Airlines offer heavy discounts this winter for fliers

Winter is the time when many yearn for travel.  Different airlines are helping travellers make the most of this time by offering more flights, seats and discounts.

Announcing its week-long fare sale from November 8 to 14, India's largest full-service private carrier Jet Airways is offering up to 30% discounts this winter season on its non-stop and one-stop flights from India to high-demand destinations served by its international network.

"Guests looking to plan their winter getaways overseas can avail of these special fares when they book their travel between November 8 and 14, 2017. Guests will benefit from substantial savings while enjoying the airline's famed in-flight service," Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said.

Travel under this offer commences with the coming New Year - effective January 22, 2018 - and is applicable on both Premiere and Economy Classes. The limited period offer is also valid for the airline's new non-stop services, between Chennai and Paris, Bengaluru and Amsterdam, which was launched a fortnight ago, and Mumbai/Delhi and London Heathrow.

For those making a trip to the UAE, low-cost carrier SpiceJet is offering up to 20% discount on flights between India and Dubai. Those wanting to avail the discount must book before November 15, while travel validity lasts until December 13, the airline said.

Meanwhile, AirAsia has announced its BIG Sale, which will allow passengers to avail all-in domestic fares from as low as Rs 466 for destinations such as Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Delhi and Goa. International fares start from as low as Rs 999 for flights to Kuala Lumpur from Trichy, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, and Jaipur, and to Bali from Mumbai and Kolkata. These fares can be availed from November 13 to 19 on the airline's website, to travel between May 7, 2018, and January 31, 2019, AirAsia India told DH.

A few airlines are adding new flights for the winter season, anticipating spurt in travel. GoAir has added 15 new flights to the winter schedule. "This is in sync with the growing demand from corporate travellers and upcoming holidays for leisure travellers. With the introduction of the winter schedule, the airline will increase operations by 26% to 1,544 flights per week," the airline stated.

The largest airline in the country in terms of market share, IndiGo, has launched 47 flights (19 new sectors and 28 additional flights) on its network - thereby achieving 1,000 flights per day mark on December 23, 2017. The carrier will now operate maiden flights between Lucknow-Sharjah, Hyderabad-Sharjah, Lucknow-Srinagar, Hyderabad-Ranchi and Lucknow-Dehradun, among others. These flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travelers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options.