Ahead of Eid holidays, air fares soar sky high

With Eid holidays just a few more days from now, airfares for travel between June 25 and 29 have hit the roof.

Travel agencies have not been able to tell in percentage terms as holidays coincide with school vacations and annual holidays for expatriates.

With the summer heat expected to be at its peak, a lot of Omanis will be travelling abroad for the Eid holidays.

“Generally, Omanis, and even expatritates, prefer to spend the holy month of Ramadhan in Oman. So they tag annual vacations with Eid holidays. It is difficult to talk about the number of outbound tourists, especially among non-Omanis,” said Ram Kumar, a travel executive in Ghubra.

“A lot of people have booked the tickets in advance, so there are fewer seats available to destinations in the sub-continent. It will be tough for those waiting for holiday dates to be announced,” he said.

But the ticket fares are on the higher side as usual.

For Bangkok, a popular destination from Oman, direct flights will start from RO 260 (return fare), while one-stop flights will be anywhere between RO 190 and RO 250.

Tickets are slightly lower for dates starting a week before the holidays. For Sri Lanka, another popular destination for tourists, fares start from RO 215 (return) and around RO 165 for one-stop flights.

For Istanbul, fares start from RO 400 for direct flights and from RO 280 for one-stop flights.

For Cairo, tickets start from RO 300 for direct flights and RO 240 for one-stop flights.

For the Indian city of Kochi, fares are between RO 182 and RO 249; for Mumbai, between RO 175 and RO 250, and London between RO 313 and RO 333 for direct flights and RO 280 for one-stop flights.

Salalah will offer better options for domestic tourists because of the khareef season and due to cheaper fares, thanks to the budget airline.

Air travel was down 40 per cent during certain period last year due to the economic situation. “We will be able to know the change in the trend during Eid al Adha holidays, which do not coincide with the annual vacations,” says Jebby, who works with a travel agency.

Vinod Nair