Jetstar beefs up Sydney-Phuket leg

       Jetstar Airways, the low-fare carrier that is part of Australia's Qantas, will add two more weekly flights between Sydney and Phuket starting in mid-December,raising its weekly frequency between the city pair to five.
       However, the additional flights are short-term only, from Dec 15 to Jan 29,to cater to the expected surge in travel demand during the peak holiday period.
       The new service will add an additional 1,200 seats weekly on the route, which will be operated by Jetstar's seventh A330-200, a wide-bodied jet with two classes:265 seats in economy and 38 seats in premium.
       Earlier, Jetstar Asia, the airline's Asian offshoot based in Singapore, announced that it will commence twice daily services from Singapore to Phuket, also from Dec 15, offering over 6,200 seats to and from Phuket each week.
       Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said Thailand's position as the second most popular Asian holiday destination for Australians had led the airline to provide incremental capacity in time for the popular holiday period.
       Thailand was the second most popular Asian destination for Australian travellers after Indonesia for the year ending June 2009, with more than 378,000 visitors over the 12-month period.
       Together with Jetstar's MelbourneBangkok services, the new Phuket services will bring its weekly connections between Australia and Thailand to eight.
       Mr Buchanan said the decision to redirect the capacity of Jetstar group to Thailand shows the confidence and commitment we have in this market as a vital member of our ever-expanding Asian network.
       Meanwhile, Jetstar will also strengthen its existing long haul services with additional weekly flights from Australia to Bali and Honolulu, primarily from its largest international hub in Sydney.
       From Dec 15 until Jan 29, Jetstar will increase its Sydney-Bali services from four times a week to daily.
       Its Melbourne-Bali frequency will grow to three times weekly, up from twice weekly service, while Sydney-Honolulu services will increase to five times weekly by adding an additional weekly flight.