KENYA: Kenya Airways Defends Exorbitant Tickets

Kenya airways has defended its air ticket prices from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport saying the charges are considerate.

It said its prices are higher from JKIA since it offers direct flights, compared to other airlines which take up to double the time to reach destinations.

The airlines fence of its pricing comes after the Star carried out an online booking survey on KQ's prices from Nairobi to other destinations for the next two weeks which established they are three times expensive on some routes.

Corporate communication manager Wanjiku Mugo said every airline offers cheaper prices to its hub from other airports to attract traffic.

"Every airline is expected to be strong at home. When we fly from Ethiopia for instance, we offer cheaper prices to bring traffic home before flying out. This is common in the aviation industry," said Wanjiku.

She said the major factor influencing ticket pricing is time the booking is made and flight duration.

"For instance we take eight hours from Nairobi to London, another airline takes up to 19 hours because they have to go back to their hubs. The prices can't be the same," she said.

Airport taxes also add up to the cost of flight hence influencing the ticket prices, she said..

She said early bookings are cheaper, with the current window allowing bookings between 28 and 42 days.

Wanjiku said KQ is in talks with government to develop JKIA as a strong hub to attract more traffic, a move the Middle East carriers are cashing on as transit hubs making their airlines cheaper.

According to Wanjiku, the airline re-designed JKIA services in May, reducing connection time by 20 per cent.

On Tuesday, the Consumer Federation of Kenya secretary general Stephen Mutoro warned that Kenya Airways is losing out to rivals due to high fares.

Mutoro said the carrier which is currently struggling to recover from a massive loss has overpriced itself, despite low quality services and delays..

"London Nairobi route, KQ still expensive as compared to BA (British Airways). Needed a last minute ticket, the difference in price was a whopping £400 (Sh65,639) yet they are both direct flights," said an online reader.

KQ has been on the spotlight since it announced a Sh29.7 billion full year pre-tax loss.