World Cup 2023: IND vs PAK Ahmedabad clash on October 15 leads to six times surge in flight prices

Hotel prices increased almost ten-folds within 24 hours of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) schedule announcement for the upcoming World Cup 2023 in India which starts from October 5.

The ICC ODI World Cup is being held in India for the first time after 2011 and the cricket crazy nation can’t stay calm. India won the trophy during the 2011 edition and fans again want to be part of the history and watch the matches from the stadiums.

India versus Pakistan clash – the mother of all clashes – in Ahmedabad has led to the increase in demand for hotel rooms in the city and quite naturally that has led to a massive spike in the fares. The same surge is being seen in the prices for flight tickets on the Ahmedabad route. A Delhi-Ahmedabad ticket which would usually cost Rs 3000, would cost Rs 2000 on October 14, a day before the high-octane encounter.

“Ever since the announcement has been made officially, there has been a 5X increase in hotel tariffs for one night. Luxury hotels have been charging as high as ₹50,000 per night. And it’s not just hotels but even flight tickets are soaring. Even if people book three months in advance, airfares are six times more expensive than usual.,” Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

“An economy class Delhi-Ahmedabad ticket in August and September would be around ₹3000. But the same ticket a day before the match, would cost ₹20,000,” said Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip. “The demand for flight tickets and searches on our website reached an all-time high. Majority of people keen to attend the match have already started booking the tickets in advance, ” he added.

Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO and Co-Founder of ixigo, emphasised the surge in travel queries to all host cities, including Ahmedabad. “We have seen a significant surge in search queries for travel to all host cities. A one-way average flight fare for Delhi- Ahmedabad last year was ₹4973. This year it is as high as ₹12,000 for Indigo flights and ₹22,000 for Vistara flights. That’s more than a 100% increase. Price fares may go up close to the match dates depending upon the demand and availability.”

“Prices will peak by the end of September, perhaps even ten times as much as normal fares for flights from Delhi to Ahmedabad. The highly anticipated cricket match between India and Pakistan is a big contributor. Also, the forthcoming Navratri holiday in Gujarat, which begins on the same day, accentuates the demand for travel to Ahmedabad, contributing to the price increase,” A Krishna Mohan, MD of Southern Travels, has stated.