International airlines have flooded the Indian market with discounted tickets as plunging oil prices have lowered their operating costs, despite the rupee’s fall. Indian carriers, which pay for substantial costs in dollars, are also trying to match the offers.
In the last one month, big global players like Qatar, Emirates, Etihad, British Airways, Jet and Air India had come out with special offers. According to travel portal Yatra, BA’s special return fares for Delhi-New York start at Rs 64,000 against their usual Rs 88,000.
Qatar Airways was offering return fares of about Rs 54,000 on this route. Similarly, Yatra said Etihad was offering Delhi-London-Delhi for about Rs 29,000 instead of the usual Rs 41,000.
Qatar Airways recently concluded a travel fest where it was offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on its entire network. Similarly, Emirates was offering fares starting at Rs 19,000, Rs 34,000 and Rs 52,550 to the Gulf, Europe and Americas, respectively, till recently. Airlines like BA are still offering special fares–Rs 45,000 and Rs 64,000 for India-UK and US (East Coast) return tickets -if bookings are made by the end of this month. Travel agents feel airlines, especially Gulf carriers, whose offers got over recently are also likely to come with other discounts in coming days to tap the coming summer travel from India.
“Low oil prices have allowed airlines to offer such fares. Just like the explosive growth in the domestic market, India is seeing a robust increase in foreign travel as well. Foreign airlines are tapping into this growing market with lower fares and trying to increase their sales,” Yatra president Sharat Dhall said.
“The impact of the falling rupee has so far not been very significant on overall travel cost but it turns the sentiment negative. Prospective travellers feel they will have to shell out more for everything as the dollar is dearer. The airlines’ special offers could counter this senti ment,” Dhall said.
Thomas Cook India senior VP (outbound) Jatinder Paul Singh also felt that the rupee’s fall will not impact people’s decision to travel, though they may alter their choices. “The rupee movement is not a new phenomenon and with travel a `mustdo’ in the Indian calendar, consumers will merely reassess their choice of destination, not their decision to travel. Our teams have not received any cancellations in current or forward bookings and neither do we anticipate any,” he said.
