Tickets see slow take-off, maintain reasonable fares

Mumbai: 23.05.2020

Day One of opening of domestic air travel bookings from May 25 saw a tepid response from passengers, and tickets for most routes were available throughout the day at reasonable fares.

The fares are capped and so there won’t be any exorbitantly high rates for the next three months till August 24. On Friday evening, almost 24 hours after bookings for May flights opened (prior to that tickets for travel from June 1were only available), the cheapest Mumbai-Delhi ticket for travel on May 25 was priced at Rs6,300 (taxes included) for a 5.30am Air India flight. One could also buy an 8.40am AirAsia flight for Rs7,400, which is a fare just above the mid-range, since it includes taxes. Mumbai-Delhi flights that crossed Rs10,000 were those that departed 6.30 am onwards.

“Had the demand been high, most morning departures would have sold out and those for late evening would have touched the Rs10,000 mark. If the fares haven’t crossed the mid-point it means less than 40% tickets have been sold on a particular flight,” said a travel agent. TNN