In news that could take the colour out of Holi, those returning to Patna by air from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and other metro cities are forced to shell out more money as ticket prices have risen.
Ahead of the festival on March 8, as people make a beeline to return home to celebrate with their families, air fares are burning a hole in their pockets. The fare from Delhi and Bengaluru to Patna has crossed Rs 14,000, while the cost from Chennai and Hyderabad to Patna has crossed Rs 19,000. This is four times the normal for Delhi and over three times for Hyderabad and Kolkata, while it has become two-and-a-half times more for Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai. The fare is highest for March 4 which is a weekend.
Time and demand are two crucial factors that influence air fares. Given that March 5 is a Sunday and Holi holiday begins from March 7 for many, taking just a day off would mean a mega celebration with loved ones. This is exactly why the fare is highest for March 4.
Airfare for coming to Patna
Struck by the skyrocketing fare, many have cancelled their visit to their hometown.
Swati Suman, a judicial aspirant in Delhi, said: “I am not going to celebrate the festival with my family in Dhanbad as the rise in air fare has forced me to stay in Delhi. I don’t think I will be able to get train tickets in this rush so I have dropped the idea to visit my hometown this year.”
Speaking to CNN-News18, an officer of Jai Prakash Narayan International airport in Patna said: “Passenger rush is at an all-time high in all airlines due to very high demand and seat availability. Airlines have different bucket fares for economy and business class. If prices are high, it is because of high demand.”
Alternate means of commuting
If we talk about coming from Delhi to Patna, apart from flight, one can reach by bus or train. Two buses come from Delhi to Patna. One of them is a sleeper, while the other is a seater. The sleeper has 51 seats and its fare is Rs 1,650, while the sleeper has 42 seats and its fare is Rs 1,900. If you want to adopt this, you should book tickets soon as the seats are getting filled fast.
If you want to come by train, you may have to wait as despite the number of trains between Delhi and different stations of Patna, almost all have been booked. Though many festival trains are being run, it is difficult to get tickets. For instance, in Vikramshila Express, the waiting list in sleeper is 505, while there are 86 in 3AC for March 5.
The Indian Railways has announced at least 11 special trains for people from Bihar to manage the overwhelming surge of passengers before Holi. Passengers can book tickets for the special trains on the official website of Indian Railways or through authorised travel agents. It is advisable to book tickets well in advance to avoid last-minute rush and inconvenience. Here are the links to the official website of Indian Railways where you can book your trains beforehand:
https://www.indianrail.gov.in/
https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/
Why this Surge?
One of the reasons for expensive flight tickets is the increase in the price of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) by around 80 per cent as compared to last year. Another reason is the lifting of Covid-19 curbs that has led to the rise in the number of bookings as compared to the last year. More demands, limited air seats and rising ATF has led to this surge in airfare.
Civil Aviation Ministry lifted price caps in 2022
The government had imposed lower and upper limits on domestic airfares in May 2020, according to which airlines could not charge a passenger less than Rs 2,900 (excluding GST) and more than Rs 8,800 for domestic flights of less than 40 minutes. While the upper caps were meant to protect passengers from being fleeced by greedy airlines, the lower limits were meant to protect the financially weaker carriers.
In August last year, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted, “The decision to remove air fare caps has been taken after careful analysis of daily demand and prices of air turbine fuel. Stabilization has set in & we are certain that the sector is poised for growth in domestic traffic in the near future.”
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