Pushkaralu jack up fares of flights

VIJAYAWADA: Passengers flying in to Vijayawada are having to fork out as much as Rs 15,000 for economy class tickets and nearly Rs 50,000 in the higher classes. The fares are expected to rise as passengers fly in for the Krishna Pushkaralu beginning on August 12 over the long weekend. This correspondent asked a few passengers arriving from Hyderabad at the Gannavaram airport on Wednesday afternoon about their fare.

A few of the passengers said they had paid fares ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 50,000 for the journey. The usual fare is between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,500 per ticket in the economy class. The rush for Krishna Pushkaralu has prompted some airlines to increase their tariff abnormally, according Mr V.R. Prakash, a frequent traveller, who arrived at Gannavaram airport on Wednesday. He said he had purchased a business class ticket for Rs 37,000. Another businessman said he had bought the ticket at the last minute for Rs 48,000.

“At the Shamshabad international airport, there is a huge rush for Vijayawada,” another traveller said. Economy class tickets were being sold at prices ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 till August 14, an air ticket agent said. He said the tariff would go up further especially during the holiday weekend as pilgrims fly in for the Pushkaralu. The situation was same on the Chennai-Vijayawada sector. A counter booking officer of a private airline at the Gannavaram airport said economy class tickets were going for Rs 14,000 to Rs 22,000 till August 13. He said that the fares would rise from August 14. Meanwhile, all city hotels have been directed to reserve 20 per cent of their rooms for government guests, during the Pushkaralu.