As Eid Al Adha approaches, travelers are encountering a significant spike in airfare prices. With the holiday and the start of the summer vacation season converging, those who have delayed booking their flights are facing costs up to four times higher than usual.
Indian expat Shahbaz Ali, CEO of Reliance Aluminium and Glass Works, experienced this firsthand. When he booked business-class tickets for his family to Bengaluru a month ago, he paid Dh2,700 per person. However, when he decided to join them later, he was shocked to find the fare had soared to Dh8,500.
Another expat, Adel Anarboyev, faced a similar situation. Initially, he booked a one-way ticket to Samarkand, Uzbekistan for Dh450 but canceled it. Now, with his relatives deciding to gather for Eid, the cheapest available ticket costs over Dh800, and a faster option with a layover in Turkey is priced at more than Dh2,500.
Why the High Prices?
Travel experts anticipated the sharp increase in fares due to the overlap of Eid Al Adha and summer vacation. Many families in the UAE are planning longer trips, leading to higher demand and prices.
“Residents who booked early secured better deals,” said Geoffrey Salatan, CEO of Geof Travel. “Those who booked Dubai to Manila tickets in March and April paid between Dh1,500 and Dh2,000. Now, the same route starts at Dh2,500 and can go up to Dh5,000.”
Salatan expects high airfares to persist even after Eid, especially for outbound flights from the UAE.
Limited Availability
Apart from the high prices, last-minute travelers also face limited seat availability. Mir Waseem Raja, manager at International Travel Services, highlighted the increased demand for air travel during this period. “Expats are heading home, and others are traveling both within and outside the country. This surge has led to a high demand for air travel,” he said.
Packages to popular destinations have also seen price hikes. “Earlier, packages to Georgia, Azerbaijan, and neighboring countries during the long weekend were available at Dh2,799. Now, they exceed Dh4,000,” Raja noted.
Three to Sevenfold Increase
A Khaleej Times analysis revealed a three to sevenfold increase in ticket prices from the UAE to various destinations. For example, in February, a one-way ticket from Dubai to Mumbai cost Dh350. Now, it is Dh1,300. Similarly, a Dubai to London ticket that was Dh700 in March has soared to between Dh3,265 and Dh8,612 for the Eid period.
Popular Destinations
The highest airfare increases are for the most in-demand destinations. Ramy Badr, sales head of Dopamine Travels, pointed out significant price hikes for trips to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other popular regions. “The Caucasian region and Russia, among others, are seeing the most substantial surges. There are also hikes for many African countries due to favorable weather conditions,” Badr said.
