Skip to content
travel — Health — Food — News — Lifestyle — Finance — Business — Budgeting — Personal-finance

"Rising Airfare Deterring UAE Residents from Returning Home: Some Residents Delay Travel Due to Cost Increases"

Domestic travel expenses, family gifts, shopping expenditures, and food costs, in addition to airfares, are all common financial burdens. Despite the emotional strain, people often make these choices due to financial limitations.

,   and  Administrator
3 min read
In addition to airline tickets, costs may include domestic travel, gifting family members, shopping...
In addition to airline tickets, costs may include domestic travel, gifting family members, shopping sprees, and food expenses. Despite the emotional toll, many residents make these decisions because of financial limitations.

"Rising Airfare Deterring UAE Residents from Returning Home: Some Residents Delay Travel Due to Cost Increases"

A Tough Call for Expats: Soaring Summer Travel Costs

Picture this: A Filipina named Maria, dreaming of a family reunion in the Philippines, only for soaring travel expenses to loom on the horizon. Maria, a personnel assistant in Business Bay, finds herself facing a tough decision—cancel the long-awaited trip due to the staggering costs.

"The tickets alone for my family and I top Dh16,000, and that's just for the round trip," she laments. Add to that, baggage costs, gifts, shopping, and local travel. The total can easily exceed her budget. "Even after we land, travel costs in the Philippines continue to add up," Maria says, her hopes for a reunion fading.

Another traveler, Prakash, a logistics employee in Al Nahda, had set his sights on a four-week trip to Kochi, Kerala, with his loved ones. But when he crunched the numbers, he realized the vacation would set him back three months' salary. "It's just not worth it," he decides, reluctantly postponing the journey.

And for Rania, an Egyptian expat and school teacher in Sharjah, the decision to skip the summer trip to Alexandria comes after nearly 4 years of uninterrupted visits. "The costs creep up slowly," she notices, from airfare to local travel, weddings, and family events.

In response to these skyrocketing expenses, many UAE residents are considering postponing their travels till October or December, according to Subair Thekepurathvalappil, a senior manager at Wisefox Tourism. Domestic travel within India has become costly as well, with an average family trip costing more than Rs150,000 (approximately Dh6,500).

Why the Sudden Travel Price Hike?

The surge in travel costs can be attributed to several factors:

  1. Peak Travel Season Demand: Summer, along with holidays like Eid Al Adha, creates a high demand for travel, resulting in raised ticket prices.
  2. School Reopenings and Family Travel: As schools reopen in the UAE, an increase in travel demand, and thus, higher ticket prices, follow.
  3. Eid Al Adha Celebrations: Many expats flock to Arab destinations during Eid Al Adha, contributing to increased travel expenses.
  4. General Summer Travel Trends: Summer is a popular time for travel worldwide, leading to higher prices across various transportation modes and destinations. Using alternative airports like Fujairah can sometimes yield savings, particularly for flights to popular destinations like India.

Staying Afloat: coping strategies

In the face of these financial pressures, many families are finding creative ways to stay afloat, such as:

  1. Postponing Travel: Delaying vacations until a later date when prices drop or savings can be accumulated.
  2. Staycations: Opting for local stays, sightseeing, and activities instead of expensive international travel.
  3. Alternative Airports: Considering using alternative airports to potentially save on travel costs.
  4. Budget Management: Creatively finding ways to save money on travel-related expenses, such as limiting shopping, reducing baggage costs, or limiting events during the trip.

Sadly, the tale of soaring travel expenses during summer vacation is a reality faced by many expats living in the UAE. By understanding the reasons behind this hike and adopting coping strategies, families can find ways to navigate these financial challenges and make the most of their time off without breaking the bank.

  1. Struggling with the high cost of traveling back home, Maria, a business professional in Dubai, is faced with a difficult choice—postponing her family reunion due to the skyrocketing travel expenses.
  2. Prakash, a logistics worker in Al Nahda, was planning a four-week trip with his loved ones to India, but upon calculating the costs, he reluctantly decided to postpone it, as the vacation would wipe out three months' salary.
  3. Rania, an Egyptian expat teacher in Sharjah, has had to forgo her annual trip to Alexandria due to the continuous rise in travel expenses, a reality she has faced for almost four years.
  4. Subair Thekepurathvalappil, a senior tourism manager, shares that many UAE residents are considering delaying their summer travel plans until October or December to avoid the current high travel costs.
  5. With domestic travel within India becoming expensive as well, families are looking for ways to cope with these financial pressures, employing tactics like postponing vacations, staying local for vacations, using alternative airports for potential savings, and managing their travel budgets creatively.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest