Delhi-based low-cost carrier IndiGo on Thursday launched a discount scheme that offers passengers cheap fares — as low as ₹1,389 — if they book tickets at least 90 days early. It did not fix a booking deadline.

Within a few hours Air India, too, joined the ‘fare war’ with a Monsoon Bonanza that allows passengers to travel on 40 sectors and 108 flights operated by the airline for fares as low as ₹1,499 (excluding taxes).

However, unlike the Indigo offer, Air India’s scheme covers travel up to September 30. And passengers will have to book tickets by April 5.

The actual fares under both offers will be higher as flyers will have to pay a passenger service fee, user development fee at some airports, and other taxes.

Most of the flights on which Air India is offering low fares are the domestic legs of international flights. For instance, a passenger flying from Chennai to Delhi may end up on the Singapore-Chennai-Delhi flight.

The sectors on which the airline is offering tickets at ₹1,499 (excluding taxes) include Coimbatore-Kozhikode, Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore-Chennai, Mumbai-Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai-Pune.

Earlier in the day, IndiGo said in a statement to travel agents that its low fares would start at ₹1,389 for a one-way ticket, adding that the discounted fares were available only on direct flights on its network. While the airline was silent about the booking deadline, it said that only a limited number of seats were being offered and travel would have to take place between July 1 and September 30.

Sources said IndiGo’s ₹1,389 fare was the lowest in the airline network and was valid for a one-way ticket between Delhi and Lucknow.

The discount offers from IndiGo and Air India came on the day SpiceJet’s ₹1 fare scheme, which had incurred the wrath of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, came to an end. At the moment there are no indications of SpiceJet extending its discounted offer.

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