New Delhi: Holidaymakers who missed out on the recent spate of discounted domestic airfares may have to pay 30-40% more for tickets to popular summer destinations in the country.
Nearly 40% of domestic airline tickets available for the mid-March to June period were snapped up earlier this year as airlines offered discounted fares. Tour planners say that seat availability has been further crimped due to the grounding of Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines. "People who did not book in advance could face a fare hike of at least 30%. Airfares will spiral for holiday destinations anywhere from 30-40%," said Richa Goyal Sikri, director, group business development, STIC Travel Group. "We estimate that advance bookings have probably increased by 25%, if not more, this year."
Since January, SpiceJet and Jet Airways have given away three million air tickets for as less as Rs 2,000-3,000 in the latest move by the slowdown-hit industry to win back passengers lost to the railways.
22/03/13 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times
