29.1.15

Lean season discounts in the air


Airlines have dropped fares by up to 50% in a bid to fill up seats in the lean travel season that will last up to mid-April.
SpiceJet was the first off the block, offering five lakh seats at fares starting at Rs.1,499. The offer will be for bookings until Friday for travel between February 15 and June 30. Jet Airways was quick to join the bandwagon, offering all-inclusive return tickets from Rs.4,459. Under the scheme, valid till March 31, Jet is offering Goa-Mumbai-Goa tickets for Rs.4,459. Carriers, including SpiceJet, IndiGo and Jet Airways, have slashed their fares in a bid to lure flyers. The return fares on Jet Airways for Pune-Hyderabad, Kochi-Chennai, Nagpur-Mumbai and Delhi-Leh are Rs.5,019, Rs.5,901, Rs.6,143 and Rs.6,826, respectively.
IndiGo, India's largest airline in terms of domestic passenger carriage, has brought down its 90-day advance fares. All-inclusive fares from Delhi to Mumbai now cost Rs.3,002, while a Delhi-Goa flight ticket will come for Rs.4,694. Trips to Kolkata, Chennai and Goa now come at Rs.3,002, Rs.3,861, Rs.4,693 and Rs.4,694, respectively . Other airlines may follow suit.
While airlines are slashing fares now, flying costs may remain prohibitive for passengers in the peak travel months of April-June and October to mid-January . The aviation ministry has junked its recent proposal to cap maximum domestic economy fares at Rs.20,000. An internal aviation ministry note circulated last month had proposed the cap after airlines had hiked fares substantially , following SpiceJet's move to cut capacity from mid-November.
Airline industry sources say for once these low fares may not be suicidal. Airlines had cut fares to fill planes in last month too. Air India had cut fares by 50% for a limited time last month and may do it again.

No comments: