LUCKNOW: Planning to fly this Chhath? Then be ready to shell out a hefty price for your journey as airlines have jacked up airfares for popular destinations like Patna and parts of east UP.
In fact, the fares in some flights will see a jump of 60-110% by this weekend. Budget carrier IndiGo provides the only direct flight from Lucknow to Patna, reports The Times of India.
The one-way fare on this flight, which was around Rs 3,200 until recently, has risen to almost Rs 6,800 from November 3 to 5, the period during which Chhath puja will be performed.
A ticket on IndiGo’s 6E-342 Lucknow-Patna flight – it takes off from Lucknow around 5pm and reaches Patna at 6pm – will cost between Rs 4,800 and Rs 5,000 during Chhath. Interestingly, the fare in the same flight will come down to Rs 3,200 on November 7, the day after Chhath.
Same is the case with IndiGo’s other direct flight, 6E-634, which takes off from Lucknow around 8.30pm and reaches Patna at 9.30pm. The fare of this flight has risen from Rs 3,200 per ticket to between Rs 6,100 and Rs 6,803 during Chhath.
The fares for New Delhi-Varanasi flight, too, have shot up. The flight 6E-176 will cost Rs 4,050 on November 3, but the ticket on the same flight will cost a flyer Rs 6,172 on November 4. Tour operators said the rise in airfares is mainly due to high demand during the festival.
“There has already been high movement of passengers during Diwali. It will also contribute to steep fares this weekend,” said UP Tour Operator Association chairman Prateek Hira.
