Dubai: The airfares to UAE are skyrocketing as Keralites are busy returning after the summer holidays. The ticket charge to Dubai from Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram and Karipur airports are over Rs 25000 per head. It would cost more than one thousand dirhams even if the passengers choose to travel in the next few days.
The ticket fare for Air India are likely to go up to 2,000 dirhams by the fortnight. While a single passenger can travel for Rs 10,000 during off season, it would go up to Rs 45,000 during the festival and holiday seasons.
It would cost Rs 2 lakh to purchase tickets for a family of four. The schools in the Emirates would reopen after the two and half month long summer vacation.
The airfares to the Gulf region might increase in the coming days as those who have come home for the annual leave will be returning.
Meanwhile, the tickets to Kerala too might soar by the end of this month during Onam. The tickets are sold for high prices until September 15. A slump in fares is expected by the third week of September. It must be noted that the ticket prices would cost up to Rs 37,000 even for the services that have a layover of 10 – 24 hours. The passengers have to spend such a hefty amount to change airplanes at places like Muscat and Colombo.
Meanwhile, the airline companies defend the soaring ticket fares, saying that tickets are offered at affordable prices during the off – season. They add that it is a common phenomenon to increase the prices when the demand rises and that airline companies around the world follow the same pattern in pricing. The companies note that no one appreciates when the tickets are sold at low price when the demand is meagre.
