DGCA asks SpiceJet to stop ticket sale offer due to govt-imposed fare caps

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has asked SpiceJet to stop its ‘1+1’ offers with sale fares starting at Rs 899. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked SpiceJet to stop its five-day discounted sale of tickets referring to the government-imposed fare limits, PTI quoted senior officials as saying. 

Further, ET Now digital reached out to SpiceJet on the same, a SpiceJet spokesperson said, "We have already complied with the DGCA directive."

The DGCA directive was followed by an announcement made by air carrier SpiceJet on a limited period ‘1+1 offer’ to rake up sales at a time when Covid has wreaked havoc on the aviation industry on Monday (August 3). Under the offer, the airline was giving away discounted tickets with one-way base fare as low as Rs 899, including taxes for domestic travel.

“Customers booking a flight during the five-day sale period, till August 7, will get a complimentary flight voucher with a maximum value of Rs 2000 per booking. The voucher, which can be used for future ticket bookings, will be sent to the customer within 48-hours of booking and will have a validity of travel period until October 15, 2020," SpiceJet said in a press release.

The sale that opened on Monday was a five-day sale for travel until March 31. As part of the offer, the traveler were suppose to get a complimentary flight voucher equivalent to the base fare up to a maximum value of Rs 2,000 that can be utilised on the next travel. The airline also unveiled add-on offers such as upgrade to SpiceMax for Rs 499.

Several routes such as Hyderabad–Belgaum, Belgaum – Hyderabad, Ahmedabad–Ajmer (Kishangarh), Ajmer (Kishangarh)-Ahmedabad were available under the Rs 899 sale.

Aviation regulator DGCA on July 24 had said that the fare cap on domestic flights will continue until November 24, 2020, or until further orders. 

On May 21, the aviation regulator DGCA issued the government-decided fare limits for these bands -- domestic flights with less than 40-minute duration to have lower and upper limits of Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,000, for 40-60 minutes Rs 2,500 and Rs 7,500, for 60-90 minutes Rs 3,000 and Rs 9,000, for 90-120 minutes Rs 3,500 and Rs 10,000, for 120-150 minutes Rs 4,500 and Rs 13,000, and for 150-180 minutes Rs 5,500 and Rs 15,700.