Families are being forced to reconsider their holiday plans due to the skyrocketing costs of plane travel during the busiest season from the UAE.
The summer rush of families traveling to their home countries or colder climates, followed by the Eid Al Adha festivals next week, has caused a spike in airfares to several popular destinations.
The start of the school year always coincides with a spike in summer travel. However, several expat families have complained that it is getting harder to locate cheap flights to their favored locations.
Uncomplicated travel
In order to avoid the burden of astronomical ticket prices, many have stated that they are choosing cheap airlines, taking longer, connecting flights, or even looking into alternate, less expensive travel destinations.
Marilene Lusci and her Italian husband Paolo Lusci, who both work in the oil and gas industry in Abu Dhabi, claimed they forwent the luxuries of first-class aircraft in favor of hassle-free travel to save money on their summer vacation.
“Rome to Abu Dhabi round-trip air travel is Dh5,500.Therefore, the ticket price alone for a family like ours would be Dh27,500, which is a lot, said Ms. Lusci, who has three children who are 13, 11, and 9.
“Wizzair tickets were available to us at about Dh1300. We managed to save a ton of money by choosing a budget airline, she said.
Twice a year, around Christmas and the summer, the couple takes vacations.
“We can only travel during that period when schools are off for the vacations. Therefore, scheduling flights during the off-peak season is not viable for us, Ms. Lusci stated.
The use of longer routes
Another expat living in Abu Dhabi who is a mother of three children claimed that her family chose to travel to Cairo in August via Portugal and London because the direct route was so expensive.
“To get from Dubai to Portugal, we’re flying on a budget that costing about Dh1,500 per person.We are also taking a Dh500 flight from Portugal to London on another low-cost carrier. We will spend our summer vacation in Cairo after a few days in London, the mother who wished to remain unnamed stated.
In January, the family used a special deal to book a ticket from London to Cairo for Dh2,000 per person.
“Return tickets from Abu Dhabi to Cairo would have run my family close to Dh20,000. Even though we are still paying a lot, we think it is better value because we get to see London and Portugal.
She stated that they will postpone purchasing their return flights from Cairo to Abu Dhabi until a last-minute price reduction at the end of August.
For families who have to wait a year to return home, it is a significant financial burden, the mother added.
Sharp increase in India flights
Flight costs have also increased to London and India, two locations that traditionally experience heavy summer traffic.
Advait Arya, a student at the University of Warwick in Coventry, told The National that he was astounded by the price difference between a flight from Dubai to London and earlier flights.
“I returned to the UAE for the summer vacation from the UK. I wanted to visit London again the following month, and the cost of the ticket completely astounded me.
For her summer vacation, Shaheeda Abul Khader, an Indian expat, stated she paid Dh2,220 for a one-way airfare from Dubai to Bangalore.
According to Afi Ahmed, CEO and founder of Smart Travel, travel costs to some Indian states, such as Kerala, which is home to the majority of UAE residents, have grown by up to ten times.
The cost to fly from Dubai to Kochi during the off-season ranges from Dh300 to Dh500 (one way), based on the airline. The same tickets could cost up to Dh3,000 or even Dh3,500 over the Eid holidays and at the start of the summer vacation.
An Indian expat with two children, Kiran Kannan, claimed that by purchasing his ticket to Kochi in January, he was able to undercut the costs.
Currently, a round-trip ticket on Air Arabia’s June 28 flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi costs Dh3,500. The cost of flights to Mumbai on the same dates ranges from Dh2,830 to Dh3,500.
Eid rush
Families seeking a quick getaway will also pay more for tickets during the week-long Eid Al Adha celebrations beginning June 26.
Omar Al Busaidy, an Emirati businessman, expressed his dismay at the prices from Dubai to Muscat more than doubling over the Eid holidays.