As the final days of the year count down, travelers planning to ring in the New Year in Goa are facing a steep climb in air travel costs. Ticket prices for flights into the coastal state for the celebrations and, more sharply, for flights out after the festivities have doubled on major routes, causing a strain on holiday budgets.
Metro Routes Witness Significant Fare Hikes
The airfare surge is most pronounced on the Sunday before New Year's Day, December 31. For instance, a one-way ticket from Goa to Kolkata on that day is now priced at over Rs 14,000, a massive jump from the regular fare of approximately Rs 8,200 available just a few days earlier on December 28. The situation for return journeys is even more daunting, with fares from Goa to Kolkata between January 2 and 4 already reaching Rs 14,500 per person.
The trend is consistent across India's major metropolitan cities. The Delhi to Goa route on December 28 costs nearly Rs 10,000, up from the normal Rs 5,000. Conversely, the return ticket to Delhi on January 2 is currently Rs 10,400 and is anticipated to rise further as the date approaches.
Return Journeys Pricier Than Inbound Flights
A clear pattern emerging from the data is that flying out of Goa in the first week of January is consistently more expensive than flying in for the celebrations. This indicates a high demand from revelers looking to exit the party destination after the long weekend.
For Mumbai travelers, a ticket to Goa on December 28 is Rs 5,000 compared to the usual Rs 3,000. However, the flight back to Mumbai on January 2 commands a much higher price of Rs 6,000 already. The Hyderabad-Goa route tells a similar story: the regular fare of Rs 3,000 has jumped to Rs 4,400 for December 28, while the return from Goa to Hyderabad on January 2 is priced at Rs 6,000 with expectations of a further increase.
Southern Routes Also See Dramatic Increases
The fare inflation extends to other key connections. A ticket from Chennai to Goa on December 28 is Rs 7,400, but the airfare to fly back to Chennai on January 2 has soared to Rs 10,000. Perhaps the most staggering hike is on the Goa to Bengaluru route. While a ticket can typically be purchased for Rs 2,600, travel between January 2 and 4 will cost a whopping Rs 8,000 per ticket. Similarly, the Goa to Pune air ticket is now Rs 6,700, a sharp rise from the regular fare of Rs 2,700.
Despite online chatter suggesting destinations like Bangkok or Bali are becoming preferred alternatives, the skyrocketing year-end airfares to and from Goa serve as a strong indicator. They reveal that the state's allure as a prime New Year's Eve destination remains powerfully intact, with demand driving prices to new heights.
