Demand grows for regulator to check airfares
NEW DELHI: Dec 11 , 2015, dhns
The issue of airlines charging exorbitant prices for tickets was once again raised in the Rajya Sabha on Friday with Kerala MP K K Ragesh demanding the government to immediately set up a regulatory mechanism.
The remarks came at a time when fliers, who are making spot booking during festive season, complain that airlines are jacking up fares to maximise profits.
The CPM MP raised the issue during Zero Hour. “Airlines are looting poor passengers, especially in the Gulf sector. I appeal to the government to immediately set up a regulatory mechanism,” he said.
Ragesh also cited the practice of airlines overcharging during Onam season earlier this year. “Generally, ticket fares range from Rs 9,000 to Rs 11,000. But during last Onam season, in Kozhikode-Riyadh sector, it was Rs 73,000. I am not talking about the business class. It is economy class fare,” said Ragesh.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said what Ragesh has raised is an “important point”. In March, Kurien had said in the House that airlines are resorting to extortion of passengers after several members raised the subject.
Earlier this month, a Parliamentary Standing Committee had asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to provide discount on air tickets to people flying due to medical emergencies and those with a corpse.
However, the government is of the view that it does not fix airfares and airlines are free to fix reasonable tariff after looking into factors like operation cost, reasonable profit and generally prevailing tariff.
Fliers and MPs complain about the last minute fare. A check on travel portals on Friday evening for a Delhi-Bengaluru ticket for Saturday morning showed that a particular airline was charging around Rs 57,000 at one point of time.
The airline also had tickets at Rs 7,872 for later flights on the same day. A Delhi-Mumbai ticket for Saturday morning was priced around Rs 64,000, while the same airline charged around Rs 7,500 for an evening flight.
Deccan Herald had recently reported about a family which had to pay around Rs 85,000 to a low-cost carrier to reach Mumbai from Bengaluru on spot booking. The prices quoted by rival airlines were much higher.
The remarks came at a time when fliers, who are making spot booking during festive season, complain that airlines are jacking up fares to maximise profits.
The CPM MP raised the issue during Zero Hour. “Airlines are looting poor passengers, especially in the Gulf sector. I appeal to the government to immediately set up a regulatory mechanism,” he said.
Ragesh also cited the practice of airlines overcharging during Onam season earlier this year. “Generally, ticket fares range from Rs 9,000 to Rs 11,000. But during last Onam season, in Kozhikode-Riyadh sector, it was Rs 73,000. I am not talking about the business class. It is economy class fare,” said Ragesh.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said what Ragesh has raised is an “important point”. In March, Kurien had said in the House that airlines are resorting to extortion of passengers after several members raised the subject.
Earlier this month, a Parliamentary Standing Committee had asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to provide discount on air tickets to people flying due to medical emergencies and those with a corpse.
However, the government is of the view that it does not fix airfares and airlines are free to fix reasonable tariff after looking into factors like operation cost, reasonable profit and generally prevailing tariff.
Fliers and MPs complain about the last minute fare. A check on travel portals on Friday evening for a Delhi-Bengaluru ticket for Saturday morning showed that a particular airline was charging around Rs 57,000 at one point of time.
The airline also had tickets at Rs 7,872 for later flights on the same day. A Delhi-Mumbai ticket for Saturday morning was priced around Rs 64,000, while the same airline charged around Rs 7,500 for an evening flight.
Deccan Herald had recently reported about a family which had to pay around Rs 85,000 to a low-cost carrier to reach Mumbai from Bengaluru on spot booking. The prices quoted by rival airlines were much higher.
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