Flyers roped into fare protest

The air passengers’ association and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Monday pressured domestic airlines to reduce “astronomical” fares.

The air passengers’ association and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Monday pressured domestic airlines to reduce “astronomical” fares.

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Both expressed displeasure at spot fares — cost of air tickets bought at the last minute —more than doubling since mid-November.

Patel has repeatedly asked airlines to cut ticket prices.

On Monday, the Civil Aviation Economic Advisory Council (CAEAC), formed to address the issue, met for the first time. And, for the first time, passengers got a chance to voice their grievances.

Airline managers were stumped when Sudhakar Reddy, president of the Air Passenger Association of India (APAI), highlighted the cost disparity between two Chennai-Delhi tickets sold by different carriers for the same day. While a Rs 6,000 Jet Airways ticket showed a basic fare of Rs 2,250 and the rest as taxes, a Rs 6,400 Indigo ticket reflected a basic fare of Rs 5,400. “How can the taxes differ so much? Someone is cheating travellers,” Reddy said.

APAI demanded more transparency from airlines. Following a Civil Aviation Ministry directive, domestic carriers uploaded fare charts on their websites last week but APAI said they were “confusing”.