Would Akasa & Jet Airways lower air travel prices
Domestic and international travel from India is currently 2-3x more expensive than average prices pre-covid. Bengaluru Mumbai round trip now costs 10k as against 5-6k pre-covid. Mangaluru-Delhi return is 15k, more than what I am paying for Mumbai-Vietnam.
Would domestic travel air ticket prices come down in the second half of 2022? I see some hope due to following reasons
- Akasa and Jet Airways launch: With two new airlines commencing operations, there will be more capacity, more options to passengers and this hopefully brings prices down. Both Jet and Akasa would be starting small with just a few planes so the impact is not going to be huge, but it is psychological. If passengers get an impression that Jet/AKasa are cheaper options then their dislike towards competition will build up.
- Holiday season over. With summer over, schools starting and monsoon beginning, the peak season is over. Holiday travel demand will be cold till at least October/November. With demand dropping, airlines might be forced to drop prices a bit
- More international options open up: As more and more international destinations open up and affordable prices resume, demand for domestic holidays will drop a bit. If going to Delhi and going to Maldives/Vietnam both cost 15k, many would prefer international trips. Again, drop in demand will force airlines to cut prices.
What do you think?
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