Stories
Festive Travel Gets Costlier: Essential Tips to Plan Your Holiday Budget
- •Air travel for festivals like Navratri, Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath is significantly more expensive, with a LocalCircles survey showing 72% of travelers paying higher fares compared to last year.
- •Rising aviation turbine fuel prices and reduced domestic flight capacity are driving up costs, which can limit household spending on gifts, shopping, and leisure.
- •Experts recommend calculating the full trip cost—including local transport, meals, and accommodation—before finalizing bookings rather than focusing solely on flight prices.
- •Travelers can save money by comparing departure dates, exploring alternative transport like trains or road trips, and booking early for popular destinations.
- •When considering financing options like credit cards or personal loans for holidays, consumers must carefully check interest rates, fees, and repayment terms to avoid hidden costs.
Key Questions Answered
A LocalCircles survey released on October 12, 2026, found that 72% of air travellers planning to visit their hometowns for the festive season were paying higher flight prices compared to 2025. Among them, 54% reported paying over 50% extra, with 9% stating that fares were more than double the previous year's levels.
The surge in airfares is primarily driven by higher aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and reduced domestic flight capacity, combined with heavily concentrated travel demand around festivals like Navratri, Durga Puja, Diwali, and Chhath.
Experts recommend calculating the full trip cost—including local transport, accommodation, and food—before booking, comparing multiple travel dates and transport alternatives, setting distinct financial limits for discretionary holidays, and carefully evaluating loan or credit card repayment terms.
