Manas Muduli, an X user from Odisha, went viral after sharing an unexpected comparison of airfares that revealed a domestic ticket costing almost the same as an international one.
“The Bhubaneswar to Ayodhya flight costs almost the same as flying from Bhubaneswar to China on the same airline, IndiGo, for the same date,” Muduli wrote in his post. How does the expense of a local industry surpass that of an international one?
Additionally, he posted a photo of the tariff details, which revealed that a ticket from Bhubaneswar to Ayodhya cost Rs 14,237, while a ticket from Bhubaneswar to Guangzhou (China) cost Rs 14,977—a mere Rs 700 difference.
The price of a trip from Bhubaneswar to Ayodhya is nearly identical to that of a journey from Bhubaneswar to China on the same airline, Indigo, on the same day!
The post attracted a lot of attention right once, receiving close to 70,000 views and a plethora of user responses. While some were shocked by the hefty domestic fee, others clarified that prices are frequently raised due to rising demand and poor connectivity on some domestic routes.
Social media conversations over India’s ticket price rules have been rekindled by the occurrence, especially in light of the country’s rising demand for domestic travel in the run-up to the holidays.
Manas acknowledged that increasing domestic demand frequently results in higher pricing, but he emphasized the necessity for a clear cost explanation, contending that domestic routes shouldn’t be charged similarly to international ones without a valid reason.
Another commenter clarified that while a direct international flight would be much more costly, the Guangzhou ticket looked cheaper since it required a lengthy trip of more than ten hours with a layover, which made it less tempting to most travelers.
A third commentator expressed surprise that local and international rates were equal, implying that demand swings and algorithmic changes now had a greater influence on airline pricing than actual distance or operating expenses.
