Its bonanza time for passengers as all major air carriers have dropped fares in limited period offers valid for some sectors. Today, GoAir and SpiceJet seem to have joined rivals Air India, Jet Airways and IndiGo in slashing fares for 90-day advance bookings.
As per the GoAir website, the Wadia group company is offering Mumbai-New Delhi flights starting at ₹3,563 for February 20. Indigo and Jet Airways are offering flights on the same route/date at ₹3,563 and ₹3,009, respectively.
On Cleartrip.com, Spicejet is offering fares starting at ₹1,089 on the Chennai-Bangalore route where Indigo and Jet Airways are retailing at ₹1,454. Both GoAir and Spicejet did not make a formal announcement on this today.
It may be recalled that Air India rolled out hefty discounts on short-term advance bookings on Monday, days after rival full-service carrier Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, started services.
Air India launched fares as low as ₹1,557 under a new scheme that will provide passengers with nearly 50 per cent discounted air fare on bookings starting from January 12 to January 18. The offer is valid for travel between January 16 and April 30.
Mumbai-based Jet Airways and low-cost carrier Indigo followed suit by slashing fares.
Lean season January is beginning of a traditionally lean season that lasts till March for air travel as it falls between the festive season that begins in September-October and summer vacations that begin in April-May.
The cheap fares on offer are a far cry from the exorbitant fares being charged by carriers in December when SpiceJet’s flights were being cancelled. It had in fact compelled the Centre to considering capping economy air fares at ₹20,000, a move which never fructified.