Differences in fares between budget and regular airlines blur

Many prefer budget airlines when dynamic pricing followed by the industry forces passengers to shell out more, especially during peak season. However, there has been no significant differences in fares between budget airlines and full-service airlines .

For instance, the airfares of budget airlines from Kerala to the Gulf sector during the Christmas season at times exceed those of regular full-service flights. An Air India Express ticket to Dubai from Thiruvananthapuram on December 9 and return by January 6 as of Tuesday costs ₹34,212, while Emirates charges ₹32,722 for the same.

Similarly, a low-budget airline ticket on the Kochi-Dubai-Kochi route on December 25 and returning by January 15 costs ₹45,200, while a regular flight on Air India is available at ₹33,000. Normally, the regular full-service flights provide a slew of in-flight services to their passengers, including complimentary meals, drinks, and snacks, and other in-flight entertainment. On the other hand, the low-cost carriers provide lower ticket fares by charging extra for food, drinks, seat selection, etc.

There will be limited legroom on such no-frills carriers, while the total seats on regular flights will be up to 25% less than low-budget airlines, which provide enough legroom between seats. Additionally, there were a slew of benefits on regular flights, including the difference in cancellation fees on tickets and enhanced insurance coverage. In the event of a disaster, the insurance compensation on the low-budget airlines will be far less than regular flights.

Speaking to The Hindu, K.V. Muraleedharan, president of the Kerala Association of Travel Agents, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation should intervene to cap exorbitant airfares charged by airlines. Though the government did not control airfares, there were some regulations on fares, like capping fares on some sectors in the past. The deregulation of airfares had led to airliners charging exorbitant fares, which should be looked into, he said.