Asiana Airlines has introduced last-minute promotions for its North America and Europe routes, offering round-trip economy tickets starting at approximately $344. This move is seen as an effort to comply with fare regulations ahead of its merger with Korean Air.
According to Asiana Airlines, the “Last Minute” promotion began on Mar. 12 for North America routes and on Mar. 17 for Europe routes. Even when including fuel surcharges and taxes, the total fare remains under 1 million won ($688.10)
For North America, round-trip fares start at about $444 for Los Angeles and San Francisco, around $375 for Seattle, approximately $513 for New York, and about $454 for Hawaii. Tickets are available until March 24 for departures through April 30.
For Europe-bound flights, discounted tickets can be purchased until March 21 for departures within March. Total fares start at around $482 for London, $405 for Paris, $344 for Rome, and $439 for Frankfurt.
This is the first time Asiana Airlines has offered such last-minute discounted tickets. Industry analysts believe this strategy aims to adhere to fare regulations in light of the upcoming merger with Korean Air.
Earlier, in 2022, the Korea Fair Trade Commission conditionally approved the merger, stipulating that for routes with potential monopoly concerns, ticket prices cannot increase beyond the 2019 average fare adjusted for inflation for ten years post-merger. This is widely seen as the reason behind Asiana Airlines' decision to offer last-minute discounted tickets for the first time.
An Asiana Airlines representative explained, ‘We are conducting last-minute special sales for off-peak North America and Europe routes,’ adding, ‘We are striving to comply with the fare and service quality maintenance regulations set by the Fair Trade Commission.
