Airfares go up four times in Gulf sector: Passengers worried as summer vacation approaches

Abu Dhabi: The airline companies have hiked the ticket prices at least four times more, while the summer vacation in the UAE begins in less than 40 days. Seats aren’t available on direct flights even if the passengers are ready to pay this amount. Meanwhile, travel agencies suggest that the ticket fares may further go up for the remaining limited number of seats. Families may find it difficult to choose Indian sectors like Mumbai and Delhi as well as connecting flights via foreign countries as it may take hours to reach the destination.

Soaring ticket fares
The schools in Dubai close for the summer vacation on June 28 while the holidays begin on July 5 in other Emirates. Meanwhile, the schools are scheduled to reopen after the vacation on August 26. Anticipating the demand, the airline companies are hiking the ticket fares, even months before the schools reopen. So, even if the tickets are booked way in advance, the passengers have to pay almost the same amount. However, the rate would keep increasing if the tickets were purchased later. Most parents are unable to book tickets in advance as they may not be able to coordinate their annual leave with their children’s vacation. Some of them even have to spend their savings for two years just to purchase air tickets. So, most of them could visit their homeland only once in a few years. Expatriate Malayalis in the Gulf region mostly travel to Kerala during the school holidays. Even though the demand for reducing airfares during this season is as old as migration itself, the situation remains the same.

Rs 60,000 for return ticket
It cost Rs 60,000 per head when a person tried to book tickets to fly to Kochi in the first week of July and return to Dubai by the last week of August yesterday. As per this, it would cost at least Rs 2.4 lakh for a family of four to visit their homeland. This rate would only go up as the vacation nears. Meanwhile, expatriates' demand reduced the airfares by arranging more flights in the route during the season.