Airfares skyrocket ahead of Diwali, up to 374% higher than normal
AGAINST LAST YEAR’S FESTIVAL, TICKET COSTS ARE AT LEAST 30% LOWER TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.10.2024
Ahmedabad : Travelling is certainly going to be an expensive affair as Diwali holiday airfares around the festive season have skyrocketed. Compared to non-festival days, non-stop domestic airfares to various destinations from Ahmedabad, when booked now for travel between Oct 31 and Nov 5, are up to 374% higher. A return ticket to Bagdogra now costs Rs 59,356 (up 374%) against Rs 12,500 of normal fare per person. Similarly, ticket prices to Jaipur (125.5%), Jodhpur (94.3%), Jammu (87.8%), and Kochi (79.7%)have skyr ocketed, as these airports connect tourists to various holiday destinations from Ahmedabad with a direct flight.
“The overall demand for air travel ahead of Diwali is significantly high. Visa woes for certain countries have also led to a surge in domestic travel, with bookings going up by about 25% compared to last year’s Diwali,” said Virendra Shah, chairperson, Travel Agents’Asso cia tion of India (TAAI) Gujarat. This time around, destina tions in the Northeast, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are very popular among people from Ahmedabad and Gujarat, said Shah. Interestingly, even though airfares are higher compared to non-festive days, they’re still cheaper against last year’s spike.
When booked afortnight before Diwali 2023, a return ticket for Kochi cost as high as Rs 57,400 per person. Similarly, tho se to Bagdogra (Rs 45,389), Jaipur (Rs 24,962), Dehradun (Rs 33,763), Chandigarh (Rs 36,998) and Kolkata (Rs 41,730) were also 30- 60% higher than this year’s airfares. Increased capacity and the recent fall in oil prices are considered to be among the factors for the fall in air ticket prices, according to industry players. The analysis by an online trav el portal showed that average airfare on domestic routes has declined in the range of 20-25% across the country.
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