Desire to fly premium lifts demand, airfares

Indians are opting to fly premium more often, especially on metro routes, as they seek better experiences and business travel grows.

- Daanish Anand

NEW DELHI: That's sent fares for such seats on aircraft soaring through the roof.

Overall demand for business class and premium economy seats on aircraft has increased 50-60% over a year earlier, revealed data by travel portals MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip and Thomas Cook India. According to industry executives, airfares for the category have nearly doubled in a year.

"We've seen a strong demand for business and premium economy-class bookings as compared to 2023, driven by factors such as the growing aspirations of India's middle class, corporate travel policies emphasizing employee well-being and shift towards enhanced travel experiences," said Indiver Rastogi, president & group head, global business travel, Thomas Cook India, told Mint.