Domestic air fares nosedive sharply on swine flu fears

Mumbai: Air fares in several domestic sectors have crashlanded and flying to places such as Goa, Mumbai and Bangalore is once again possible for less than Rs 2,000 if you booking the right flight at the right time. Travel experts say airlines have responded to falling passenger loads and swine flu fears to bring fares to their lowest point in two years. Even flights to usually expensive destinations such as Kolkata, Chennai, Guwahati and Jammu are almost 30%-40% lower and tickets are available for anything between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 if you shop around for the right fare.
"Only two months ago, domestic fares were so high that people were choosing to travel abroad because of the attractive fare packages. A ticket to a very well-connected destination, came at between Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,500 even in low-cost carriers," a travel expert said. "But the situation has turned on its head to benefit economy-class travellers."
GoAir, for instance, is offering Mumbai-Goa tickets for Rs 1,975; a discount of Rs 300 brings the fare down to sub-2,000 levels. Spice Jet has pitched the same ticket at 2,150 minus Rs 150 (to give you a ticket for Rs 2,000). Even full-service carrier Kingfisher's ticket is priced at Rs 2,250.
Similarly, if you book a Mumbai-Banglore ticket for Sept 1 either on Indigo or GoAir, you can expect to get a ticket for as low as Rs 1,553. The maximum fare, offered by even full-service carriers, is also between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000. You can get air tickets for Delhi, too, at Rs 1,998. And tickets for destinations like Jammu, which are usually priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000, are priced at Rs 1,803 for September 1.
23/08/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2009