Ordinary Gweilo

Both the English language newspapers had stories about Oasis over the weekend.  The Standard reported that Oasis does not yet have an operating licence, and could be forced to cancel flights if it doesn’t receive it soon (Budget carrier in race to win flights license):

Oasis entered the limelight earlier this month when it began selling its "hot deal" – a one-way trip from Hong Kong to London for HK$1,000 – to celebrate its inaugural flight on October 25. Tickets sold like hotcakes, averaging 1,100 a day, with more than 10,000 sold in the first two weeks – or more than half of total inventory, according to a company spokesman.

What on earth does "more than half of total inventory" mean?  Could the journalist translate this into plain English for us?

But here’s the catch: the airline, which applied for a license in Hong Kong over a year ago, cannot fly until it receives government approval.

The consequences of failing may be fatal for Oasis. The airline, which began selling tickets on September 4, has already sold them for flights as far ahead as March 26, 2007. Beginning November, according to the company, flight frequency will increase from four times a week to daily from both Hong Kong and London.  The high-stakes bet by Oasis has alarmed the Civil Aviation Department, which said it has "repeatedly" reminded the airline to warn its customers of the situation and have refunds ready.

As the approval process for an operating license is "long and complicated," there is no guarantee Oasis will receive approval before its October 25 deadline, a department spokesman said Friday.  He added that licensing depends on many factors, including aircraft condition, maintenance arrangements and suitable manpower. "There’s no usual timeframe for completing the process. Taking several years is not unusual," the spokesman said.  To date, the Hong Kong government has only granted an air operator’s license to nine airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Dragonair and Air Hong Kong.

But an Oasis spokesman Friday said the airline is confident it will receive approval by mid-October – just days before its first departure. He added the airline is already scheduled to perform a test flight of its aircraft for government officials, representing one of the last stages of the licensing process.

The SCMP put its ace investigative reporter on the story, and he seems to have discovered that travel agents would prefer to sell more expensive tickets from established airlines (Agents advise against using two-plane Oasis):

Though Oasis offers one-way flights to London for as little as HK$1,000 plus taxes, landing charges and fuel surcharge, agents from Travel Expert and business service Travelux recommend customers fly with other airlines whose fares are four times as expensive.

Most Oasis tickets are booked online or through a company call centre, bypassing agents [my emphasis].

One agent at Travelux said there was a high chance of delays and cancellations because the airline was using two Boeing 747-400 aircraft bought from Singapore Airlines, which entered service in 1989.  "If one of the planes suffers mechanical problems, it will completely throw out their schedule," the agent said. "The airline has not got its licence yet to fly from Hong Kong either, so there is a risk all you will get is a refund."

An agent from Travel Expert advised a "better option" would be to fly with an established airline if it was affordable. "There is no history for the airline yet, so you might be better to wait and see how good they are first," the agent said.

I don’t really understand why Oasis is selling tickets through travel agents, but I think I may understand why agents might be all that bothered about selling them.  I also wonder whether anyone might have an interest in getting negative stories about Oasis in the local press.