Christmas cheer: Spot airfares on major domestic routes remain in check

Flying during this Christmas won’t have you singing the blues about your budget.

Spot airfares on major domestic routes, such as Delhi-Pune, Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Goa, and Mumbai-Chennai, have either declined or increased marginally during December 23-December 25, 2023, compared to the same period last year.

“This situation is a classic example of ‘once bitten, twice shy.’ Prior to Diwali in November, airlines hiked fares significantly in anticipation of robust demand, only to find passengers scarce and load factors (occupancy rates) plummeting. Consequently, airlines had to initiate a last-minute sale to fill their seats,” Ameya Joshi, an aviation analyst and founder of the aviation blog ‘Network Thoughts’ told Business Standard.