New Delhi: With the lowering of jet fuel prices, domestic airlines are offering several discount schemes to attract passengers in the lean travel season.
First off the block was budget passenger carrier SpiceJet which launched its special sales offer on Saturday. It is offering one-way booking fares starting at Rs.1,899 all inclusive.
This is the third such discount offer by the company which had earlier launched its "SpiceJet Super Sale" and "We Love You Valentine's Sale" offers.
According to the airline, its "FebHurry" sale offer is meant for immediate travel. Passengers can make bookings for the offer from Feb 7 to Feb 8, 2015 for a travel period from Feb 7 to Feb 28, 2015.
The airline said that the offer is applicable on all direct and onward flights on SpiceJet's domestic network.
"Booking tickets at the last minute is almost always an expensive affair. So here is a once-in-a-blue moon offer that makes immediate travel affordable and allows you to make that last minute dash," said Kaneswaran Avili, chief commercial officer, SpiceJet.
On the flash sales announced by SpiceJet, holiday booking firm TripFactory.com said for some routes the fares are even cheaper than tatkal train tickets.
"Infact in this case passengers even do not need to pay extra fee charged while booking Tatkal train tickets. It is a weekend bonanza for flyers," said Vinay Gupta, founder and chief executive of TripFactory.com.
Full service carrier Jet Airways has also launched its special fare offer by giving discounts up to 44 percent on base fare and fuel surcharge on its Première class ticket for flights within India.
The airline said that to avail the offer tickets must be purchased between Feb 7 and Feb 8, for travel period commencing on or after Feb 12, 2015.
On Thursday budget passenger carrier IndiGo too announced all-inclusive fares starting at Rs.1,499. AirAsia India is also offering discounted schemes for as low as Rs.699 all-inclusive on advance bookings.
Bookings for AirAsia India's offer is till Feb 8 for travel period between August 3, 2015 and March 26, 2016.
Industry insiders predicted that other airlines may follow suit to fill up seats during the lean season which stretches from January till the start of the summer break in May.
Another factor for airlines to reduce fares is the lowering of international crude oil prices that have plunged to over five-and-a-half-year low. Crude oil is selling around $50 a barrel.
On Feb 1, the three state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) had cut prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) by a steep 11.3 percent.
The price of ATF in Delhi was cut by Rs.5,909.9 per kilolitre or 11.27 percent to Rs.46,513.02 per kl.
Jet fuel was last cut Jan 1 2015 by Rs.7,520.52 per kl or 12.5 percent.
