Mumbai: Indian students who study abroad continue to bear the burden of travel restrictions imposed by India on international flight aviation scheduled.
The latest is present in high rates to return to India during the winter vacation around the end.
With high demand and low supply, the air fare returns to travel to India from countries such as the United States, Britain and Canada are currently given a price of about three times the pre-covid rate, say parents.
The worst hit is a student who is bound to India from the US West Coast.
“This year, with Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok cover with Indian leaflets, students from the US West Coast have no choice but to transit through Europe and West Asia,” said a travel agent.
On Saturday, the cheapest return rate for mid-December-early travel trips.
Travel in San Francisco-Delhi non-stop flights began at Rs 2.3 Lakh, offered by Air India.
Cheaper choices are transit through Dubai, the price of Rs 1.9 lakh, but requires 25 hours of traveling every way.
The cheapest rates in San Francisco-Mumbai are left flight starting at RS 2.2 Lakh, Indian air transit through Delhi.
Other rates are also expensive.
The cheapest Round Rates available in New York-Mumbai began at Rs 1.6 lakh and involved Dubai transit and a 23 hour trip on each road.
The cheapest rates for non-stop return flights from New York to Delhi start at RS 1.7 Lakh.
Similarly, for the Boston-Mumbai round trip tariff starting at Rs 1.7 Lakh while Chicago-Mumbai via Dubai is the lowest choice at Rs 1.94 Lakh.
The cheapest return in London-Mumbai without stopping began at Rs 1.4 lakh in Air India, cheaper rates for RS 1.1 Lakh involving Dubai transit.
Delhi has a better non-stop connectivity, with Toronto-Delhi non-stop return with the price of Rs 2 Lakh and Chicago-Delhi back without stopping at Rs 1.8 lakh.
Navin Bhatia (name changed on request), the parents who divided his time between England and India, said he had decided to meet his children – one study in Canada and the others in the US – in Dubai this winter.
“It’s much cheaper to fly to Dubai than to India from here in England,” he said.
“I will try to take a round trip to India from there if the rates are better.
At present, Dubai-Mumbai’s return for last week December is priced at Rs 65,700,” he said.
Three weeks ago, he booked a ticket for a mid-December trip and returned January.
The journey of London-Dubai’s fur at the cost of economy class RS 80,000, while economic class rates in London-Mumbai began at RS 2 Lakh.
India has suspended international airline flight operations scheduled for March 23 last year.