For now, fly abroad at rock-bottom fares

New Delhi: This could well be the final call for holidayers looking for rock bottom international fares this holiday season. Airlines are coming up with limited period mouth-watering fares for travel in next few weeks, before hiking them from next month itself for the rest of this travel season.
On Friday, while Lufthansa's discount offer of up to 50% ended, Singapore Airlines started its own similar offer. The south Asian giant is offering all-inclusive return fares of Rs 11,000 to Singapore, which is the same as a return Delhi-Mumbai fare on a full-service airline. The airline's other fares are just as tempting — Rs 22,000 to China and Rs 25,000 to Perth. The return fare for other Australian cities is Rs 36,000.
``Bookings for this exceptional value deal opens on May 25 and is valid for sale till May 29 for Singapore and June 12 for China and Australia routes. The travel validity for all destinations is till September 30,'' said an airline release.
Air India too is continuing for now with its low fares like a Rs 21,900 return fare (all inclusive) to London or Rs 42,000 to New York.
Some airlines are even targeting the premium traveller. British Airways is offering a limited period discount of up to 50% on its business and first class. Fares will soon rise as the travel industry expects traffic to pick up from late June due to two reasons — increased business travel to India with a stable government being sworn in and school holidays abroad.
``I see demand for both domestic and international travel rising in India by 10-15% in next few months, a dramatic rise in these recessionary times. So fares will see some increase. Airlines need to stop bleeding and start earning,'' said Travel Agents Association of India chief Rajinder Rai.
23/05/09 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign May 2009, Indian Aviation- In General May 2009