Fluctuating air fares could be confusing

Chennai: For most travellers who book their flights online — statistics say eight out of ten air travellers in India do so — the fares they discover can be both pleasantly surprising and confusingly depressing. A return trip to Mumbai could cost less than Rs. 3,000 when booked early enough. But on a busy day at peak travel hours, the fare for the same trip could even exceed Rs. 6,000.
Air fares are subject to great fluctuations as they are determined by airlines using complex pricing models, which take into account various factors ranging from recent air-traffic trends, consumer demand, availability, seasonality and even the time of day.
Passengers are often left confused by the variations in the cost and availability of air fares, according to D. Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers’ Association of India (a non-profit organisation for passenger welfare). Tickets on a particular flight are divided into different categories. ‘Check fares’ are cheaper than the full fares, but give you less freedom to change your travel plans as they have higher cancellation charges. Domestic airlines also give you discounts if tickets are purchased a month in advance.
But closer to the date of travel, fares become less predictable. “We notice that around two weeks before the travel date, airlines start playing around with the fare depending on the demand,” Mr. Reddy says.
19/10/07 Ananth Krishnan/The Hindu

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Categories: General Aviation Oct 2007