Hopes for cheaper flights locally and regionally seems to be materializing with introduction of several low budget carriers in the country and the Eastern Africa region. Early last month FastJest announced that it would set base in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The first flights are scheduled for the month of November and will see passengers pay as little as $20 (KES 1,700) for a one-way flight, exclusive of taxes.

[READ: Cheaper Flights No Longer a Dream]

Low budget arrangements

Both FastJet and Kenya Airways (Jambo Jet) have indicated that they will have regional return fares at tunes of about KES 6,000.  Currently, a return air ticket to Eldoret for instance would cost KES 10,954 on Kenya Airways, KES 11,215 on Fly540 and at KES 13,131 on Jetlink Express. Should Kenya Airways tag their return ticket fares at KES 6,000, that would be a 45% reduction in fares on that route.

Prices could go lower than the projected KES 6,000 on local routes if FastJet's $20 (KES 1,700) fare proposal on local routes is anything to go by.

Less Comfort

According to Kenya Airways Group CEO Titus Naikuni, the budget carrier will offer low fares and fewer comforts and passengers could be asked to pay for extras like food and baggage. Food items and drinks on short haul flights are served once and passengers pay high prices for them inflating ticket prices.

The seating configuration on low budget airlines is less comfortable compared to configurations on long haul flights. For instance FastJet plans to introduce the Airbus A318 which has a maximum configuration of  132 seats. Kenya Airways has been allowed to use Boeing 737 on its budget program with the aircraft having a maximum seating configuration of 177 seats on the longest variant of the plane.

Ticket Prices courtesy of TravelStart Kenya.