New Delhi: Domestic air travellers may soon be protected from the sharp surges in fares during peak travel seasons or in times of calamities, both natural and man-made. Aviation secretary R N Choubey has told TOI that the government is examining putting "limited restrictions on domestic fares that can be charged under some circumstances".
While Choubey did not elaborate on the 'circumstances', he said the idea is to provide relief to flyers. Airlines routinely hike fares during peak demand seasons, like festivals, and also during times when some areas are cut off due to man-made problems (like fares on flights from Delhi to Jaipur, Chandigarh and Amritsar during a recent reservation agitation that saw many highways and rail tracks in north India being occupied by protestors) or natural calamities. Recently when Chennai was cut off by floods, fares to airports near the city had shot up.
Choubey said some other "consumer-friendly" moves are in the works. "Airlines allow domestic flyers to take up to 15 kg of check-in baggage without any extra charge, beyond which they charge for excess baggage. We are working on a system where one or two extra kg (beyond the 15-kg limit) will invite a lower than usual charge," he said. Airlines, on an average, charge domestic flyers about Rs 300 per kg for extra baggage.
01/06/16 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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While Choubey did not elaborate on the 'circumstances', he said the idea is to provide relief to flyers. Airlines routinely hike fares during peak demand seasons, like festivals, and also during times when some areas are cut off due to man-made problems (like fares on flights from Delhi to Jaipur, Chandigarh and Amritsar during a recent reservation agitation that saw many highways and rail tracks in north India being occupied by protestors) or natural calamities. Recently when Chennai was cut off by floods, fares to airports near the city had shot up.
Choubey said some other "consumer-friendly" moves are in the works. "Airlines allow domestic flyers to take up to 15 kg of check-in baggage without any extra charge, beyond which they charge for excess baggage. We are working on a system where one or two extra kg (beyond the 15-kg limit) will invite a lower than usual charge," he said. Airlines, on an average, charge domestic flyers about Rs 300 per kg for extra baggage.
01/06/16 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
