Not long before the long holiday! And if you’re planning an Eid Al Adha escape, you might want to lock in those tickets ASAP! With travel demand heating up, flight availability tightening and fuel prices rising, airfares aren’t slowing down anytime soon. So, if you’ve got your eye on a long weekend getaway, waiting could cost you big… To avoid a massive dent in your wallet, keep reading for everything you need to know.
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Don’t Delay! Eid Travel Demand Is Driving Prices Up
With Eid expected to fall between 27 May and 29 May, travellers across the UAE are gearing up for a quick escape. Naturally, that spike in demand is pushing ticket prices higher and faster than usual. Flights departing from Dubai between 26 May and 31 May have already jumped significantly compared to earlier this year, especially on popular routes.
Short-Haul Routes Are Already Expensive
If you’re planning a quick trip to India, be prepared to pay more than usual. Current fares are sitting around:
- Mumbai: AED 2,000
- Bengaluru: AED 2,360
- New Delhi: AED 2,110
Southern destinations are even pricier, with:
- Kochi: AED 2,940
- Thiruvananthapuram: AED 3,300
- Mangalore: AED 4,080
Within the GCC, fares are still relatively reasonable for now:
- Riyadh: AED 875
- Bahrain & Muscat: AED 1,100
Long-Haul Flights See Major Spikes
Long-distance travel isn’t getting a break either. Travel experts say these rates are noticeably higher than what travellers were paying earlier in the year. Prices have surged across major global destinations, including:
- London: AED 3,840
- Edinburgh: AED 4,040
- Zurich: AED 3,760
- Milan: AED 2,390
- Istanbul: AED 2,610
- Athens: AED 3,730
- Almaty & Tbilisi: AED 2,330
- New York: AED 4,760
Limited Flight Capacity Is Still A Problem
Industry insiders reveal that light availability hasn’t fully bounced back yet. A senior executive at Musafir explained that several airlines are still operating fewer flights than before. In fact, some carriers are even running on significantly reduced schedules.
While routes are gradually reopening, capacity is returning slowly, making it harder for fares to stabilise. As a result, many travellers are now opting for connecting flights just to secure a booking. It’s a clear sign of how strong demand currently is.
Fuel Prices & Regional Tensions Add Pressure
It’s not just about the supply and demand of flight availability! Global factors are also playing a role. Ongoing tensions around key shipping routes have kept oil markets unstable, which directly impacts jet fuel prices. Because fuel costs have surged dramatically, airlines are adjusting pricing while also dealing with longer flight paths and operational disruptions. In simple terms, airlines are spending more, so passengers are paying more.
Flights Are Gradually Returning
There is some relief on the horizon! Airlines are gradually restoring routes, especially to popular leisure destinations. Travel experts note that while international carriers are expected to scale up operations soon. However, full recovery is still a work in progress. UAE-based airlines are leading the way by steadily increasing flight options and expanding into trending destinations across Europe and Central Asia. That said, the recovery remains uneven.
At this point, the takeaway from this is simple: the longer you wait, the more you’ll likely pay. With demand climbing and seats filling up fast, locking in your Eid plans early could save you a serious chunk of cash. And of course, stay informed of all the new changes and keep following Gulf Buzz for all the latest travel updates.
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