AUCKLAND, New Zealand (11 Sep 2005) -- Pacific Blue will launch twice-weekly flights between Auckland and Rarotonga starting in November. Pacific Blue told CDNN the new flights will temporarily replace a weekly flight from Christchurch to Rarotonga, which has been suspended until year. The new Auckland to Rarotonga flights will break Air New Zealand's monopoly on the Cook Islands route. Air New Zealand and Qantas have been struggling to compete with Pacific Blue's low-cost flights and rapidly expanding service. Both companies have recently launched their own low-cost subsidiaries. Pacific Blue is a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Blue, which utilizes a business model pioneered by airlines such as Southwest Airlines and Ryanair. The formula eliminates costs such as included in-flight meals and printed tickets. Instead, meals are sold on-board and electronic tickets are sold by telephone and email. | | The company has also cut costs by limiting the number of airports it serves and by operating one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. COPYRIGHT © CDNN NEWSWIRE |
