UAE-India airfares surge as back-to-school rush hits travel costs

Back-to-school rush drives up UAE-India airfares

With schools in the UAE set to reopen later this month, families returning from summer holidays are facing some of the highest airfares of the season on routes from India, prompting many travellers to rethink how they book their journeys home. Demand remains concentrated on essential travel, while geopolitical uncertainty, rising fuel prices and reduced airline capacity continue to keep fares elevated. One-way Economy fares in the last weeks of August, which is when UAE schools reopen after the summer, are in the Dh1,200 (from Mumbai) to Dh3,705 (Kochi) ranges. In comparison, off-peak fares are sometimes available for anything between Dh350 to Dh650.

Fares have risen 76.4 per cent compared to last year, according to recent data. Travel agents say that while the price of fuel has fallen slightly, it remains significantly higher than in previous years. This has led to increased operating costs for airlines, which have little incentive to reduce fares, particularly with strong return demand expected before schools reopen in late August.

Travelers adjust booking strategies to cut costs

Many families, especially those from low and middle-income groups, are adjusting their return dates to coincide with lower-demand periods. Returning a few days earlier or later helps them to get a cheaper rate than returning during the peak period. Searching for an indirect carrier or travelling back through a different airport in the Gulf also helps to get a comparatively better rate. One noticeable trend this year has been the purchase of one-way tickets instead of traditional return fares. Normally, people take return tickets. This time, one-way tickets were commonplace. People bought one-way in the expectation that fares would come down at the last moment and the geopolitical situation would improve. Leisure travel is almost non-existent, as families prioritise essential trips. Travel agencies report a sharp decline in holiday bookings, with many focusing solely on returning home. Ipshita Sharma of SCN Travel & More said, “I have no enquiries for fun travel. Everybody is just going home and coming back. Leisure travel is almost nil.”

Travelers are also becoming more flexible with dates and open to less common routes. Alena Iakina, founder of visarun.ai, said almost 90 per cent of the company’s bookings this month have been for Saudi Arabia, alongside a smaller number of trips to Australia, the UK and the US. “We haven’t seen a single Schengen booking in a few weeks. That really surprised us.” She expects fares to remain high during the first half of August before easing once the busiest travel period passes.