Swissair seat load factors continue to rise

Swissair’s flight booking levels continue to improve. Total seat load factor systemwide (i.e. for European and intercontinental services) stood at over 60 per cent last weekend – only some six percentage points below prior-year levels.

The figures are a further boost to the encouraging results which Swissair announced at a media briefing on November 20. Seat load factor had already recovered to over 50 per cent by then, and the upward trend has continued. Indeed, Swissair is confident of reaching its target CHF 750 million in revenue from ticket sales for the winter timetable period.

The favourable booking trends have been supported by the current successful joint sales promotion by Swissair and Crossair, which will continue until December 15. The most popular long-haul destinations for the Christmas and New Year period have proven to be São Paulo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami, New York and Hong Kong, while Athens, Malaga, London, Istanbul and Madrid have been in demand on the European network.

The partners are about to launch a further sales promotion in the run-up to Christmas, offering destinations such as London for CHF 199.-, Paris for CHF 219.-, Malaga for CHF 419.-, New York for CHF 540.-, Africa from CHF 990.- and Asia from CHF 1090.- from December 17.

The reduced flight programme has also enabled Swissair to enhance its arrival punctuality, which has averaged 85 per cent since the start of the winter schedules.