air fares could be confusing
For most travellers who book their flights online
— statistics say eight out of ten air
travellers in India do so — the fares
they discover can be both pleasantly surprising
and confusingly depressing. A return trip to
Mumbai could cost less than Rs. 3,000 when booked
early enough. But on a busy day at peak travel
hours, the fare for the same trip could even
exceed Rs. 6,000.
fares are subject to great fluctuations as they
are determined by airlines using complex pricing
models, which take into account various factors
ranging from recent air-traffic trends, consumer
demand, availability, seasonality and even the
time of day.
are often left confused by the variations in
the cost and availability of air fares, according
to D. Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers’
Association of India (a non-profit organisation
for passenger welfare). Tickets on a particular
flight are divided into different categories.
‘Check fares’ are cheaper than the
full fares, but give you less freedom to change
your travel plans as they have higher cancellation
charges. Domestic airlines also give you discounts
if tickets are purchased a month in advance.