KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Travel to any domestic destination for zero fare on Malaysia Airlines - that's the new product to be launched today.

These tickets can only be obtained through the MAS website www.malaysiaairlines.com. However, passengers must make bookings within the next 14 days and pay the airport tax and surcharges.

MAS managing director/chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala said the airline has set aside one million tickets for this offer, which is valid for travel between June 10 and Dec 14.

It is understood that MAS will soon announce its campaign for its Asean routes.

"It could be zero fares or minimum charges but they will be lower than those offered by our competitors at present," he said.

For the domestic offer, the total charge for travel between the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak is RM122.40.

For domestic travel without crossing the South China Sea, the charge will be RM81.45.

Previously, the cheapest one-way fare between KL International Airport and Kota Kinabalu - the furthest possible domestic route - cost RM529. A normal ticket for a trip from KLIA to Penang costs RM229 one-way.

MAS' subsidiary Firefly is also offering zero fares for its destinations on its turboprop aircraft.

Idris said MAS had set aside 30% of each flight for "these special Everyday Low Fares" offer.

However, he said that tickets purchased were not refundable and the travel dates could not be changed.

"What we are offering gives everyone a win-win situation. It helps us to meet our business objectives and it provides our customers with an excellent deal.

"You get to enjoy the best of both worlds - really low prices plus our five-star services - our food and beverages, entertainment, luggage allowances and other benefits that come with travelling with MAS," Idris said. -The Star, ANN

The zero fare product is part of a business transformation plan that Idris launched last year after MAS managed to record its best-ever profit of RM851.42mil, compared with losses of RM136.43mil in 2006. -The Star, ANN