With thousands of students going back to school, UAE residents are returning to their workplaces after the two-month long summer vacation.
However, many families who hesitated on the time to book their flights back home found themselves in a situation where they have to pay much more for plane tickets and therefore were forced to delay their return flights to the UAE.
Even though there has been an increase in the price of flights, there are still strategies for getting a cheaper flight. When it comes to booking flights, travel specialists advise clients to remain as fluid with date choices as possible and on the lookout for other airports for international routes; consumers should also use web comparison sites and fare-watching services.
Ayoub El Mamoun of Skyscanner, a travel industry specialist, is still insistent on the sound advice of planning and being ready for changes. Again, traveling during low peak period results in huge discounts: They noted that those who booked a flight in the week of August 12 saved up to 11% less than those who booked the previous week in July.
Rashida Zahid, the Vice President of Operations at Musafir, further urges residents to only book their flights during odd times because they are rather expensive. She also advises that the prospects of choosing connecting flights instead of non-stop flights could benefit travelers including those who are many in a family.
Zahid said that one of the reasons for the increase in flight ticket prices is the increasing traffic due to returning residents in the UAE, especially during the seasons. She said: “The back-to-school season and the end of summer holidays have been very busy, leading to an increase in ticket prices.”
Such fare hikes can be especially difficult for business trips, other necessity-related travels, or visiting loved ones. However, Zahid noted that there is certain discretionary travel that may reduce due to high prices, but business travel and tension-related travel during festive seasons are usually immune to such changes.
The overall price increase is also evident in the airfare costs on different routes that have been recorded to have increased significantly. Zahid further said, “In the current month, the passengers traveling on flights originating from India, the UK, Egypt, and the Philippines to UAE have increased by 15-20% than the earlier mons.”
Flights leading to southern India and London have been some of the areas with the most increases due to the summer school holidays.
El Mamoun also mentioned the same for the flights going to Europe. Both, the flights from UAE to London and Paris among other popular European destinations have also recorded a steep rise in ticket prices due to high demand during summer when residents look forward to cooler weather.
These price differences are quite elastic and can be observed during periods of high demand, e.g., the summer season and holidays. Zahid observed that routes to India and the UK, Egypt, and the Philippines are most sensitive to periods such as Diwali, Eid al-Fitr, and al-Adha, Christmas, and Easter. For example, routes to the UK have high volumes during the summer holidays and the Christmas holidays, and those to Egypt are high during the summer, winter, and Eid.
In the future, according to Zahid and El Mamoun, ticket prices will continue to be expensive during the holidays and other festival seasons. El Mamoun said that on average, flight prices today are higher as a result of factors like inflation and hikes in fuel prices but that greater carrier capacity and obviously competition from low-cost carriers that come with new routes could from time to time push the prices below their existing level of $ 250 averaged prices in 2019.
