Further expects strong demand for bus travel during this summer season

Online bus-ticketing platform Abhibus has observed a substantial surge in bus bookings on certain routes following the recent Go First crisis. With flight cancellations and soaring last-minute airfares due to the grounding of the airline's fleet, travellers are seeking alternative and cheaper modes of transportation, including bus travel.

Go First has a strong network of leisure destinations including Leh, Srinagar and Goa and metros which have seen a week-on-week surge in airfares. According to data by OTA ixigo, airfares across popular routes like Delhi-Srinagar, Delhi-Leh and Mumbai-Goa have seen a 80-120% week on week increase and fares across certain metro routes where Go First planes were suspended have risen by 40-50%.

One of the notable changes has been witnessed on Go First's routes like Lucknow to Delhi, which has experienced a substantial seven-time increase in bus bookings since May 5, 2023. With last minute airfares surging up to Rs 6,000 one-way (a 38% increase week-on-week) on the Delhi-Lucknow sector, buses have become the preferred choice for travelers on this route with prices starting from as low as Rs 399 (and less than Rs 1,500 for luxurious AC sleepers). 

Similarly Mumbai-Goa route also witnessed the highest absolute growth in bookings. AbhiBus saw more than 350% increase in bookings during the weekend on the Mumbai-Goa route. The starting bus fare for Mumbai-Goa is below Rs 1,000, and multiple options, including luxury sleeper buses, are available, making it a cost-effective choice for travelers. Delhi-Jammu, another popular route served by Go First, Abhibus saw a surge in daily bus bookings of more than 250% on this route.

Commenting on the recent surge in bus travel demand, Rohit Sharma, COO, AbhiBus said, ”Recent suspensions and the subsequent surge in last-minute airfares have triggered a significant rise in bus travel demand. Travellers are seeking reliable and cost-effective alternatives, and bus travel has emerged as a preferred choice. At AbhiBus, we are witnessing a remarkable increase in bus bookings on routes that are usually preferred for air travel, especially on routes spanning 600 to 800 kms, allowing for overnight travel.”

AbhiBus has also seen travellers discovering hacks by splitting their journey on routes like Delhi to Bagdogra. By booking separate legs of the journey, they are managing to save significantly. To avoid expensive flight fares on the Delhi-Bagdogra route which have risen to Rs 10,000 one-way, travellers are instead booking a bus from Delhi to Patna and then from Patna to Bagdogra. This entire bus trip costs less than 20% of the flight fare, offering substantial savings to travellers.

AbhiBus further expects strong demand for bus travel during this summer season as the platform has witnessed the biggest summer opening in terms of advance bookings and travel searches, recording a daily average of 1 million bus searches and a total of 10 million bus route searches in the first 10 days of May.