End of popular low-cost tickets

It caused a considerable stir when the Aarhus travel agency Ruby Rejser last summer opened a low-cost route between Aalborg and Nuuk with prices as low as 1998 kroner for a single ticket on the trip.

The travel agency's goal with the route was clear. They needed cheap air transport for their many group travellers who wanted to experience Greenland after the airport in Nuuk was opened to transatlantic flights. However, Ruby Rejser did not have enough passengers to fill two weekly flights between Aalborg and Nuuk – and so they could just as well sell the surplus tickets for cheap money.

The operation was a great success. When Sermitsiaq conducted a price check on flights between Denmark and Greenland in July last year, the new route was voted the absolute cheapest travel option, which also saved travellers from Jutland and Southern Norway the difficult and expensive journey via Copenhagen.

Ruby Rejser's tickets were low-cost tickets, so that was the raw flight price. If you wanted to take something to eat or luggage with you, it would cost extra – and most people could understand that.

Air Greenland, which itself had plans for a route between Aalborg and Nuuk, also saw the possibilities and entered into a so-called codeshare partnership with Ruby Rejser. The national self-governing airline sold its own tickets for Ruby's AirSeven Boeing 737 at a slightly higher price, but in return with the normal service package, where food and luggage are included in the ticket price.

Despite its success, Ruby Rejser has dropped the route – and this year Air Greenland will be the only one flying between the two cities.

- This year, we have decided to do what we do best, which is sell package tours to Greenland, says Bureau Manager Morten Meyer from Ruby Rejser.

Have learned a lot

- We learned an incredible amount the first year in Greenland, and we are taking that experience with us into year two. This undoubtedly means that we now feel even better equipped to handle products in Greenland, says Morten Meyer.

- When we ourselves operated the flights to Greenland in collaboration with AirSeven and Air Greenland, we experienced firsthand how much influence the weather has on landing and takeoff in Nuuk. However, we were prepared for the weather to be a challenge – and on several flights we postponed takeoff from Aalborg because we believe this would save them from circling in the air over Nuuk.

- We also managed to get all our guests back and forth between Aalborg and Nuuk on time, and we generally experienced great understanding from the passengers who were delayed – most could see that the planes were ready, but that it was the weather that was bothering them.

- Our decision not to have our own planes was made based on common sense. Air Greenland is undoubtedly better at selling plane tickets than we are. Our strength lies in our package tours.

Close cooperation

- We have gradually developed such a strong collaboration with Air Greenland that it was completely natural that we made this distribution, and I would say that this solution has actually strengthened our collaboration even more. For example, we work very closely with Air Greenland regarding winter tourism in Greenland – in particular Ilulissat – where we can draw on the experience we have with other Arctic winter destinations such as Tromsø and Svalbard.

- We expect a lot from winter tourism in Greenland and are happy to be able to help develop the area, says Morten Meyer.

Ruby Rejser's flight route also had great appeal to the North Jutland business community. The departures were early in the morning, so that North Jutland business people could get a full working day in Nuuk when they arrived. The business community in North Jutland was also happy with the two weekly departures, so they were spared the long trip via Copenhagen both ways.

The business people of North Jutland will miss out on these opportunities when Air Greenland resumes flights between Aalborg and Nuuk in June.

Late departure

- We will operate the route with AirSeven from June 16 to September 1 with weekly departures every Tuesday. Departure from Aalborg is scheduled for 13:00, arriving in Nuuk at 14:40. The return flight will depart from Nuuk at 15:50, arriving in Aalborg at 23:40, informs Air Greenland's head of communications Paarnaq Hansen-Zeeb to Sermitsiaq.

- We continue to work closely with Ruby Rejser, who has purchased some of the seats for group travel. We have a positive forecast for the route, which is already experiencing interest, as it also makes it significantly easier for travelers from Jutland to fly directly to Greenland.

The ticket prices on the route, like Air Greenland's other tickets, are the so-called dynamic prices. This means that the price can change in line with demand and the current time when the tickets are purchased.

On May 12, Sermitsiaq searched for the cheapest option – the so-called Takuss prices – with a departure from Nuuk to Aalborg on June 16 and return the following weekday. Here, the price is 5,391 kroner round trip.

As mentioned, the prices are dynamic – and can change all the time.

AirSeven operates the route with a Boeing 737-800 with space for 189 passengers.