Diwali Flight Fares Surge: Delhi-Bengaluru Round Trip That Cost Rs 13K Now Crosses Rs 20K

Travellers are facing unusually high airfares this Diwali, with round-trip tickets between Delhi and Bengaluru surging past Rs 20,000. Social media users and experts attribute this steep price increase to unstable crude oil prices and rising Aviation Turbine Fuel costs.

The cost of plane tickets goes up every year around Diwali, because so many people fly back to their hometowns. But this year, more than usual, many travellers are having a hard time. Many Indians were shocked by the Diwali price increase, which came on top of already high airfares caused by unstable fuel costs.

Some people on social media said that they think airfares are more expensive now than they were during earlier holiday seasons. One person from Bengaluru said that round-trip tickets from Delhi to Bengaluru used to cost about Rs 13,000 only two years ago. The fare has gone up this year, though, and now it costs more than Rs 20,000.

A Look At Viral Post

“I swear Delhi–Bangalore used to be ~ Rs 13K for a Diwali round trip just 2 years ago. Now it’s easily Rs 20K+,” wrote Arnav, a product designer, on X.

I swear Delhi–Bangalore used to be ~₹13K for a Diwali round trip just 2 years ago. Now it’s easily ₹20K+.

What happened to flight prices 🫠✈️

— Arnav_807 (@807Arnav) September 19, 2026

This year, Diwali will be observed on November 8. According to a brief search, direct flights from Bengaluru to Delhi on November 7 would cost about ₹12,500, tax excluded.

In contrast, an airline ticket from Bengaluru to Delhi might cost anything from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 before and after Diwali.

Internet Reacts

“Every sector has been costly since the war and it has not dropped one bit. It’s relatively cheaper to travel internationally,” wrote one X user in the comments section of Arnav’s post.

“Unstable and high crude oil prices. It will impact everywhere,” another explained.

“The Iran war is responsible for the spikes in airfare,” a user said.

The price of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for domestic airlines has increased by Rs 6.28 per litre, or 5.46 percent, for the second consecutive month, according to a September 1 report from news agency ANI. This brings the fuel rate up to Rs 121.28 per litre from Rs 115.