By Presenna Nambiar

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Pay for what you want and save by more than 70 per cent on air tickets -- this is the latest offer from Malaysia Airlines.

MAS launched its new fare scheme yesterday which allows the least choosy passengers the choicest deals on domestic travel.

The carrier's four new fare options give customers discounts by trimming the perks.

For example, under its MHlow fares, the carrier offers a minimum of 70 per cent discount in fares.

However, the flight tickets need to be bought online at least 30 days in advance and paid for immediately.

"This means the customer decides. The standard ticket with fixed offerings has gone with the wind.

"The traveller now has full control over his travel experience as he can choose the services he values and pay accordingly," MAS managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala said here.

The four fare choices -- MHlow, MHbasic, MHsmart, and MHflex -- will be available for international travel in February.

The four fare choices differ in ticket discounts, purchase requirements and benefits.

Idris could not quote the average number of seats available for each fare option, saying that the allocation of the seats for each fare option would be done on a flight-by-flight basis and by taking into account customers' travelling trends.

"We will be using data of the last three to four years to gauge customer preferences for fare tickets for particular routes and seasons," he added.

MHlow offers a minimum discount of 70 per cent, MHbasic 50 per cent and MHsmart 20 per cent. MHflex is a full-fare, full-service option.

To develop the fare options, MAS conducted extensive research and benchmarked against best practices adopted by 21 airlines, including KLM and AirAsia.

"We thoroughly researched the fare options offered by these airlines, looking into what they offered and how they packaged them," Idris said.

On the fuel surcharge, he said there were no plans to abolish it.