Korea’s T’Way Air lifts off for Zagreb

Seasonal summer flights between Seoul and Zagreb resumed this morning following an almost five-year hiatus with low cost carrier T’Way Air inaugurating services between the two cities with a load factor of 97%. It marks the first time a budget airline has maintained long-haul operations to the region. The 347-seat Airbus A330-300 aircraft, featuring twelve seats in business class and the remaining 335 in economy, will run the service three times per week. The flights include a technical stop in Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on the outbound leg due to the range of the aircraft and the need to avoid Russian airspace. Seats between Seoul and Bishkek are not sold on this flight.

The service is primarily aimed at South Korean tourists booking through local tour operators, although individual tickets can also be purchased online. Travel agents have warned the flights are too expensive and the stop in Bishkek, along with the low cost product, make it a difficult sell to consumers. “I am worried because sales are lower than expected, not only in May but also after June. Travel agencies participating in hard block space agreements [purchase of seats in bulk by tour operators regardless of whether they are sold or not] are now focusing on attracting customers by offering flash discounts for nearby departure dates”, a South Korean tour operator told the specialsed Korean "Travis" portal. They added, “In the case of Croatia, most tour operator include two to three nearby countries in their packages, so it is not necessarily about going in or out of Zagreb. There are many transfer options with little price difference. However, it has been difficult to secure seats for tour groups on flights to Europe since Covid-19, and we decided that participating in the Zagreb hard block space agreement would be advantageous for other European destinations in the future, so we decided to purchase seats even if it was a bit unreasonable There is still a lack of awareness about this route so the airline needs to promote it".

On the other hand, the Uniline Group, Croatia’s leading destination management company, is confident in the route’s success. Representatives from the company recently spent two weeks in South Korea and China and have held talks with T’Way Air. “This significant success is the result of many years of discussions, investments in market development and excellent relations between the Uniline Group, the Croatian embassies in China and South Korea, the Ministry for Tourism and Sport and the Croatian Tourist Board with our Asian partners”, Uniline said. In preparation for the new service, T’Way Air recently named Tamex as its General Sales Agent in Croatia. Tamex has confirmed it will sell cargo capacity on the new route.

Due to the journey time, lasting fifteen hours and twenty minutes on the outbound and ten hours and 55 minutes on the inbound, the onboard service will somewhat differ from the majority of T’Way’s other flights. All passengers will enjoy two complimentary meals - beef and mushroom porridge, as well as a sausage and egg brunch. Business class passengers are offered complimentary checked-in luggage amounting to forty kilograms, two carry-on bags and an angled seat. Baggage allowance for economy class passengers varies based on fare type but is complementary. Seat selection is offered as an ancillary service during the booking process. While there is no in-flight entertainment, economy class seats have USB ports, while business class seats have power outlets.