The Ministry Of Transportation Reveals That Airlines Often Raise Prices To High Limits Before Discounting Tickets

Secretary of the Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, Achmad Setiyo Prabowo. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

BOGOR - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) revealed the pattern of a number of airlines that increased tariffs to touch the Upper Limit Tariff (TBA) before giving discounts, so that price discounts did not feel significant for the public.

Secretary of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation, Achmad Setiyo Prabowo, said that this condition was one of the reasons why the public considered that the policy of the flight ticket stimulus did not result in a significant price reduction.

Setiyo explained that if all policies such as VAT, DTP, discounted fuel surcharge, and reduced airport costs were combined, ticket prices should have fallen by around 12 to 13 percent.

"The next question, how come it's still expensive? The tickets are TBB/TBA. As a company, the 13 percent discount is calculated at TBA. As a community, the 13 percent discount is below TBB," he said in Media Gathering Angkasa Pura Indonesia, in Bogor, Thursday, December 11.

According to Setiyo, the practice of discounts taken from the highest tariff makes people feel that discounted prices do not really reduce travel costs.

Therefore, Setiyo said the Ministry of Transportation ensured that it would impose strict sanctions for airlines caught increasing ticket prices beyond the set limits.

"Usually people say, where they say there is a stimulus, they say there is a discount. Because the discount a few days ago took it at TBA. But we still make sure, if there is an airline violation that exceeds the TBA, we will give it sanctions," he said.

The Ministry of Transportation, said Setiyo, has prepared several monitoring strategies so that ticket prices remain in accordance with regulations. Supervision is carried out through airline reports to direct monitoring on online ticket sales platforms.

"Our complaint provides a call center of 151. So please, as a control, the community has the right," he said.

Kata Setiyo, sanksi yang disiapkan pemerintah mencakup tindakan administratif hingga hukuman paling berat sesuai aturan.

Sejumlah maskapai disebut sudah pernah dikenai sanksi terkait pelanggaran tarif.

“Dari maskapai yang ada saat ini, itu pernah ada yang kita berikan sanksi, tapi sanksi administratif. Itu adalah denda, namanya PU (Penalty Unit). Itu nanti dikonversi dan muncul berapa dendanya,” katanya.

Setiyo said, the sanctions prepared by the government include administrative action to the most severe punishment according to the rules.

Several airlines are said to have been subject to sanctions related to tariff violations.

"From the current airline, we have given sanctions, but administrative sanctions. That is a fine, called PU (Penalty Unit). It will be converted and how many fines will appear," he said.