Holiday break extended, ticket prices soar: New price hikes on the horizon

With the extension of the Eid al-Adha holiday to 9 days, price volatility in the transportation sector has accelerated. Less than a day after the holiday decision was announced, expectations of increases in air and bus tickets have come to the fore, while industry representatives have drawn attention to cost pressures.

PRICES CLIMB AFTER HOLIDAY DECISION

With the extension of the holiday, density in intercity transportation has increased, and ticket prices have also moved upward. Many users on social media have complained about the high prices. A user who shared that flight tickets from Istanbul to Hatay start at 5 thousand liras expressed their reaction with the words, "May God deal with you as you deserve; even going to one's hometown for the holiday has become a luxury."

STRIKING FIGURES BY ROUTE

Ticket prices between major cities are also drawing attention. On the Istanbul-Ankara line, flight tickets are in the 1500-2000 lira range, while bus tickets are in the 1100-1400 lira band. On the Istanbul-Izmir line, flight tickets vary between 3000-5000 liras, and bus tickets between 1300-1500 liras. On the longer-distance Istanbul-Gaziantep line, flight tickets go up to 6000-7300 liras, and bus tickets up to 1800-2100 liras.

"PRICE HIKES ARE INEVITABLE" MESSAGE

Industry representatives state that rising costs are reflected in prices. According to a report by Sözcü, Mustafa Yıldırım of the Turkey Bus Operators Federation emphasized that there has been a decline in demand, stating, "Travel demand has fallen by 50 percent in the last five years. Because our costs such as fuel and highway tolls have increased, the sector is forced to raise prices even though there is no business. A new 20 percent hike will come as we enter the summer period."

CEILING DEBATE IN AIRLINES

Expectations of price increases continue on the airline side as well. The ceiling prices determined by the Ministry of Transport for domestic flights were increased by 14 percent last month, and the upper limit was raised to 6 thousand 990 liras. Despite this, while it is observed that ticket prices on some routes exceed this level, the possibility of a new price hike is being discussed in the sector.

News Source: 12punto