Airlines slash fares steeply

Low-cost airlines and Air India on Tuesday entered into an airfare war, announcing discounts of up to 50 per cent in an attempt to garner as many bookings for the summer.

The scramble for fliers in the lean period is the second in six months, the first being in July last year.

SpiceJet was the first off the block on Tuesday morning, followed by Indigo and GoAir announcing sales on 30-60 days' advance purchase window, said travel portals.

“The airlines are offering fares as low as Rs 3,355 on the Delhi-Mumbai route, where spot fares are as high as Rs 10,098. With other airlines likely to follow suit, travellers are finally getting a respite from high airfares and will take advantage of these great prices to book for their holidays in advance,” said travel portal Yatra.com's president Sharat Dhall.

Following the announcements, a 250 per cent rise in bookings has been witnessed. “We expect this to go up even further as word about the offer spreads,” added Dhall.

Air India launched a short-term “Spring Sale” of up to 50 per cent on all domestic routes of its network, but a Jet Airways spokesperson said no such decision had been taken by the carrier so far.

Air India said its promotional scheme would be up for grabs from Wednesday till January 24, and valid for travel between February 21 and April 15. These fares, which would be as low as Rs 1,357, including of taxes, would cover all domestic sectors of the national carrier.

The fare on the Agartala-Kolkata route will be Rs 1,385, between Delhi and Mumbai Rs 2,830 and Delhi-Ahmedabad Rs 2,292, inclusive of taxes.