Holi fares: Flights up to 185% compared with mid-March fares
If you're planning to fly home for Holi, brace yourself—airfares on popular routes have shot up by as much as 185%.
A Bengaluru-Gorakhpur ticket now ranges from about ₹19,589 to ₹20,829, and Bengaluru-Patna is at ₹15,585.
Even Delhi-Gaya and Delhi-Patna flights are crossing ₹11K.
That's a big leap from mid-March prices, which varied by route — some Delhi fares were around ₹4.5K while Bengaluru fares were closer to ₹7.5-8K.
Why the sudden spike?
The steep hike is mostly because tons of students and migrant workers are trying to get back to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Non-stop flights are limited, trains are waitlisted, so airlines are cashing in—something that also happens during Diwali or Chhath.
SC has taken note of this issue
The Supreme Court has noticed these festive fare hikes too. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta called it a "very serious concern" this week.
The government has promised a closer look into the issue and will report back by March 23 after further review.