Bengaluru: Flight ticket price for Gulf countries including Dubai has escalated inconveniencing already suffering international travellers. In some cases the airfare increased by 200 per cent.
Before Covid while the airfare was around Rs. 10000 – 12000 thousand rupees, in the current times has reached Rs 30000 to 35000. There are instances that it has reached over Rs. 1 lakh too. This has posed problems for people who have travel emergencies, especially people travelling abroad.
On November 6, flight tickets from Mangaluru, Bengaluru and Goa to Dubai cost a whopping Rs. 21000, Rs. 22000 while on November 7 it reached Rs. 28000, Rs. 31000, Rs. 32000, and Rs. 36 000. From November 8 onwords the airfare are Rs. 38000, Rs. 42000 and Rs. 50000. Before Covid, a person who paid Rs. 13000 for a ticket earlier, during this pandemic times might have to pay Rs. 1.30 lakh to travel the same destination. However, the person is likely to lose the job if he decides not to travel. Not only through hiking prices of flights to Gulf, but airlines are now covering the loss reaped during pandemic by hiking prices of flights connecting to all countries. Airlines has been looting the people who have no go but travel due to employment reasons, says a travel agent from Mangaluru on condition of anonymity.
“The situation is likely to continue for the next two months, and hence travel only if it necessary, adds another travel agent from Bengaluru.
As flight ticket prices have increased everywhere in the country, there is no escape from shelling out huge money, says a travel agent from Mangaluru, and adds that as Covid Negative Report has been mandatory, the travellers also face inconvenience in terms of timings as they have to reach the airport at least 5 hours before their travel time.
