Flight ticket prices nosedive in off-season

SpiceJet was the first to announce one-way base fares starting at Rs599 for tickets bought during its three-day sale for travel between March 1 and April 31 on Tuesday morning

After a travel portal began a flash sale primarily aiming at long-distance foreign vacations this summer, two domestic airlines offered air tickets at fares cheaper than sleeper-class long-distance train rides and a full-service carrier slashed fares on its international flights by up to one-third the market price.

SpiceJet was the first to announce one-way base fares starting at Rs599 for tickets bought during its three-day sale for travel between March 1 and April 31 on Tuesday morning.

“Pre-summer sale is best suited for travellers who prefer off-season travel to save costs and avoid tourist rush. March-April being spring time is good for those travelers who want to avoid extreme weather conditions,” said Shilpa Bhatia, the vice-president commercial with SpiceJet.

By lunch, IndiGo, another no-frills carrier, announced all-inclusive economy class fares starting at Rs 737 for the same travel period on its official Twitter handle.

The pattern of raining discounts comes a day after GoAir announced a spot-sale offering fares such as Rs 2,106 on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route for tickets bought within a fixed time on February 28. The market price for the same journey was Rs 3,400, the airline claimed. Jet Airways was the third domestic airlines to offer discounted tickets on Tuesday but its seven-day sale was aimed at people planning foreign trips. According to a statement issued by the airline it offered price cuts up to 30% on not just its own flights but also on flights operated by its strategic partner Etihad Airways.

The massive international network operated by both the carriers would make tickets cheaper on popular routes bound to the US, Europe as well as Australia and Argentina, the statement added. The offer was available for tickets booked from March 10 onwards.