Consumers flying between now and April 15 ? typically a lean period for airlines ? can save on airfare by making bookings till midnight on January 23. Hours after SpiceJet announced a three-day super sale of air tickets on Tuesday, offering a 50% discount to spot fares, Air India, IndiGo, GoAir followed suit, with Jet Airways expected to do the same.
The rush for tickets had begun, Sharat Dhall, president of Yatra.com, said. ?We are already seeing a 250% rise in bookings within hours of the prices being reduced. We expect this to go up even further as word about the offer spreads,? Dhall told FE. adding that airfares were going for as little as Rs 3,355 for the Delhi-Mumbai route where the spot fares can be as high as Rs 10,098.
Amber Dubey, partner and head for aerospace and defence at KPMG, said the offer would help stimulate demand in a lean quarter. ?The seats on offer are chosen carefully without compromising flights that have high demand. Since this helps widen the narrow flyer-base, it?s a good move. The only losers are other airlines who have to match fares.?
Among the offers, SpiceJet has offered 50% off on limited seats on all direct flights when booked at least 30 days prior to travel. Meanwhile, GoAir has also slashed prices by 40-50% with the discount depending on whether bookings are made 30 days or 60 days prior to travel. Seats on Air India are also available at a 50% discount with the bookings to start on Wednesday ? base fares start at Rs 1,357, a release from the carrier said.
?This tactical offer will encourage corporates and leisure travellers to plan short-term travel. We have already seen response picking up from those wanting to take a quick break before the onset of summer,? said John Nair, head for business travel at Cox & Kings.
