Christmas rush has led to a surge in airfares from Bengaluru

One-way fare from Bengaluru to Visakhapatnam hit Rs 17,000

One-way trips from Bengaluru to Kochi, reached Rs 16,223 on Akasa Air

Christmas rush has led to a surge in airfares from Bengaluru to Kochi, Hyderabad, and Vizag, reaching five-digit figures for one-way trips this weekend. Many residents in the city are frantically trying to secure tickets to return home for Christmas. Even bus fares to neighbouring parts of the state have soared to Rs 5,000 per passenger, while trains are fully booked.

For Saturday, the one-way non-stop fare from Bengaluru to Visakhapatnam hit Rs 17,000 on IndiGo, and Air India Express offered a few tickets at Rs 13,683. The high demand is driven by people from Kerala working in Bengaluru eager to reunite with their families for the Christmas festivities. Train tickets to Kerala sold out in early November, with no waitlist option, and Tatkal tickets released on Thursday and Friday were snapped up within seconds.

Friday night witnessed exorbitant fares for one-way trips from Bengaluru to Kochi, reaching Rs 16,223 on Akasa Air and Rs 14,837 on IndiGo, as individuals urgently sought to make it home for the weekend before Christmas on Monday.

Airfares to Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru have also surged, ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 17,000 for one-way flights. In contrast, off-season fares for regular travel to Kerala cities typically range from Rs 2,700 to Rs 4,000.

Similarly, one-way fares from Bengaluru to Hyderabad have experienced a significant increase for the weekend, ranging from Rs 9,400 to Rs 15,400, compared to the regular fare of just over Rs 3,000 on this route.