The government's order to airlines to keep fares within reasonable limits seems
to have worked for one popular destination at least—Goa. For more than a
decade, Goa's beaches have been a popular destination and enjoy peak tourist
season during Christmas and New Year, with tickets often selling for a king's
ransom—nothing less than Rs 10,000. But this Christmas weekend, a one-way
ticket to Goa from Mumbai can be purchased for a relatively reasonable price of
Rs 6,000 onwards even if a last-minute traveller books a ticket for December
24.
Travel agents have expressed surprise at the price given the huge demand for
tickets. "If you book a ticket for December 25, the fares are even cheaper,
starting at Rs 3,500," said Rajesh Rateria, managing director, Cirrus Travels.
The reason for this Christmas miracle, he says, is due to the fact that
airlines have either increased passenger capacity or flights in that sector.
These low fares won't last for long, and a one-way Goa-Mumbai ticket on January
1, 2011, is on the expensive side. The fares start from Rs 9,000 and go up to
Rs 38,000 for January 1 and 2, said a citybased tour operator.
