Airfares from Indian metros to major US destinations cost anywhere between ₹1.35 lakh and ₹1.63 lakh for a round trip during Dec 2-13
Anticipating further restrictions between India and the US due to the new variant of the coronavirus, airfares and bookings for the next fortnight have skyrocketed.
Omicron Covid variant impact: Travel industry in ‘wait-and-watch’ mode
For example, an economy seat on a Bangalore-San Fransisco flight on the same dates ranges from ₹1.75 lakh to ₹2.82 lakh for a round trip whereas a business class flight could cost one close to ₹5.6 lakh. The flights seem to be sold out till December 15 too.
WHO caution on Omicron
It was only on November 8 this year that the US eased its country-specific travel bans dating back to the opening weeks of the 2020 pandemic. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now warned that the Omicron coronavirus variant poses a high risk of infection surges around the globe.
‘Vax mandate may work better against Omicron Covid variant risk than travel ban’
The newest travel ban went into effect on November 29, 2021, per a White House Proclamation for 14 days. It is anticipated that the US government could soon seal its borders on international travel, sending jitters among travellers to get back to their base.
Economy fare from Delhi/Bangalore to San Francisco for December 12 was over $6,000 late last night, with barely any seat. Biz class $18,000!! This is the case for most airlines that had seats. Zero availability on airlines like Emirates. However, from December 13 onwards, fares are back to normal or even lower (which is what suggests that people expect the US to close borders from December13).
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