Airfare discount: Is it for real?

With the festive season round the corner, most airline companies right from the largest private carrier to the low cost airlines like SpiceJet are offering discounts on domestic routes in this lean season.
However, this does not really bring down the costs of the ticket significantly. If you compare fares, the discount being offered is on the basic fare, which ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 3500 a ticket and depends on the timing of the flight. Add to that the congestion and fuel surcharge, which is about Rs 3500 per ticket for a long haul distances and Rs 3000 for short haul distances. So the cost of a ticket works out to nothing less than Rs 5000 one way and that too if you are lucky. So tickets for 599 are just on paper!
But with the festive season round the corner, airline companies hope to lure customers with discounts on special routes and improve their load factor in these turbulent times. Low cost airline SpiceJet has a Special Advance Purchase Fare. In this scheme, tickets will get a 50% discount on the base fare. But the scheme is applicable for tickets purchased 15 days prior to the date of travel.
Jet Airways has introduced a 14-Day apex fare on several key domestic routes for bookings before the September 30. Bookings for these fares must be made at least 14 days prior to the departure date.
Airlines like GoAir, Air India are also looking at promotional schemes but the king of good times is staying away.
20/08/08 CNBC-TV18/Moneycontrol.com

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2008