Family getaways: There has been a higher demand for flights to South-East Asian countries celebrating Chinese New Year.
GEORGE TOWN: Sales of express bus tickets here so far have somewhat fallen short of expectations, even though the Chinese New Year festival is only two weeks away.
A check on interstate express bus tickets showed that most companies still had ample tickets for sale.
Express bus operator Lim Eow Heng said that the sale of bus tickets was lukewarm because people might prefer to drive on their own so that they could take a short break to enjoy the food and scenery during a long journey.
“For now, the sales rate is like normal, with no surge in bookings,” he said.
But Lim is hopeful that sales will pick up because traditionally, it would register a surge as the holiday season draws closer.
Kelantan-based bus operator Laili Ismail also expects bus ticket sales to pick up in another week or two.
“Many people have not planned their leave days yet,” he said.
Laili’s company, which started operating 20 years ago, has 90 express buses in its fleet plying routes between all states.
He encouraged passengers to book tickets early to avoid last-minute disappointments during peak seasons.
“This also helps bus companies to better plan and allocate their resources, such as vehicles and drivers,” he said.
Another express bus operator, Ahmad Ruslan Abdul Latiff, said he normally receives bookings from universities to drive students back to their hometowns during festive periods.
“This usually happens when tickets for the regular express buses at the terminals are sold out, which typically occurs during festive time,” he said.
Among airline companies, some routes are more attractive than others.
Batik Air chief executive officer Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy said that at present, while tickets for all flights as the holiday season nears are still available, seats on flights to Kota Kinabalu and Tawau are already half-sold.
“We encourage passengers to book early to secure their preferred travel times, as availability may fluctuate due to high demand,” he said.
The airline, he added, is closely monitoring the booking trends to ensure that it can accommodate the growing number of passengers for highly popular routes.
Chandran also said current trends reveal a desire among Malaysians to go abroad for holidays during the festive season.
He said there is particularly strong interest in flights to destinations in South-East Asia that also celebrate Chinese New Year, as well as popular family vacation spots.
“Notably, flights to Da Nang and Hanoi in Vietnam have already surpassed their expected load factor capacities, reflecting significant demand for these routes,” he said.
The long school holidays will be from Jan 18 to Feb 16, while Chinese New Year will be on Jan 29 and 30.
