Sunday 4 November 2012

Air fares soar during Diwali high


MUMBAI: As demand for air travel is expected to peak during the Diwali week, fares on flights scheduled for the next week are comparatively cheaper than those departing the week after that. 

In short, because of the 
festive season , a seven-day advance purchase ticket has become cheaper than a 14-day one on routes to the Middle East and South East Asia. The difference in airfare is in the range of 20-40 %. 

Diwali falls on November 13 and airfares on flights departing that week are sky-high and continue to climb. The highest airfares are being quoted on the Delhi-Singapore direct flights. The cheapest return fare, taxes included, on direct flights between these two cities for travel around mid-November was in the range of Rs 36,000 on Friday. However, if you are planning to fly to
Singapore next week, you can buy a return ticket on a direct flight for Rs 31,000. 
"With Kingfisher Airlines pulling out from international routes, the supply has gone down and with increase in demand brought by the festive season, the fares are high,'' said Bathija Travels director Anoop Kanuga. 

"The high airfares are a result of increasing cost of operations into Indian airports , shortage of seats, and peak season demand,'' said Air Passenger Association of India president Sudhakara Reddy. 

The other expensive route this Diwali is the Delhi-Kuala Lumpur one. Return 
air fares on non-stop flights between Delhi and Kuala Lumpur, scheduled around mid-November , are in the range of Rs 40,000. 

But for flights departing next week too it is Rs 40,000, though the return leg is not a direct flight. For to-and-fro direct flights, the fare is Rs 50,000. Similar trend in fares were seen on direct flights from Delhi to 
Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok . "Since supply has gone down greatly, the effect can be seen on airfares,'' said Travel Agents Association of India president Iqbal Mulla. 

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