Flying to Dubai cheaper than going to Varanasi

NEW DELHI: IF you are planning to travel during the Holi festival, especially from cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, you can choose to fly to Singapore, Dubai or Kuala Lumpur instead of going to cities like Varanasi, Gaya or Chandigarh.

Economy class airfares for destinations in north India have risen sharply due to a festival season rush, and tickets for the next three days are priced so high that by adding a few hundred rupees one can get return tickets for international destinations.

According to online flight booking sites, a one-way journey from Delhi to Varanasi would cost Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000.

Similarly, a one-way trip from Mumbai to Gaya would set you back by Rs 16,000 to Rs 28,000. At the same time, a one-way trip from Delhi to Dubai would cost Rs 19,000. If you want to travel to Kuala Lumpur from Mumbai or Delhi, you will have to spend just half the cost of a ticket to Varanasi or Gaya. Airfares on the Delhi-Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai-Kuala Lumpur sectors range between Rs 13,000 and Rs 19,000 for a one-way trip.

“I, along with my husband, wanted to fly from Delhi to Varanasi. We have been looking for tickets for the last five days, but when I searched online, I was shocked to see that the cost of one ticket is not less than Rs 27,000,”  68-year-old Mehjabeen Khan told The New Indian Express. “One ticket for a Jet Airways flight departing from Delhi at 3.10 am cost Rs 39,000 one way.

Finally, I couldn’t fly. Now I will travel after Holi.” Interestingly, if you delay your travel by three to four days, you can save more than 65 per cent on the airfare. For example, a ticket on the Chennai-Chandigarh sector costs almost Rs 11,500, but if you travel five days after Holi, you will have to pay less than Rs 5,000.