Ahmedabad-London airfare Rs24k, for Delhi Rs24k

It was a rude shock that awaited Amdavadis returning home after spending Diwali holidays in the north. They had to pay nearly the same fare to fly from Delhi to Ahmedabad as they would have paid for flying to London!

Though the vacation rush has now eased somewhat, airfares continue to tilt northward. Even on Tuesday evening, one-way fare to Delhi was in the unusually high range of Rs15,000 to Rs20,000.

Gaurang Dave, a city-based businessman, returned to Ahmedabad from Hyderabad a couple of days back. When his original flight was cancelled at the last moment in Hyderabad, he decided to buy a ticket from another airline which charged him a whopping Rs28,000 for a ticket to Ahmedabad.

“I have been to Hyderabad more than six times but I never had to pay more than Rs15-18,000 for a round ticket to Hyderabad,” Dave said. “My original flight was cancelled at the last moment. I, along with a dozen other passengers, had no option but to buy the expensive tickets as we were in a hurry to get home.”

In a similar manner, the chief executive officer (CEO) of a leading publishing house in the city had to pay on Tuesday Rs24,000 for round tickets to Delhi and that, too, with a stoppage in Jaipur. In normal days, the airfare doesn’t cross Rs9,000 to Rs10,000.

Even for October 29 flights, Spice Jet was offering on Tuesday, one-way tickets between New Delhi and Ahmedabad for Rs20,435. Strangely, the Kingfisher Airlines’ Mumbai-London ticket was available for a little less — just Rs20,333.

Manish Sharma, managing director of Akshar Travels in the city, said he had received many reports about passengers having to pay through their noses for tickets at the last moment. “But even during normal times, last moment tickets cost a lot of money,” he said.

Trade analysts say there is no relief for passengers if their flights get cancelled. And the airlines have the right to cancel their flights whenever they want, without having to give reasons.

“There is no certainty as far as airfare is concerned,” said Bimal Mehta, former president of Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat. “Some day you may get tickets at very low rates; on other days, they can cost you a fortune. Low-cost airlines are good only if you have planned your journey in advance.”