Author: Rupali Mukherjee &
Rajeev Jayaswal
Publication: The Financial Express
Date: June 5, 2002
Notwithstanding travel advisories
slapped by the US and the UK as pan of their psychological (psy) warfare
on New Delhi, confirmed bookings are available for business class on the
same day of travel on all airlines. Economy seats can also be procured
with just a one-day waiting on certain airlines.
"There is no heavy rush of passengers
wanting to flee the country with outbound travel being at the same level
as last year," travel industry sources said.
Sources added an "artificial crisis"
has been created for economy class tickets on [he US and Europe-bound flights
as genera] sales agents (GSAs) and passenger sales agents (PSAs) have blocked
seats for the next fortnight or so- GSAs and PSAs are favoured sales agents
of airlines.
Travel agents, however, assured
tickets for any destination for any particular day "It is through internal
arrangements without any premium," they said,
Mr. Subash Goyal, chairman. STIC
Travels said, "The outbound travel is at the same level as the previous
year, and there is no heavy rush of bookings at present," "There is some
pressure on the economy class on the flights of particular airlines, however,
business class tickets can be organised without any difficulty," International
Travel House general manager (Marketing) Sudhir Sahi said.
"The mass hysteria has been created
by international media on the recent political developments. It is a perception
that people are fleeing the country, but ground reality is different. Tickets
for all destinations are available- If no seats are available in certain
sectors, it is because many airlines have restructured their flying schedules
or pulled out of India after September II," Holiday Maker India chairman
& managing director OP Ahuja said.
The major foreign airlines flying
to Europe and US include Lufthansa (14 flights), KLM (five), Northwest
Airlines (five), Delta (five). Emirates (18), Virgin (Two). British Airways
(Daily to London and New York), An Air-India spokesperson said, "Our flights
are quite till, however, there is no huge surge in traffic after the travel
advisories were issued".
Tourists from western countries,
who have just arrived in India in the last one week, are continuing with
their original travel plans. "Defying travel
Advisories, a group of westerners
have gone to Agra couple of days back," Mr. Goyal stated,
There is no change in outbound traffic
due to the border tension with no significan t surge in passenger load
factors (PLF) on ma»or airlines, but there has been a drop of 15
per cent in incoming travellers.
