Yuletide: Travelers lament exorbitant fare as price of flight tickets soars. Yuletide is here again and many are already planning for travels.
With just a few days to Christmas, flight tickets to Southeast and other parts of Nigeria have hit the skies.
Various checks on and visits to the websites of Air Peace, United Nigeria Airline, Ibom Air, Arik Air and Aero Contractors indicated that airfare to Southeast and other parts of Nigeria are exorbitantly high.
The states affected by the hike in airfare are Anambra, Imo, Enugu, and Rivers.
Predominantly Christian states are bearing the brunt of the impact because they celebrate the yuletide season.
During this season, transportation sector records high number of travelers who return home to celebrate or felicitate with their families and kinsmen.
Yuletide: Travelers Lament Exorbitant Fare
In alternative to land transportation, travelers now see flying as a more secure and safer option, due to insecurity and kidnapping ravaging the country presently.
Although airfares to other regions are lower, exorbitant transport costs on Southeast roads, notorious for heavy traffic jams, are unaffordable for many yuletide travelers.
Following the visit to websites of the aviation companies, a return ticket on United Nigerian Airline from Lagos to Anambra costs N700,000, while Abuja to Owerri on the same airline costs N550,000.
On Boxing Day, 26th December, outbound Lagos to Enugu will cost N400,000, as a return inbound Lagos route on Friday, 3rd January, costs N95,000.
One-way tickets on United Nigerian Airline, on 24th December, from Lagos to Port Harcourt will cost N200,000, while tickets from Lagos to Owerri will be sold out between 20th December and 31st December, 2024.
Air Peace Airlines flights to Anambra State during Yuletide period will cost N672,900.
Air Peace Airlines charges passengers N285,800 for a one-way flight from Lagos to Anambra and N387,100 for a return ticket.
A return ticket for Lagos to Enugu, on the same Air Peace, costs N571,600. While Lagos to Imo is N666,900.
A one-way ticket on Ibom Air from Lagos to Uyo goes for N152,700, a lower price while comparing to those of the South East.
Travel experts predict that airlines will charge high airfares on southeast routes due to strong seat demand.
Yuletide: Travelers Lament Exorbitant Fare
This astronomical fares have triggered various air travelers to seek cheaper and more affordable travel options.
Various sources have also disclosed that, due to the high airfares, travelers on Enugu, Owerri and Anambra routes have decided to switch from air to land travels.
Despite hike in fuel prices militating against road travel, too, many travelers are prepared to board buses. Some share vehicles as that will reduce the cost of travel and also bring about greater availability and comfort.
Transport workers have lamented low-number passengers, citing high-cost of travel as the militating factor.
Some transport companies have maneuvered the situation to their advantage. Transport companies are offering shared rides in unregistered vehicles as a cheaper alternative. Although, it poses grave safety concerns.
As the fuel prices remain high, the shift from air to road travels will persist as families look for cheaper means to reunite.
Yuletide: Travelers Lament Exorbitant Fare
According to the General Secretary of Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI) Olumide Ohunayo, noted that the current exorbitant airfare cannot remain for long. It only becomes this high due to the Yuletide
He said: “There are flying seasons and one of them is the Christmas season and summer.
During these periods, ticket prices are astronomical and that’s why people book and pay ahead.
“They ensure they don’t miss their flights because if they miss, they will pay dearly for it.
“The price we are seeing now is driven by demand, so it’s a seasonal thing and you won’t see this fare in January unless from those coming from Lagos that want to join any available flight.
“If you are coming from the East or South-South to Lagos, you won’t pay this huge fare.
“It’s a seasonal thing and once there is demand, price will jump up, and irrespective of the fare, people will travel home to celebrate with their people and that’s what we are seeing.
“The truth is, it’s not permanent because it’s seasonal,” Ohunayo claimed.
On the part of the Chief Executive Officer of Dees Travels and Tour Limited, Daisi Olotu, he relates the high fares to an absence of capacity, competition and passengers on the route.
Yuletide: Travelers Lament Exorbitant Fare
According to his statement, Abuja routes boast of higher number of passenger and there is a price competitiveness between airlines operating on that route.
“Most of the time, it is a question of demand and supply; demand and supply on the Abuja route is better, but how many passengers are going towards the South Eastern part of the country?
“So, there is less capacity to meet their demands. The challenge is that there are fewer people flying and if they are not many, that will lead to delay of passengers as compared with the Abuja route.
“Now, how many people and airlines are flying these routes? And when they know they are the only ones flying the route, they will hike their price because they know there is no competition on the route.
“You know, airlines are looking for every way to make money and if naira should appreciate, everything will come down, including flight tickets,” Olotu stated.
He also looks to see more airlines coming in, indicating that that would birth healthy competition which would result in fare reduction.
“We need more capacity in the aviation sector. Air Peace is the major airline.
“Aero Contractor is gasping for breath and it’s tough for the airlines to maintain their aircraft and make it airworthy.
“Fare is expensive; they can’t help it because fuel, suppliers and fixing spare parts are in foreign currencies,” he added.
Yuletide: Travelers Lament Exorbitant Fare