A new age is upon us as 2024 kicks in, that of cut-throat competition between budget airlines to fly us between our neck of the woods in China and Singapore. The question is now a choice between incumbent, Scoot, from Nanjing, or market entrant, Jetstar, from Wuxi.
28 December saw Singapore-based Jetstar Asia commence operational flights to Wuxi, its second destination on the Chinese mainland. The service follows Jetstar’s debut in and out of Haikou, capital of China’s most southerly province of Hainan.
For now, there are two weekly return flights on Jetstar to Wuxi, a number that is set to rise to four per week from as soon as 14 January.
Such an escalation is down to healthy demand, it would appear, from across the Yangtze River Delta, with its population of over 200 million.
Simple Flying reports Barathan Pasupathi, CEO of Jetstar Asia, as saying, “We’ve seen strong demand for this route since we announced it in October, especially as borders are open and COVID travel restrictions have been removed. Our low fares will ensure our customers in China and Singapore can enjoy seamless and affordable connectivity between these two cities, bridging access to the Yangtze River Delta region”.
The CEO added that the launch of a brand-new route to such an important destination made for a fitting end to 2023.
Meanwhile, Lim Ching Kiat is the Executive Vice President of Air Hub & Cargo Development with Changi Airport Group. Lim said, “As airlines progressively resume flights, flight movements between Singapore and China have recovered to over 70 percent of pre-COVID levels”.
A general and continued uptick in travel between Singapore and China is also anticipated in the wake of the recent announcement of a 30-day mutual visa-exemption agreement between the two countries.
So how much cheaper is Jetstar out of Wuxi compared to Scoot out of Nanjing? The Nanjinger has compared prices for flights on 20 January and found that a one-way ticket on Jetstar was going for ¥748, while Scoot was offering ¥1,048.
So is the ¥300 saving worth it? While user reviews for the airline suggesting otherwise may just be down to personal preference, Jetstar Asia out of Wuxi is for now certainly worth keeping an eye on.
