Tata’s monoply? At 29K, Mumbai-Delhi one-way fare expensive than Maldives, Dubai & Bangkok

Mumbai: Are you listening, Union aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia? The cost of flying between Mumbai and Delhi in April has scaled up to 50% higher than international destinations like Sharjah, Dubai, and Bangkok.

On Friday and Saturday, Tata Group companies Vistara, Air India & Air Asia were selling one-way Mumbai-Delhi ticket at an exorbitant fare band of ₹22,000-₹27,000. Yes, you heard that right.

Several passengers were seen banging their heads and sulking in distress at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. “Is this why government sold Air India to Tatas to make them richer? The concept of Udaan for cheap flights is gone. Tatas are now creating a monopoly in the market. First they forced DGCA to drop capping, then they are buying tickets enmasse to escalate their own tickets. They are known for unethical pricing,” asked Ganesh Shetty, who said he spent nine hours standing at the Vistara Airlines counter for Mumbai with his five year old son Madhur.

Another flier, Urvashi Gopalkrishna, said: “It’s time we need Jio airlines from Reliance business house to end the dirty monopoly by the Tatas whose name had come in audio tapes during Nira Radia controversy in UPA 1 and UPA2 when cabinet fixing was taking place”

Many women fliers also reported a harrowing time, accusing the Tata Group of violating the DGCA norms and threatening to go to consumer court for misleading advertisements and disregarding passenger requests.

“Under the garb of a free meal, they hike their air fares by at least ₹5000-₹10,000. This is a shocker,” said Meera Desai, a 46-year-old banker.

Many say Tata Group’s decision to use artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to squeeze out more revenue from each flight is be to blamed partly for high fares.

Sources in IndiGo and Go Airlines said that they had to jack up prices amid similar band by Vistara to follow suit.

“Our flight is half full but since Vistara shot up their fares, we are also selling our fare for 11:30 pm at ₹24,054,” said a Go First staff at Mumbai Airport.

But here’s a shocker. For those who want to fly to Sharjah, located just 28 km away from the global business center of Dubai, the fare is a ₹15,000. And if you want to fly directly to Dubai, you only need to shell out ₹4,000 more! Shockingly, a flight from Delhi to the tourist destination of Bangkok is available for just around ₹11,000.

But hold on, the most spine-chilling fact is that the cost of traveling from Mumbai to Delhi is almost the same as the price of traveling to the Maldives.

The woes of budget travelers do not end here. Flyers often complain that airfares rise dramatically during the process of booking a seat, leaving them with no choice but to pay exorbitant prices.

@IndiGo6E @PMOIndia @PakPMO @AmitShah @JM_Scindia @DGCAIndia @timesofindia Today I booked a indigo flight ticket online ,Mumbai to Delhi, first price shows 12500,then during booking, it increased to 15000, airline forced me to book a seat , which total cost me 17571. Why the…

— Manoj Kumar Khatoi (@iammanojkhatoi) March 16, 2023

Many industry experts believe that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) decision to remove the price cap on airfares in August last year has had an adverse effect on travelers.

The upper and lower limits on airfares on the basis of flight duration were put in place back in May 2020 when scheduled commercial flights resumed after a devastating wave of Covid-19. At the time, it was said that the removal will bring down airfares.

“What was once considered a convenient and affordable mode of travel has now become a luxury that only a few can afford – that too when PM Narendra Modi wants slipper-wearing commoners to fly in planes,” said Nimisha Patel, a 30-year-hotel executive in Dadar.

“Gone are the days when air travel was considered a luxury only the affluent could afford. In today’s interconnected world, air travel is a necessity for rich and commoners alike. But airfares have become a nightmare for budget travelers,” said Bharat Desai in Andheri East.