This year’s Dussehra falls on 12 October 2024, and Diwali on 31 October 2024, which is exciting for everyone. However, Travellers are expected to face disappointment on these two occasions. This is because airfares on certain routes can increase tremendously on Dussehra and Diwali. Some airlines offer discounts to lower the burden, but that might not be enough to drive a booking frenzy.
Discounts Offered By Airlines
Vistara introduced the ‘Freedom Sale’ on 15 August 2024. According to this, one-way domestic tickets are available at Rs 1,578 for economy, Rs 2,678 for premium economy, and Rs 9,978 for business class. Following the trend, Air India Express ‘Flash Sale’. The company waived convenience fees for bookings made until 25 August. The fares start from Rs 1,037. ‘Flash Sale’ started on 26 August and ended on 24 October.
Soaring Airfares
Travel platforms noted a considerable rise in airfare prices. Ixigo reported a 30-35 per cent YoY increase in prior flight bookings for October and November, as these are festive months. Rajnish Kumar, CEO of Ixigo, revealed that airfare to popular destinations like Goa and Jaipur has increased by 15-20 per cent during festive seasons.
EaseMyTrip co-founder Rikant Pittie shared that airfares have increased noticeably during the Diwali week of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. He said, “On popular domestic routes, one-way ticket costs have significantly risen. For example, the fare for routes like Mumbai to Patna has surged past Rs 20,000, while Bengaluru to Varanasi is approaching Rs 24,000, and Bengaluru to Patna is nearing Rs 30,000. Other key routes, including Mumbai to Lucknow and Delhi to Guwahati, are also seeing elevated prices, with fares in the upper Rs 14,000 to Rs 18,000 range.”
Also Read: How is Indian Ministry Making Air Travel Secure
What To Expect?
The good news for travellers amid rising airfares is that some airlines, such as Indigo, Air India, and Air India Express, will receive 10 additional planes for domestic routes. These new flights might ease the situation. The government also emphasised that there shouldn’t be much disparity between lower and upper airfare categories.