Patna: Travelling home to Bihar for Diwali and Chhath is becoming increasingly unaffordable, with airfares on the Delhi–Patna route spiking to the cost of international flights.
A one-way ticket that normally costs between Rs 4,500 and Rs 5,000 is now selling for as much as Rs 12,650 on some dates, almost on par with the Delhi–Dubai fare of about Rs 12,958. The surge has left thousands of passengers scrambling for alternatives as they prepare to travel during one of the busiest periods of the year.
The sharp increase comes as trains remain fully booked between October 16 and 26, despite Indian Railways operating additional services to ease demand. Bus fares have also climbed steeply, leaving many with little choice but to pay inflated air prices if they want to reach home quickly.
The shortage of seats, combined with heavy festive-season demand, has put intense pressure on all modes of transport. Passengers have voiced frustration, saying that the fare hike has turned a routine domestic journey into a financial strain.
While industry analysts note that fare spikes are common during high-demand periods, the near-equivalence of domestic and international ticket prices has triggered criticism from travellers already struggling with broader inflationary pressures.
