Chennai-Delhi airfare soars to Rs 10000 for Christmas, New Year
TNN | Nov 24, 2017, 07:40 IST
CHENNAI: High demand has pushed airfares beyond the Rs 10,000 mark on
trips from Chennai, especially to Delhi and Mumbai, for travel during
the Christmas and New Year holidays. The fare ranges from Rs 3,000 to Rs
15,000 for 30 day advance booking for one-way travel from Chennai to
the metros on December 23, which is almost on a par with fare for 24
hours advance booking on non-festive weekdays.
The fares have risen because Christmas and New Year, which fall on Mondays, have led to extended weekends. Travel agents believe fares would increase further and are predicting a hike in other routes too.
On the Chennai to Delhi route, only one seat is left for Rs 7,600 when checked for booking on Thursday while tickets for which only cabin baggage is allowed have touched Rs 7,400. An airline official said the fare for redeye flights, which depart in the middle of the night, has touched Rs 11,800.
The airfare for travel to smaller cities like Kochi and Madurai from Chennai during the Christmas weekend is also increasing. A one-way ticket to Kochi costs ?5,451 and the fare slab is likely to go up as only two seats are left at this price. Tickets on low-cost carriers are the most expensive. Carriers like Indigo and Spicejet are selling one-way tickets at Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000.
The hike in domestic fare will also impact travellers who plan to make a trip abroad through gateway cities like Mumbai and Delhi. The official said travellers on Chennai-Kolkata route are most affected because of the fare hike. Fare on this route has touched Rs 10,000 for most weekends in December because of the high seasonal demand.
Domestic low-cost carriers are yet to announce low-cost ticket sales as they are busy scheduling flights on regional routes connecting metros with tier II and tier III cities. Sources say sales may be announced in the coming days to capitalise on last minute travellers.
Daniel D'souza, head of sales for India and NRI markets at SOTC Travel, said, "With the winter holiday season and the long Christmas weekend, demand has been at its peak and this has led to a hike in airfares by 10% to 15%."
"With an increasing number of Indians investing in unique holiday experiences, there has been a significant rise in queries and bookings for winter season. For travel enthusiasts, the upcoming long weekend for Christmas and New Year has been on every traveller's agenda this year," he further added.
The fares have risen because Christmas and New Year, which fall on Mondays, have led to extended weekends. Travel agents believe fares would increase further and are predicting a hike in other routes too.
On the Chennai to Delhi route, only one seat is left for Rs 7,600 when checked for booking on Thursday while tickets for which only cabin baggage is allowed have touched Rs 7,400. An airline official said the fare for redeye flights, which depart in the middle of the night, has touched Rs 11,800.
The airfare for travel to smaller cities like Kochi and Madurai from Chennai during the Christmas weekend is also increasing. A one-way ticket to Kochi costs ?5,451 and the fare slab is likely to go up as only two seats are left at this price. Tickets on low-cost carriers are the most expensive. Carriers like Indigo and Spicejet are selling one-way tickets at Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000.
The hike in domestic fare will also impact travellers who plan to make a trip abroad through gateway cities like Mumbai and Delhi. The official said travellers on Chennai-Kolkata route are most affected because of the fare hike. Fare on this route has touched Rs 10,000 for most weekends in December because of the high seasonal demand.
Domestic low-cost carriers are yet to announce low-cost ticket sales as they are busy scheduling flights on regional routes connecting metros with tier II and tier III cities. Sources say sales may be announced in the coming days to capitalise on last minute travellers.
Daniel D'souza, head of sales for India and NRI markets at SOTC Travel, said, "With the winter holiday season and the long Christmas weekend, demand has been at its peak and this has led to a hike in airfares by 10% to 15%."
"With an increasing number of Indians investing in unique holiday experiences, there has been a significant rise in queries and bookings for winter season. For travel enthusiasts, the upcoming long weekend for Christmas and New Year has been on every traveller's agenda this year," he further added.
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