Air travel for the upcoming Dussehra and Diwali festivals is expected to be more expensive this year, with fares skyrocketing to Rs 20,000-30,000 on some routes. Despite early bookings, rates are higher, challenging the belief that booking early guarantees lower prices.
Online travel platform Ixigo has reported a 30-35% increase in advance flight bookings for Diwali and Dussehra in October and November compared to the same period last year. Popular destinations like Goa and Jaipur have seen a 15-20% hike in average airfares.
Several airlines have offered special deals. Vistara’s Freedom Sale began with fares starting at Rs 1,578 for economy class. However, airfares are expected to rise further during the festive season. The government has urged airlines to increase flight frequency on domestic routes with price hikes over 20% in the last year.
Airline companies are expanding their inventory to alleviate the situation. In February, a parliamentary subcommittee recommended route-specific airfare caps to combat rising prices effectively.