SpiceJet, Indigo slash base rate to Rs 749 on major tourist destinations
Kashmir, one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in India, seem to have been at receiving end due to the discrimination shown by the airlines while announcing massive discounts on air fare during festive seasons.SpiceJet which has announced a Diwali offer on Tuesday has slashed base air fare as low as Rs 749 on major sectors and to tourist destinations. However, it has ignored Srinagar in its latest Diwali offer as no ticket is on offer on its website having base bare as low as 749.
The sale had been announced on Tuesday which ended on Thursday (October 29) midnight. The tickets booked will be valid for a travel period from February 1 to October 29th, 2016.
Within minutes of SpiceJet announcing the discount offer, Indigo and AirAsia reacted with similar offers, leading to a tremendous surge in travel booking.
For SpeicJet tickets, customers had to avail the offer on the Spicejet website, various online travel portals, and through travel agents too.
According to SpiceJet, an all inclusive one-way fare for direct flights encompasses all metro cities and some attractive tourist destinations in India.
However, when the local travelers and the travel agents tried to book the ticket no such offer was available on the discounted base rate on Srinagar route.
One of the leading travel agents in Srinagar said SpiceJet has kept only one ticket per day for Srinagar route while many tickets are available on routes like New Delhi to Amritsar, Ahmadabad to Mumbai.
“There is only one ticket available on Srinagar route for a day on discounted base rate of Rs 749. Other sectors have many such tickets. Those sectors have witnessed massive bookings,” said the travel agent.
The local travelers complained that no such offer was available on Srinagar route from February to October, 2016.
“I tried to search tickets in February but couldn’t find any such ticket available on SpiceJet website and other portals. The airline is hoodwinking us,” said Rayees Ahmad who wanted to book ticket from Srinagar to Delhi in the first week of February. “I don’t understand what these offers are meant for.”
The base fare on Delhi to Srinagar route in February is minimum of Rs 1800 and the tickets sells at over Rs 2800.
President Travel Agents Association of Kashmir Manzoor Siddiq said the airlines are announcing discounts on air tickets during festive season for other sector but ignore Kashmir.
“Kashmir which is the most beautiful destination in India needed to be given more tickets on discount as many people want to travel to this place. Kashmir is also landlocked and travelling by road is affected when weather remains bad. If it snows here, people can’t go by road. The airlines should have kept more tickets on discounts on Srinagar route so that people are benefited,” said Siddiq.
TAAK president said Kashmir receives good tourist flow from February to October during which airlines should announce Kashmir-specific air fares to lure tourists to Kashmir.
“Airlines instead of providing good offers for travelers on Srinagar route are hiking the air fare during peak season. This is a total indiscrimination against Kashmir,” said Manzoor Siddiq.
TAAK President said the association would take up the matter with airlines so that they would keep Srinagar route in the list of priority destinations while announcing such offers.
