GURUGRAM- As we reported earlier, Air India (AI) cancels around 60 flights between India and the US during the peak winter travel season. But we didn’t talk about the impact it has or will have on thousands of travelers.
You will be surprised to see the fare increase as some routes were operated non-stop and exclusively by Air India and will now require a stopover.
Air India Cancels US Flights
Here’s a brief on flights the Tata Group-owned airline is canceling to the US.
Air India will not operate flights between November 15, 2024, and December 31, 2024, the last day of the year. So yes this will affect all the people who are visiting friends and family members during the Christmas holidays.
The following routes are affected:
- Delhi (DEL)-Chicago (ORD) route- 14 flights canceled
- Delhi-Washington (IAD) route- 28 flights affected
- Delhi-San Francisco (SFO) route- 12 flights canceled
- Mumbai-New York (JFK) route- 4 flights canceled
- Delhi-Newark (EWR) route- 2 flights affected
Remember Air India is canceling 30 flights as 60 flights include the normal and return flights combined. This means 28 flights are canceled between Delhi and the US cities and only two between Mumbai and New York.
Air India has attributed these cancelations to delayed return of aircraft from heavy maintenance and supply chain constraints.
Some experts said, that if they were aware that delays could occur in getting aircraft on time why have they not leased widebody planes to operate these flights? While some said 30 flight cancellations are not a big number and Air India might have an oversupply if the existing aircraft return to service on time.
Alright now let us move to the impact part. How it has affected thousands of VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) passengers.
Impact of Cancelations
According to the ET report, This decrease in service has led to fare surges across other airlines, with economy fares increasing by 15-20% and business-class fares rising by 100% (yes almost double).
The highest fare increases are occurring in late December, the peak travel period, affecting thousands planning holiday trips.
“A round trip to San Francisco, for instance, normally priced at around INR 3.5 lakh in business class, has now escalated to INR 7 lakh. Emirates (EK) and other international carriers are quoting even higher rates,” said Abdul Majeed Faheem, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (Telangana and AP Chapter).
Economy class fares, usually around INR 1.5 lakh for a round trip, have risen to INR 1.8 lakh. “The full impact of these price hikes on bookings will become clearer as we approach the latter half of December,” Faheem noted.
Students Affected
The cancellation has left students and professionals facing significant travel disruptions. Many had planned their trips months in advance, only to see fares skyrocket beyond their budgets.
Meenakshi Parvathi, a graduate student at Columbia University, saved for months to afford her winter trip to Hyderabad to visit family. “I tried to avoid the December rush and was set to book in early November,” Meenakshi said. “Last month, the round-trip fare was around INR 1.5 lakh, but now it’s risen to about INR 2 lakh.”
Fully booked partner airlines add to the challenges. “Postponing dates isn’t realistic for many of us,” said Keerthi Takkellapatti, a Hyderabad-based tech professional. “We get only a week or, at most, 10 days off for the holidays. Changing the dates isn’t a feasible option,” he added.
The refund delays are also a barrier, as many would have used the funds to book alternate flights.
However, the airline aims to mitigate last-minute delays that have affected its US-bound flights. Air India acknowledged technical problems have caused significant disruptions, leading to extended wait times for passengers.
To accommodate affected travelers, Air India is offering alternatives, including rebooking on other Air India group flights, complimentary date changes, or full refunds.
Feature Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
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