Child fares will again be offered by Air Malta next month, five months after they were axed.

The decision to re-introduce discounted fares for children under 12 is part of a total overhaul of the airline’s booking system, which now incorporates six fare categories per flight.

Dubbing it ‘We care initiative’, the national carrier said the upgraded range of products in both economy and business classes gave customers more choices.

The economy class now has three tiers: Simply Fly, Best Value and Spoil Yourself, which come with different price tags according to the service offered.

Business class has also been split into three price ranges.

In a statement, CEO Philip Micallef said Air Malta passengers would be able to get what they paid for at the fare they chose.

In a clear dig at competitor low-cost airlines, Mr Micallef said that “Air Malta understands that customers look for peace of mind when flying and do not want to be worried and ripped off with luggage charges or other extra fees”.

Air Malta decided to axe child fares in April when it started charging children under 12 the same fare as adults.

The decision was heavily criticised by customers and travel agents complaining that the airline was adopting low-cost services while keeping the same fares as legacy airlines. Air Malta defended its decision, pointing out that, due to new fare structures and various offers, families could still benefit without the need of discounted child fares.

It is not yet known whether the new child fare structure being re-introduced by Air Malta will apply across the whole spectrum of the new fares structure.

Air Malta said other service improvements were in the pipeline including a mobile device booking option, a more responsive website and a one-month fare calendar that would offer more transparency to customers.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com