Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yaya]

Competition for air routes connecting Korea and the Philippines is heating up. Currently only the two flag carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are flying from Incheon and Busan to four cities in the Philippines -- Manila, Clark, Cebu and Kalibo. But by January next year, domestic and foreign budget airlines will open new routes or increase the number of flights.

Jeju Air plans to fly Incheon-Manila five times a week from October, and Jin Air is working on an Incheon-Clark route five times a week starting in October or November. Air Busan is also reportedly mulling a service to the islands from Busan, to be launched in December.

In the Philippines, meanwhile, Zest Air began operating a Kalibo-Incheon service in December, which flies four times a week, and an Cebu-Incheon route in July, also four times a week. Cebu Pacific is considering increasing the Manila-Incheon route from seven times a week to 14 in January.

The reason for the sudden increase is permission from the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs last month for Filipino budget airlines to fly Korea's aerial routes.

Korea and the Philippines have not signed an Open Skies Agreement that allows the carriers of both sides to fly unlimited routes unlimited times in each others' aerial domains. Instead, they negotiate once a year to distribute licenses.

The Philippines is one of the favorite destinations for Korean tourists and therefore a treasure trove for airliners. A Jin Air staffer said, "For a budget airliner, traditional tourist destinations are more profitable than business destinations. Because the Philippines is just four hours away from Korea, many budget airlines had been working very hard to get the license to fly."

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/08/23/2010082300206.html

[BoholDiver]

Great. I love the Philippines.

The country has its problems, but I still want to see them succeed.

[Yaya]

Things like the bus hostage fiasco certainly won't help matters any.

[ttompatz]

[Yaya]

[BoholDiver]

From what I read on a Korean site, it sounded like the bus was all oreans. All 22 or so of them. Apparently not.

[Yaya]

[ttompatz]

[Konglishman]

[ttompatz]

[Yaya]

The Incheon-Clark route that is coming should be interesting (and make Asiana Airlines reduce its ridiculously high fare for being the only carrier to provide direct service to Clark) and perhaps get rid of Angeles City's rep as Sin City (though I'm sure the girly bars will survive).

I think the next direct routes linking Korea to the Phils should be Gimpo-Davao and Gimpo-Baguio. I'm thinking it's time Gimpo gets a piece of the action. Koreans are flocking to Baguio and the reason for this is not clear, though I hear it's because Baguio is sunny but not hot a la Los Angeles-type weather.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

i went incheon-manila and then tried to save a few $$$ by going clark to KK malaysia instead of manila to KK. clark is a craphole airport. it is a long ride from manila even without traffic. for the few $$$ saved i would say not worth it.

[DeMayonnaise]

[BoholDiver]

It's sad. Philippines has so many great and beautiful places, and could really launch as a tourist spot, even bigger than Thailand. But it's strife with corruption and incompetence.

[Konglishman]