UAE residents planning a trip to India this month could save hundreds of dirhams, with return airfares on several routes dropping by nearly 20 to 30 per cent compared to recent weeks, according to travel agents and a Khaleej Times fare analysis.
While fares to many destinations in north and west India have fallen to just over Dh1,000 for a return journey, tickets to south Indian cities continue to cost more. Travel agents said that the lower fares are expected to remain only through a few days in July, with prices rising for August travel.
Taha Siddique, owner of Siddique Travel in Mangaluru, said fares to the coastal Karnataka city have also eased in recent weeks.
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“We have seen prices come down by around 20 per cent, although it depends on the departure airport. Flights from Abu Dhabi are generally cheaper than Dubai at the moment. We are also seeing lower fares to cities such as Hyderabad and Chennai this month,” he said.
However, he added that travellers planning to fly in August should book early, as fares are already increasing.
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, manager at Wisefox Travel and Tourism, said the biggest savings are currently on routes to north and west India.
“We are seeing lower fares to cities like Delhi and Ahmedabad. Even Mumbai and Pune are much cheaper than many south Indian destinations such as Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. For a 7 to 10 day trip in July, return tickets can start from around Dh1,080,” he said.
A Khaleej Times fare check on Bookings.com for a return trip between July 21 and July 31 found noticeable differences between destinations.
Among the lowest fares were:
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Ahmedabad: From Dh1,029
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New Delhi: From Dh1,041
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Mumbai: From Dh1,074
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Pune: From Dh1,114
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Bengaluru: From Dh1,389
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Kozhikode: From Dh1,578
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Mangaluru: From Dh1,928
The analysis shows that travellers heading to north and west India can currently find some of the best deals, while fares to popular destinations in Kerala and coastal Karnataka remain several hundred dirhams higher despite the recent drop.
A Khaleej Times fare check on June 14 for the same travel dates found ticket prices were around 20 to 30 per cent higher, indicating that airfares have eased since then.
Travel agents said the lower fares are largely due to a temporary slowdown after the early summer travel rush. They expect ticket prices to rise again in August as more families travel before schools reopen and demand increases on India-bound flights.
Source: Khaleej Times