Pune: High ticket prices are making Pune travelers gamble on waiting for better fares, rather than booking early as they normally would for Diwali travel. “Bookings are 30 to 40% down for that period,” said Rishikesh Pujari, director of Vihar Travels. However, even that gamble is uncertain, since fuel-cost-linked fare changes mean no one can say for sure whether prices will fall or climb further before the festival, travel agents said.Travel agents note that this slow booking pace is atypical, as Diwali travel typically sees bookings start four to five months in advance. The squeeze is being felt even on domestic routes outside the peak festive period. “A Pune-Delhi ticket that would normally start at around Rs 4,000-5,000 one-way is now costing Rs 6,000-7,000, while Pune-Kochi fares have risen from around Rs 6,000-7,000 to Rs 10,000-11,000. Pune-Jaipur fares, normally around Rs 4,000-5,000, are currently starting at about Rs 9,000,” Pujari said.For the Diwali period, fares are expected to climb further. “One-way fares from Pune to Kochi are already being quoted at around Rs 14,000-15,000. Diwali bookings have begun, but many travellers are holding back amid uncertainty over fares,” Pujari said.Santosh Gupta, owner of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said airfares on several domestic sectors had risen sharply for the Diwali period. “Pune-Delhi is a minimum of Rs 10,000 one-way during Diwali. Even if I check for November 1 or 2, the fare is at least Rs 10,000,” he said. Normally, the fare on the route is around Rs 5,000-6,000 one-way.Pune-Bengaluru fares have also risen to around Rs 7,000 one-way for Diwali, against the usual Rs 3,000-3,500, he said.Gupta said the high fares were affecting booking decisions. “Diwali and Christmas are very close now, so people will either go for Diwali or Christmas,” he said, adding that the shorter gap between the two festivals was also affecting travel plans.He said his agency’s Diwali bookings were currently about 50% lower than same period last year.Pawan Sachdeva, director of Pacific Travels, said travellers were increasingly holding back from committing to domestic or international holiday plans. “People are not ready to make the big trips they used to plan. They are looking more at budget trips,” he said.Sachdeva said, “Right now, enquiry levels are there, but conversion and customer decisions are not happening immediately. The unreliability or cancellation of flights is spoiling people’s plans ahead also.”Another travel agent, who wished to remain anonymous, said reduced flight availability, high fares and limited inventory were adding to the pressure on fares. “Airlines have been operating more conservatively amid uncertainty over fuel costs and the Iran war, resulting in lower inventory and fewer seats available for booking,” he said.
