Your air ticket will pinch you a bit more this season

Mumbai: Flying away this Diwali is turning to be expensive as the fuel surcharge and peak season fares combine to weigh heavy on air-travellers pockets. Cheap tickets to metros, as well as tier two cities like Indore, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Panaji have been sold out, report airlines. Only full fare tickets are available for this week leaving travellers with no option but to pay. Even business class seats have been sold out on most routes, as air passengers are learning to book in advance.
One way fares on the Mumbai-Delhi route — the busiest air-corridor in the country — have been as high as Rs 17,814 for the odd flight, in this case a Kingfisher flight for Thursday (Diwali) evening. The normal fares on various airlines through the week range between Rs 4,900 and Rs 11,500 for flights in the morning and evening peak hours. These depend on the time of the day, but are still 30-200% higher than fares in October.
In a new trend, low-cost airlines fares are matching up with those of full service airlines. The Delhi-based Indigo for instance, has pegged return fares on Mum-Delhi in the Rs 20,000-range as they try to maximise yields. The cheap flights have been blocked off by the airlines’ yield management systems. The peak fares this year are higher than last year’s Diwali peak, said a source from Kingfisher airlines.
07/11/07 Cuckoo Paul/Economic Times

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Categories: General Aviation Nov 2007