Biman reintroduces special fare for new migrants

HIGHLIGHTS

Base fares in new structure

• $360 for Dhaka-Jeddah, Dhaka-Medina, and Dhaka-Riyadh routes
• $150 for the Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur route

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has finally introduced a special "workers' fare" for freshly recruited outgoing labourers, aiming to curb rising airfare and migration costs.

The move, reintroduced after nearly two decades, follows long-standing demands from migrant workers, travel agents, and recruiting agencies to reinstate a discounted airfare for remittance earners. The last time such a special fare was in effect was back in 2005.

The fare took effect on Monday and will remain available until 30 June, covering the Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh-Malaysia routes, according to a letter sent to the Association of Travel Agents Bangladesh (ATAB) members from Biman.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism also issued a circular yesterday, directing all airlines and travel agencies operating in Bangladesh to introduce the special airfare for migrant workers travelling on work visas.

The directive asked Biman, along with all other airlines and the Board of Airlines Representatives (BAR), to take steps within the next seven days to reduce airfare for migrant workers travelling to the Middle East and Malaysia.

Earlier, on 22 January, in response to demands raised during a meeting between ATAB and Biman, the airline announced a special "workers' fare" that was set to start from Monday.

ATAB said that this move will help reduce migration costs, as other airlines will likely be pressured to follow the lead of the national carrier Biman.

Under the new fare structure, base fares (excluding taxes) have been set at $360 for flights on the Dhaka-Jeddah, Dhaka-Medina, and Dhaka-Riyadh routes, and $150 for the Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur route.

According to Biman sources, currently, regular Saudi Arabia-bound base fares range between $430 and $480, while the Kuala Lumpur route costs $360.

Abdus Salam Aref, president of ATAB, told The Business Standard, "When air tickets were sold manually, the labour fare was available but until 2005. With Biman's reintroduction of the fare, we hope other airlines will follow suit."

"However, the Biman authority has fixed the opportunity for T-class, where seats are limited. But if they wish, they can increase the number of seats based on workers' needs," he added.

The new fare is expected to save Tk10,000 per ticket in the T-class category, according to Abdus Salam Aref.

The ministry's steps to curb costs come at a time when airfare nearly doubled for outgoing migrant workers. 

On 26 December last year, ATAB shared a comparison of airfares for four months that revealed significant price fluctuations.

For example, on the Dhaka-Riyadh route, Saudi Airlines tickets were priced at Tk191,261 in January and February and were expected to drop to Tk62,883 in March and Tk67,202 in April. Similarly, Biman Bangladesh Airlines tickets for the same route was projected to decrease from Tk142,069 in February to Tk61,683 in March.

ATAB at the time stated that given such pricings, many Bangladeshi migrants, who used to pay Tk55,000 to Tk77,000 for Dhaka-Riyadh tickets, booked a month in advance, were facing financial strain.

How to avail the worker fare?

The fare is applicable only for issuing tickets for "new work visa holders," against a valid Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) clearance card or visa authentication by BMET, according to the Biman letter to ATAB.

The letter states that the special fare will be valid for one-way ticket purchases only, issued through the Passenger Service System (PSS) and Global Distribution System (GDS).

Voluntary changes, refunds, and all other terms and conditions will be as per the fare governing rules, it stated.

However, the fare is not applicable for umrah visas, family visit visas, or residence visas. Additionally, the workers' fare is subject to change without prior notice.

ATAB Secretary General Afsia Jannat Saleh claimed that Biman's initiative followed their proposal during the urgent meeting with Biman's managing director on 22 January.

At the meeting, discussions were held with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), and Biman to address the issue of soaring airfares.

Other directives from aviation ministry

The Civil Aviation ministry's circular, issued by the ministry's CA-2 section, was signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Rumana Yasmin. 

The directive said, "Airlines and travel agencies must arrange special airfares for outbound workers travelling on work visas."

The circular also prohibits unregistered travel agencies from selling airline tickets under the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Act, 2013.

Other key directives in the circular were – travellers' names, passport numbers, and copies of passports must be provided at the time of ticket booking, including for group bookings; if a ticket is not issued in the traveller's name within three days of booking, airlines must automatically cancel the reservation; tickets blocked for group bookings until 11 February must be confirmed with travellers' details within seven days, or else the airline must cancel them within the next three days; the actual sale price of group-booked tickets must be reported to the ministry, which will publish the information online for public awareness.

The circular also stated that all types of air tickets must be sold online, and the ticket prices must be displayed both online and on the tickets themselves. 

The ministry also warned that if a travel agency hoards tickets to manipulate prices, its registration may be suspended or revoked under the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Rules, 2022.