DOMESTIC carriers began offering discounts on first-class air tickets after the aviation regulator allowed them to decide the prices of first class and business class on domestic flights starting today.

Passengers departing from Beijing to Wuhan on June 10 can get a 33 percent discount on a first-class ticket from China Eastern Airlines if they book tickets three days ahead of departure, according to travel Website Ctrip.com.

A Sichuan carrier also reduced the first-class ticket price to 1,440 yuan (US$211) from 2,160 yuan on the Beijing-Chengdu route on Friday, Ctrip.com said.