Festive Fly: Price-Less, Joy-Full

Well, festive season is just round the corner and the ever-enthusiastic Indian customers are gearing up to splurge during this period.Considering the fact, it is usually the best time of the year when vendors can inflate the rates of their products, as spending in festivals doesn’t really pinch the pockets of the consumers. While some vendors prefer to en-cash this opportunity by selling at a slightly higher price, there exists some who takes a different route to pull customers to their end.

Talking about the ones in the latter group, this year, it seems like the airline industry has chosen not to increase their ticket prices despite the maddening festive season, when evidently, commuters activity is at its best.

Buzz is that the Indian carriers selling cheap tickets even with the start of the festive season is an indication that airline companies are finding it tough to make up for the throwaway fares, they have been offering all year round.

“It is true that airlines are taking longer this year to hike fares, though that will happen in a few weeks,” said Rajji Rai, chairman of Swift Group, a travel company told the Economic Times. “To that extent, demand is definitely lower,” he added.

Owing to the lesser demand of the customers and growing competing among the airlines, the gap between demand and supply has increased more than ever. Moreover, experts believe that the entry of budget carrier AirAsia, the expected debut of Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines venture Vistara and the price war that began a while ago and is still on, are some of the reasons behind this dip in the rise of the prices in this season.

The delay in increasing fares might have affected the margins of the airlines; but, floating low fares scheme must also have spurred bookings. Well, as long as it’s a win-win situation for both the vendor and the customer, why complain about the cheaper air fare!