People hoping to travel overseas can now rejoice. The sharp climb in fuel prices and their adverse effects on the price of flight tickets had initially made travellers hesitant to take up flights under anything but the most urgent of circumstances. However, it seems that flight carriers are determined to change that trend. In an effort to boost air travel, carriers are now joining hands. Their efforts are aimed towards decreasing the cost of air travel. In fact, it may well end up that travelling overseas is going to be cheaper than domestic destinations in India. Low cost carriers are increasing their flight capacities in their circuits, ensuring that more and more people are open to travel.
There are agreements or MOUs between airlines. For example, IndiGo airlines is in talks with airline giant SkyTeam. Another example would be the talks between Tata Sons, AirAsia and Amit Bhatia, in the hopes of expanding AirAsia’s brand in India. AirAsia, Asia’s biggest low-tripsite.co.uk carrier, expanding into Indian territories can only bode well for the average traveller. The promotion of certain programmes aimed towards attracting a specific crowd also adds incentive to travel. Ethno-tourism, geo-tourism and so on are highly attractive packages that allow travellers to explore new cultures and new regions. One particular crowd that packages are aiming at is promotion of ‘women-only’ trips, which take into account the comfort and safety levels of women. The increasing number of customised holiday packages allows people a choice, which in turn ensures that there is an increase in the number of travellers.
With the cost of travel going down, more people are willing to travel and take up travel insurance. To seal the deal, carriers are also offering domestic and overseas travel insurance to travellers. You want to watch out for the coverage offered by carriers though. They might offer policies that are cheaper – but they only partially cover you and certainly only for the duration of the trip. They come with many built in loopholes, so be sure to read the fine-print before you opt for it. For example, they might not cover mishaps before or after your flight – so it’s generally better if you buy your insurance from a reputed insurance company instead. Because travel insurance companies are ensuring they don’t disappoint either. A vast array of insurance has cropped up, from the usual coverage like baggage loss and travel delays to covering extreme sports, that is now covered under international travel insurance. So what are you waiting for? If ever there was a time to travel – now is it!