Rahul Vaidya spends Rs 4.2 lakhs on Goa-Mumbai flight amid mass flight cancellations

A ₹4,20,000 ( ₹4.2 Lakh) one-way Indian domestic flight from Goa to Mumbai is an example of the extreme flight-price increases occurring following the large-scale cancellation of Ignition Flights by IndiGo Airlines across India. After experiencing multiple delays and cancellations that caused travel schedule disruption, Rahul Vaidya called it his “most expensive single domestic journey” ever. Through posts on social media, Rahul Vaidya posted pictures of his time at the airport and posted an enormous number of boarding passes stating he still required another Mumbai to Kolkata Flight.

IndiGo disruption triggers unprecedented fare spike

The crisis was triggered after Indigo had cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights to and from most major airports because of a severe shortage of flight crews that had occurred due to new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) regulations. On some days, fewer than 20 per cent of IndiGo aircraft were on time throughout India, which led to thousands of passengers being stranded, having to repeatedly rebook tickets, or trying to get to where they needed to go by booking alternate tickets through other airlines at much higher prices.

When the demand for last-minute tickets skyrocketed for popular routes like Goa–Mumbai and Delhi–Bangalore, there was a tremendous increase in ticket prices. Many passengers reported that premium class tickets were costing them out of the ordinary; in addition to that, only high-end or business-class tickets were available on many routes. Vaidya's ₹4.2 lakh ticket price reflects that he purchased one of the remaining last-minute tickets during the height of the disruption.

During this time of turmoil, many people commented about their experiences travelling within India. Television actress Nia Sharma expressed spending ₹54,000 on a domestic flight ticket during this period of time as well, stating she was taken aback by how disorganized and crowded airline terminals were. Many travellers reported experiencing problems such as long waits in lines, frequent gate switches, and a lack of information provided by airline personnel.

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