Carriers look to boost occupancy

"China Eastern has more passengers with greater traveling demand between major Chinese cities that was temporarily pent up by the epidemic, but regional flight operators can do little because of their narrower client base and less popular destinations," Yu said.

The average passenger load factor for China Eastern stood at 68.4 percent in June, and that of China Express Airlines was 65.2 percent during the same period, AirSavvi said.

Hainan Airlines rolled out its own version of ticket promotions on July 1, allowing passengers to fly freely with 12 airlines under Hainan Airlines Group to and from Hainan province.

"Differing from China Eastern and China Express, Hainan Airlines' special offerings are tailored for promoting Hainan as a free trade port and its duty-free policies," said Qi Qi, an associate professor at Guangzhou Civil Aviation College.

China unveiled a major plan on June 1 with the aim of building Hainan into a globally influential high-level free trade port by the middle of the century. And on June 29, Chinese authorities announced that they will increase Hainan's annual duty-free shopping quota to 100,000 yuan per person each year from the current 30,000 yuan for travelers, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Budget carrier Spring Airlines has also designed ticket packages, and plans to launch them today. According to the Shanghai-based carrier, passengers purchasing the packages can book from among its more than 170 flights to reach any destination across China, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, until the end of the year.

"Although the ticket sales tactic is not new globally, it's good that carriers are providing more innovative ticket products," Yu said.

"After designing products in accordance with market demand, airlines can gain precious experience that enables them to grow better and develop further," he added.