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If you're someone who loves to travel, you're probably familiar with the phrase "fly as you like." This is a ticket package product, allowing consumers to take any domestic flights of their airline for a certain period of time, only need to pay a certain fee and fuel fee. Sounds like a good deal, right? But does this product really allow you to fly wherever you want?
The "Fly Easy" product first appeared in 2020, when the domestic aviation market was hit hard by the epidemic, and major airlines launched this innovative product in order to open source and reduce costs. According to statistics, in 2020, dozens of domestic airlines launched "Fly Anywhere" products, with a total sales of 600,000-800,000 copies, with a total sales of more than 2 billion yuan.
At that time, the price of "Fly Free" products was mostly around 3,000 yuan, and consumers of "Fly Easy" could enjoy unlimited domestic air tickets within half a year, unlimited destinations, and unlimited time periods. Some consumers even regard "flying freely" as a way of life, checking in places of interest and beautiful scenery across the country within half a year.
However, the good times of "fly with your heart" did not last long. Since 2021, the price of "Fly with Heart" has begun to rise, and the conditions for the use of "Fly with Heart" have also begun to tighten. FlyFree consumers find that they need to book tickets in advance and pay an additional fee for each redemption; Moreover, the number of places in "Fly as You Want" is limited, and not all flights can be redeemed; What's more, Fly Free tickets are all economy class tail tickets and do not guarantee a seat.
By 2022, "Fly Anytime" has almost disappeared from the market. There are two reasons: first, after the adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies, domestic travel restrictions have been reduced, and the rise in travel demand has led to an increase in air ticket prices; Second, after three years of losses, the civil aviation industry began to strive for profitability and stopped issuing low-cost air tickets. In this context, "fly as you like" seems to have lost its meaning of existence.
However, on March 21, 2023, some media reported that China Southern Airlines relaunched "Travel China", that is, an upgraded version of "Fly as You Please". "Travel China" is divided into national version, exploration version, Chengdu Tianfu version, Beijing Daxing version, Northeast version, Yunnan version and many other versions, and provides preferential activities such as 59 yuan and 200 yuan vouchers. Travel dates for "Travel China" are from 3 April to 2 July, and each redemption is subject to a fee of RMB 20 plus a fuel fee. According to reports, the package price of "Travel China" is as high as 4,688 yuan and as low as 2,888 yuan.
As soon as this news came out, it immediately triggered heated discussions among netizens. Some people said that "Traveling in China" is the return of "Fly as You Please" and is a welfare for consumers of China Southern Airlines. Some people also said that "Traveling in China" is a disguised price increase of "flying at will", and it is a leek cut for consumers by China Southern Airlines.
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So, is "Traveling in China" worth buying? It depends on your travel needs and budget. If you have clear travel plans and the destination is far away or popular, then "Exploring China" may be cheaper than buying a separate ticket.
However, "traveling in China" also has many limitations and disadvantages. First of all, it can only be used for the three months from April 3 to July 2, and each exchange is subject to an additional 20 yuan and taxes. Secondly, it can only be redeemed for an economy class tail ticket and has a limited number of places per flight per day. Again, it cannot be cancelled or changed and cannot be combined with other promotions.
So, "Traveling China" is not for everyone. If you don't have a definite travel plan or if the destination is close or unpopular, then "Exploring China" may cost you money or waste miles. The validity period of "Travel China" is also relatively short, and may be affected by factors such as epidemic prevention and control policies and flight adjustments.
In short, "Travel China" is a ticket package product launched by China Southern Airlines after the recovery of the domestic aviation market, aiming to attract consumers' travel demand and increase its own revenue. "Travel China" has certain preferential strength and flexibility, but also has many restrictions and disadvantages. Whether "Travel in China" is worth buying depends on your actual situation.