Few flights to Malaysia, Singapore; tickets cost double pre-Covid rates

Few flights to Malaysia, Singapore; tickets cost double pre-Covid rates

Air India’s Vande Bharat Flights With Fixed Fares Are Only Option

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.03.2021 

Travel between Chennai and southeast Asian countries continues to be a hassle as only Air India’s Vande Bharat flights are allowed with fixed fare, which is double the pre-Covid-19 rate.

Air India will fly six flights from Kuala Lumpur to Chennai and 13 flights from Kuala Lumpur to Trichy on different days till April-end. However, the tickets are priced at ₹16,000 and ₹17,000, and people are not allowed to book online and agents are not allowed to book tickets unlike to the Middle East. Travel and tour operators have been urging the Union government to allow airlines to resume flights to southeast Asian countries — Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand — and also to Hong Kong and Philippines.

“Air India is scheduling flights from Chennai and Trichy but these flights may not be enough. It will be hassle-free if passengers are allowed to book online and agents are allowed to book on different airlines. People hesitate to travel because of the curbs. People are worried if they will be able to return on time after reaching Chennai,” said Basheer Ahmed of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).

People are stuck in Malaysia and Singapore because they do not have the confidence to travel for fear of losing their jobs there if they do not return on time. There is no guarantee when the next set of flights will be and whether seats will be available. People awaiting to travel are posting messages in social media forums looking for flights to return. Those who want to return have to take a circuitous route. Those who work in Malaysia and have come to Chennai on emergencies are forced to travel via Dubai. “They have to take a UAE visa, stay in Dubai for a day or two and board another flight to Kuala Lumpur. This costs them a lot of money. This is the way people travel to Singapore, Hong Kong and Philippines as there are no direct flights from Chennai and other cities. Transit is not allowed at Dubai airport,” said an airport official.

“The gateway airports in Southeast Asia – Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok --need to be opened for travellers with precautions. Singapore is still hesitating because of high number of Covid-19 cases but Malaysia has been hinting that it will open for leisure travellers,” said Ahmed.

HIKE IN PRICES: The airline fares are double the pre-Covid-19 rates