Airlines jack up fares to Gulf, targeting vacationers

Airlines have sharply increased ticket fares from Kerala to the Gulf, targeting passengers returning to the Gulf countries after the Onam vacation, which also coincides with the reopening of schools in the Gulf after the summer vacation.

Ticket fares for direct flights from Kerala to the Gulf countries have increased by around 10 to 15 times the normal fares soon after the Onam vacation, especially during the last week of August. An average ticket from Kerala to the Gulf on August 30 will cost between ₹80,000 and ₹1.5 lakh.

For instance, an economy class ticket on the Kochi–Sharjah route will cost ₹84,457 on August 30, while a Kochi–Bahrain ticket will cost ₹1,02,651. Similarly, a Thiruvananthapuram–Bahrain economy-class ticket will cost ₹1,47,444 on the same day, while a ticket to Dubai is priced at ₹83,777, according to fares recorded on August 11.

However, ticket fares from the Gulf to Kerala ahead of Onam remain largely within the normal range, with fares ranging between ₹12,000 and ₹22,000. This hike is relatively modest, considering that the normal fare range for flights in the sector is between ₹6,000 and ₹12,000.

According to K.V. Muraleedharan, president of the Kerala Association of Travel Agents, the sharp increase in ticket fares during the peak season is part of a clandestine move by airlines to make windfall profits by taking advantage of the festival rush. “Even as ticket fares from Kerala to the Gulf have been ruling exorbitantly high, fares on West Asian routes from cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai are around 40% lower than those from Kerala,” says Mr. Muraleedharan.

Generally, ticket fares from the Gulf to Kerala ahead of Onam should also have gone through the roof as Onam and Id fall in the same period. However, this year, Id was celebrated in May, well ahead of Onam. Therefore, the fare hike mainly affects expatriates returning to the Gulf after the Onam vacation and the school holidays.

The State government and MPs from Kerala should exert pressure on the Centre to rein in airlines and prevent them from fleecing passengers during this period, says Víctor Fernández, general secretary of the association.