By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: Expatriates planning summer vacation have been hit hard by a sharp rise in air fares, which industry sources put at an average of 10 percent higher compared to the peak season fares last year.
Tickets to popular Asian destinations like Colombo, Manila, Kathmandu, Dhaka and the Indian cities of Calicut, Chennai and Mumbai have particularly become dearer.
The 10 percent increase is added to the usual hike during the peak season, which starts from June, which could be 75 percent to 100 percent more than the normal fare, say travel industry sources.
South Asians constitute the major chunk of the expatriate populations in Qatar and large numbers of them prefer to spend the Eid and school holidays home.
The sources say tickets to top Asian destinations like the South Indian cities of Calicut, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai and Sri Lankan capital Colombo would cost eight percent to 14 percent more compared to last year.
Even budget airlines have jacked up fares, cashing in on the huge demand, and flights to most south Asian destinations, especially Kerala, are fully booked.
“It’s more expensive and has a high demand when it comes to direct flights and immediate connections,” a travel executive told this daily yesterday.
“Although tickets are paid by employers for many passengers, there is a considerable number of people forced to buy tickets on their own.
“Even if it’s QR100, it matters to them, especially when they purchase more than one ticket,” she added.
A return trip to Calicut would cost about QR4,000 and to Mumbai QR3,900, which is between QR300 and QR500 higher than last year, said another a travel consultant.
A return trip to Colombo would cost about QR3,300 and to Chennai QR3,800 during the season. A similar trip cost an average QR300 less last year.
The travel agents this daily spoke to could not give a satisfactory explanation for the sharp hike, but some said it is largely due to the fact that airlines change fare structures based on demand.
Fares are subject to fluctuation and depend on the season and travel dates, they said.
Even if seats are available, one may not find a cheaper fare, because airlines keep prices high, with the beginning of the peak season.
“Actually, there is nothing like the current price. It always depends on the date of travel and purchase of ticket. The earlier you book, the cheaper fare you get. During the peak season airlines remove the lowest price from the system, so the fare begins at a higher price,” said a senior travel executive.
In this complicated process, a passenger would end up paying more if he wants to change a booking. He will be forced to pay the difference in the fares from the date of the first booking and the date of change and this could amount to huge sums depending on the season.
Airlines woo customers with attractive promotions, but industry sources say such offers include hidden charges.
“Airlines make big announcements about promotions and say ‘Conditions Apply’ in small letters. Most passengers don’t bother to know about these conditions,” said the manager of a leading travel agency.
“Conditions may vary and include a cancellation fee or a high penalty for date change or very low class (known as O class in the travel industry) seats are included in promotions,” she said.
For example, if there are 100 seats in the economy class, 10 will be sold at QR700 each, the next 10 at QR750, another 10 at QR900.
“Like any other business, airlines do not lose money in promotions. In case of refund for tickets, especially bought in promotions, a penalty is charged. Airlines know that there will be passengers who change travel plans and date or cancel tickets. Most airlines now charge penalty for travel date change,” said a source.
The Peninsula
