Booking UAE-India flight for Diwali? Book fast as airfares are set to rise further

Booking UAE-India flight for Diwali? Book fast as airfares are set to rise further

Dubai: Indian expats planning their Diwali trip from the UAE must book their tickets before September 28 to get their hands on the best deals. When travelling between October 20 and October 30, a return ticket (economy class) on the Dubai-Bengaluru route costs around Dh1,600. Flights to Mumbai and Chennai from Dubai hover at approximately Dh1,400 for the same period. Meanwhile, round trips to Delhi and Amritsar are priced slightly higher at around Dh1,700. UAE-based travel agents say these prices could shoot up to 30 per cent during the first week of October. “UAE expats usually book their flights 10 days ahead of the travel date,” said Godfrey Lopez of Dubai-based Uranus Travels. “Because of this trend, prices usually start increasing 15 to 20 days before the peak travel dates.” Since this is the first Diwali with minimal COVID-19 restrictions, Lopez reckons the airfares on these routes can go up to 40 per cent as we approach the second week of October. One-way fares on these routes currently cost between Dh800 and Dh900. Airfares on the Abu Dhabi-Bengaluru route are currently priced at around Dh1,300 for the next 10 days. An economy ticket from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai or Kochi