IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air Asia slash flight ticket prices to lure flyers, push sales

In an attempt to lure flyers and push up sales, no-frills airlines have slashed fares in advance purchase offers.

SpiceJet is offering one-way fares between Rs 511 and Rs 2,111 (excluding taxes) on domestic and international routes, respectively, in a three-day anniversary sale till Thursday, while AirAsia is giving a 50 per cent off on return flights booked till Wednesday.

IndiGo, too, has dropped one-way fares to around Rs 800 on routes such as  Jammu-Srinagar, Srinagar-Chandigarh and Rs 924 for Goa-Mumbai and Rs 1,050 for Ahmedabad-Mumbai. IndiGo's discounted tickets are valid for travel between July 4 - September 30.

WHAT’S ON OFFER

• AirAsia, IndiGo and SpiceJet are giving discounts in advance purchase offers to attract passengers
  

   

Jul-Sep is traditionally a lean season for air travel and discounts help airlines push up sales
 

Airlines reported 80% load factor in June-Sep 2015 and are keen to keep the demand momentum strong
 

Cleartrip, Yatra.com have reported surge in bookings for domestic & international flights

The period from June to September is traditionally lean for travel as schools and colleges reopen. Hence, carriers are providing discounts to keep loads high. During June-September 2015, domestic carriers reported load factor of 80 per cent, compared to 75 per cent in the previous year.  Also, airlines, especially IndiGo and SpiceJet, have added aircraft and increased flights.

SpiceJet said the discounted tickets are available for popular destinations such as Dehradun, Bagdogra, Udaipur, etc on domestic routes and Bangkok, Colombo, Dubai and Muscat on international routes. The discounted tickets are valid for domestic travel from June 15 to September 30 and for international travel from June 1 to July 20.  

“We’ve started seeing a surge in bookings for the 30-90 day out period, on both domestic and international routes. Stimulating advance purchase through sales like these works on various grounds. Firstly, it’s an opportunity to tap the large leisure segment of customers, which is strategically an important segment. Secondly, it helps airlines get predictable loads on their flights 30-days or more in advance. This enables them to potentially garner higher yields closer to departure,” said Amit Taneja, chief revenue officer, Cleartrip.

“The sale is a bit unanticipated for this time of the year and a bonanza for people who had not made any travel plans, as well as for those who prefer to travel at off-peak times. At Yatra, we have seen a big upsurge in bookings on Tuesday as the sale is open only for three days,”  said Sharat Dhall, president of Yatra.com.