Flying is cheaper now

Though Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Sahara are also offering cheap flights, the conditions imposed on them are not passenger-friendly. For example, if you buy a 21-day advance discounted ticket in these airlines, you cannot change your date of journey. You also have to carry an identity card to prove that you are not an impostor.

But the biggest advantage by flying with Jet or Indian Airlines is that they have nationwide coverage and if you can plan your journey at least a month advance you will end up saving huge money.

In this backdrop, the launch of Air Deccan will pressururise other airlines to drop their deadlines to buy tickets. For example instead of asking passengers to book 21-day in advance, the airline may ask passengers to book 15 days before the date of journey.

As Air Deccan’s operations are at present limited in the country, you can also choose from Air-India’s domestic flights which are offering huge discounts (see chart).

A large number of seats going empty during non-peak season is the main reason for the airlines to reduce rates. The super Apex fares are the part of airlines’ strategy to earn incremental revenue of lost seats.

On the other hand, Air Deccan’s strategy to offer seats without any meals or air-hostess on board is helping the airline to cut costs and offer benefits to the passengers. To begin with, Air Deccan will offer its flights to mostly South Indian destinations which will be followed by a national roll-out of services.

Sahara, which was the first to start the low fare flights in the country, is planning to add more flights in its schedule and offer low fares. You can also bid for the airline’s flights 25 days in advance from the airline’s website (airsahara.net).

The airline is also promising that in the months to come it will launch more low rates flights to increase its flight occupancy.

Air-India — which flies to foreign destinations — offers 25 per cent discounts even on its day flights. For example, a weekly day flight from Mumbai to Kolkata costs only Rs 4,070 as compared to Rs 7,500 charged by Jet or Indian Airlines. The only problem is that to board a A-I flights one has to go to go to the international terminals.

So if you haven’t booked your ticket as yet, it’s time to rush into the nearest office of any of the airline and book your cheap seat now.