Fog in north sends midday airfares northwards

The fog in North India has not only wreaked havoc on flyers’ schedules but has also sent airfares of non-peak hour flights skyrocketing.

Weather conditions in Delhi and nearby areas have forced travellers to opt for afternoon flights to avoid fog-related delays during morning and evening flights. This has severely impacted airfares during the non-peak hours, which now equal or surpass those of peak hour flights. For instance, a Mumbai-Delhi air ticket, which is normally available for Rs3,251 upwards in the non-peak hour (NPH) slot, now costs anywhere between Rs6,441 and Rs7,051. The fares of NPH flights are usually at least 30% less than those during the peak hours.

“This sharp increase is due to fog in the north. People are avoiding travel during peak hours (early morning and evening), and are undertaking journeys during the day and hence fares for NPH flights have now equalled those of peak hour flights,” said Rajesh Rateria, chairman, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).

Even flights to other parts of the country have been affected. A Mumbai-Kolkata flight ticket now costs Rs9,055 for a 1.10pm flight, while it is Rs6,229 for one at 7.05am. Even a Mumbai-Ahmedabad 1.25pm flight ticket is now Rs4,947, while it is Rs1,881 for a 7.55am flight.

According to Rateria, fares will continue to remain high for the next few days due to holidays. “Fares will be higher as people return from holidays and business travel starts,” he said. The situation will ease only by the end of January.

“They will show signs of normalising from January end as the holiday season ends and business travel returns as the mainstay for airlines,” he said.