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; Clark to Kalibo route (v.v.) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; and Clark to Puerto Princesa route (v.v.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Airphil Express is establishing a separate transfer hub at Clark to serve the immense volume of passengers that are expected to be shuttling to and from the area. The newly opened routes from Clark is also expected to allow for more visitors, who often travel for the purpose of business and leisure, to take advantage of the latest express sale promo fares of Airphil Express en route to enjoying resource-rich destinations in Clark and the nearby areas.

Airphil Express has gained patronage among budget-conscious travelers thanks to its frequent Express Sales, which offers ultra-discounted fares for featured destinations within a certain time period. And while Airphil Express considers its much-anticipated Express Sale promos as a key contributor to growth last year, its top executives prefer to give more credit to its excellent customer service.

“We offer other intangibles like listening to consumers and satisfying their needs. By taking advantage of emerging trends in social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, we are able to get in touch with our customers, and be responsive to their needs any time of day, any day of the week,” Herrera adds.

Airphil Express is currently the darling of the tourism crowd with is airfare and convenience-driven products and services like the Web Check-In, Seat Selector, Travel Insurance, and Pre-Paid Baggage, as well as travel exclusives of as much as 15 kilos free baggage allowance and an additional 7-kilo free hand carry.

It is regarded as the first budget airline to address the needs of business and leisure travelers through its round-the-clock, 24/7 customer service presence in social networking websites.