MUMBAI: Airfares to Prayagraj and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh reportedly rose by 300% to 600% as pilgrims flocked in large numbers to take a dip in the Ganges during the ongoing Mahakumbh. In February last year, a parliamentary panel proposed that the government should frame guidelines to control sudden surges in airfares, suggesting that "a route-specific fare ceiling can be examined." With over a hundred consumer complaints received since December last year regarding excessive airfares, LocalCircles, a community-based online platform, conducted a survey to assess the experiences of fliers and gather their views on capping airfares.
The survey received over 30,000 responses from airline passengers located in 304 districts across India. Of the respondents, 61% were men, while 39% were women. Additionally, 41% were from tier 1 cities, 29% from tier 2 cities, and 30% from tier 3, 4, 5, and rural districts.
Eight in ten airline passengers surveyed said they paid excessively high fares (1.5 times the standard fare) at least once in the last 12 months. The survey first asked air travellers, “How many times have you paid excessively high (1.
5 times the standard fare or higher) airfare in the last 12 months?” Of the 15,226 respondents to this question, 41% stated “1-2 times,” 36% stated “3-5 times,” 2% stated “6 times or more,” 16% stated they “have never paid excessively high fare in the last 12 months,” and 5% did not provide a clear answer. In summary, eight in .
