By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: Airfares to several destinations from Doha has surged by 80 to 100 percent due to Eid rush and beginning of summer vacation.
Air tickets have soared for destinations like Colombo, Cairo and the Indian cities of Chennai, Mumbai and Kozhikode, said industry sources.
Most Asian expatriates prefer to spend the Eid holidays and school summer breaks in their native countries while some travel to Europe and the Far East.
Although this is not a peak season to Katmandu and Manila, the airfares have seen a slight increase than usual days. Nepal peak season is starting from first week of October to end of September. Manila’s peak season is in December and January.
The peak season in Doha started around June 25 and will be until September 15 — from the day school vacation starts till the end of Eid Al Adha in September. Within this peak season, the first week of July sees the highest demand.
According to industry sources, flights to destinations like the Egyptian capital Cairo, Sri Lankan capital Colombo, and South Indian cities, including Chennai and cities in Kerala, would cost 75 percent to 100 percent more than the normal fare.
A round trip to Cairo on regular days would cost QR800, it will be QR1,350 to Colombo, and a similar trip to Kozhikode will cost QR1,400 and it will be QR1,250. A return trip to Katmandu would cost approximately QR1,300 and one to Manila QR2,200.
There is around 30 percent fall in ticket fares during off season compared to last year, said industry sources.
Fares of budget airlines jump by 75%
However, during peak season (July) , fares are almost double of average rate and a round trip to Cairo will cost QR1,500, to Colombo QR2,500, to Kozhikode QR2,950 and QR2,600 to Mumbai.
Even budget airlines’ fares have jumped by 75 percent and flights to most south Asian destinations are fully booked. Industry experts say that airfares increase during the holiday season mainly because airlines make changes based on demand.
“Airlines remove the lowest price from the system, so obviously the fare begins at a higher price. It is a very common practice among airlines,” said a source.
Meanwhile, European cities like London and Paris remain the favourite holiday destinations of most Qataris while Dubai is the main shopping stop, according to travel industry experts. Fares to these destinations have also gone up. “Europe remains the favourite Eid holiday destination for Qataris, some have a special preference for London. There are several others who travel to Dubai for shopping during Ramadan,” said a travel consultant.
A return trip to London in economy class would cost about QR4000, and the fare can go up to QR7000. A similar trip to Paris would cost a similar amount. A return trip to Dubai can cost between QR1,580 and QR3,200.
However, travel agents say that the airfares are subject to fluctuation depending on the date of travel.
“Air ticket prices are always high when it comes to peak season. But, there is no fare as the current price. It always depends on the date of travel and date of purchase,” said a another travel adviser.
Passengers who booked tickets before three or four months, have a comparatively affordable average fare. “For example if a passenger booked tickets by end of March to travel during the first week of July, he would have paid around 40 percent less than the present ticket fare,” he said.
The Peninsula
