Amidst the festive madness also exist the perennial late travellers woes -- but according to a latest study by global search engine Skyscanner, flight prices from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru all see a drop two weeks prior to the festival period before sharply rising one week before departure.
With Diwali around the corner, there are still many tardy travellers who leave it to the last moment to book flights for their break and risk paying 15 per cent more than the average fare by leaving booking until the last minute.
Analysing data from last year's Diwali travel period, Skyscanner notes that flight prices from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru all see a drop two weeks prior to the festival before sharply rising one week before departure, said a statement.
Taking cue from the searches of travel from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to different destinations, travellers can save 20 per cent, 15 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, on flight fares. Also noteworthy is that travel from Delhi or Mumbai to other cities is actually cheaper than from Bengaluru.
In the wake of availability of flight seats, airport taxes and length of flights, the study of Skyscanner's data further reveals that the same tickets when booked a day prior to departure can cost travellers from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru upward by 12 per cent, 6 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. Nonetheless, Bengaluru remains an expensive route for last minute travellers.
Commenting on the findings, Reshmi Roy, Senior Growth Manager at Skyscanner said: "Diwali is a very important festival in India, one where people travel far and wide to visit friends and family. This data shows a huge number of travellers are missing out on the best prices by leaving booking until the last minute."
"We hope travellers will use the insights that Skyscanner's data provides to find more cost-effective travel options this Diwali season. Knowing that one is still not too late to find the best fare, is definitely good news."