Holiday Travels Hit Hard: Skyrocketing Airfares Dash NRIs’ Hopes for Christmas Reunions

The joyous anticipation of Christmas reunions for NRIs residing in Gulf countries has been marred by exorbitant airfare hikes. From November 24 to December 31, airlines have increased ticket prices fivefold for travel from Gulf countries to Kerala. Families, especially those of four, are burdened with hefty expenses, requiring over two lakh rupees to reach Kerala from Jeddah. Air India Express, for instance, is charging up to Rs 73,000 per ticket, a significant surge from the regular price of Rs 13,000. Similar drastic increases have been observed for routes from Dubai, with a family of four needing around one and a half lakhs for travel.

These escalated prices are ostensibly attributed to higher fuel costs, although critics argue that this justification obscures the real motives behind such steep fare hikes. Airlines have historically raised ticket prices during occasions like Vishu, Onam, and school holidays in the Gulf. The situation has become distressingly common, with airlines capitalizing on the seasonal demand to charge exorbitant amounts for one-way travel to Kerala. Legal action is underway, as the High Court examines pleas against the escalated airfares based on the season, and the Central and state governments are being called upon to explain the reasons for the spike. Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Aviation has not yet approved the state government’s proposal for chartered flights during the holiday season. The escalating ticket costs have left many families rethinking their plans for Christmas reunions, putting a damper on the festive spirit for the NRI community.