Air fares surge post Ahmedabad plane crash, rampant price gouging

Following the Ahmedabad plane crash, a sharp increase in air ticket prices is observed, something that can be described as price gouging, or charging excessively high rates.

According to reports, nearly 41 per cent tickets have been cancelled, said Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council Chairperson Jyoti Mayal.

A travel agent mentioned that a ticket, which was priced slightly above Rs 6,000 before the accident, is now being sold for around Rs 34,000.

Mayal said that there has been a significant rise in ticket cancellations following the Ahmedabad plane accident.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "I don't want to take names, but some airlines have increased their ticket prices. This is reportedly because flights that are running full due to cancellations have seen a spike in ticket fares. According to her information, around 41 per cent of tickets have been cancelled. However, similar trends were also noticed recently in connection with Jammu and Kashmir."

She further mentioned that they are receiving queries from people asking whether the prices of exit row seats will now increase.

"I would like to clarify that there is no such information yet suggesting that the fares for exit row seats have increased. She said that it is certain that most people are now demanding seats in the exit row. She also pointed out that travel agents have suffered significant losses in recent days. Whenever any adverse situation arises, the travel trade is the first to be affected," she told ANI.

Roopak Punyani, owner of Delhi-based travel company Travel Canvas India Private Limited, said that apart from the overall global situation and recent tensions between India and Pakistan, the Ahmedabad accident has had a serious negative impact. Cancellations are mainly coming from the corporate sector. 

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Most people are now ensuring that they avoid flying in Boeing aircraft, he said. While he did not directly say that this has caused a rise in ticket prices, he noted that direct flights from certain locations are no longer operating. As a result, passengers are having to pay higher fares due to having to travel on connecting flights.

Saurabh Tiwari, a travel agent at Sushant Travels, Delhi, said that they are receiving a large number of flight ticket cancellation requests. Passengers are quite scared. Some travellers are even converting their air travel plans into train journeys, causing them significant inconvenience and loss.

He also mentioned that cancellations have impacted ticket prices, leading to a surge. For example, a flight from Delhi to Dhaka, which used to cost around Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000, is now priced between Rs 30,000 to Rs 34,000. According to him, airline companies have increased ticket fares, and this change is being seen due to the cancellation of Air India flights following the Ahmedabad plane accident.