Drop in air fares to major cities

It is off-season from the end of January, and also, people are scared of the rising pandemic numbers

Flight tickets from Bengaluru to most major cities in the country are cheaper, with the off season setting in.

The rates have dropped by up to 40 %. Metrolife checked air travel portals for tickets from Bengaluru to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata and found attractive discounts.

For the coming weekends, January 15-16 and 22-23, tickets to Delhi cost above Rs 7,400, while tickets for January 29-30 are down to Rs 3,200. Tickets to Mumbai, costing up to Rs 5,200 for January 15-16 and 22-23, are as low as Rs 2,150 with IndiGo, for the weekend after.

Flights to Hyderabad have seen a huge dip, from almost Rs 4,350 for the coming two weekends to as low as Rs 1,700 with AirAsia for the last weekend of January.

Chennai tickets costing up to Rs 3,500 are now Rs 2,850 on SpiceJet, IndiGo and AirAsia. Tickets to Kolkata, costing Rs 5,200 on flights in the upcoming two weekends, can be bought for Rs 3,400 on Air India and AirAsia for later dates.

Travel agencies say the looming third wave has added to the drop in rates.

Arun P, proprietor of travel agency Tanvi Travel World, HRBR Layout, says ticket prices have dropped by 20 to 25%.

“This happens for tickets booked during the off-season. Tickets booked after January first week often reduce as the high-peak travel season, October to January, is over,” he adds.

School and colleges get busy in January. “Most of the major holidays and festivals end by December,” he says.

The closer the dates, the higher the rates, notes Arun. “One can find more economical tickets also when the date is farther,” he says.

“The virus scare has added to the price reduction,” says Kartik Marathe, manager, Nesara Tours, Nagarbhavi. He notes that these rates have dropped for major cities but not for smaller tier-2 cities.

Flight carriers like Vistara, Spicejet and IndiGo have introduced free date change of tickets recently.

Rakesh Padachuri, director, Jagadish Tours, says such promotions are meant to encourage travel.

“Most people are travelling only for events like weddings, and for education abroad,” he says.

‘Bookings low’

In January, bookings dropped by 75%, according to a travel agent. “People are worried about Omicron and travelling when night curfews are in force,” he says.

Who is travelling now?

Most travellers now are youngsters, trying to head back to their hometowns before a lockdown is imposed. “They are 25 to 40-year-olds, mostly IT professionals,” says a business insider.

Even migrant labourers and housekeeping staff are booking tickets to escape getting stuck in Bengaluru in a lockdown-like situation, he says.