PETALING JAYA: Despite the gradual reopening of international borders, many travel plans have been put on hold for a new reason – the high cost of airline tickets.
Digital analyst Ahmad Hanif, 30, said the rising cost of flight tickets had scuttled his plans to visit South Korea.
“Several weeks ago, tickets to Incheon were in the RM1,300 range, but the price has since shot up to about RM3,000.
“This has affected my plans, but I am still staying updated through price trackers for the best deals,” said Ahmad, who is planning to attend a friend’s wedding overseas.
Freelance photographer Sebastian, 40, had to cancel his Jeju Island, South Korea, trip next month due to exorbitant ticket prices.
“During a previous trip in 2018, a direct flight from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) cost only RM600 for a return trip.
“The options now require multiple transits before reaching Jeju Island and cost between RM3,000 and RM4,000,” he said.
A businessman, who wanted to be known only as Krishna, said he is likely to reschedule his December trip to India if the prices don’t plateau by the end of next month.
“If the rates increase to nearly RM2,000, I will probably postpone the trip,” he said, noting that his round-trip tickets to India in 2019 cost just over RM1,000.
As for freelance designer Lau, 32, his trip to Seoul, South Korea, in October will depend on ticket costs in the coming months.
“I have been monitoring ticket prices for the past month and noticed an increase in ticket prices,” he said, adding that he would have to delay his trip if the prices continue to rise.
An insurance executive, who declined to be named, said the ticket prices for her family trip to Sydney, Australia, in August has increased by 30% to 50% compared to her last trip in 2019.
“This has made us consider different destinations or changing travel dates to make things work,” she said.Meanwhile, content moderator Chan Mei Kay, 23, said flight tickets for London in June were cheaper than usual.
“I bought my tickets in late March and was fortunate to get a round trip below RM3,000,” she said.
Price checkers online highlighted the price disparities for economy class flights throughout different months to popular tourist destinations among Malaysians.
A round-trip to Seoul in October ranged from RM1,496 to RM2,175, while prices in December ranged from RM1,516 to RM3,441.
Round trips to Sydney in October ranged between RM1,749 and RM3,816, while flights in December ranged between RM3,332 and RM4,659.
Tickets to London’s Heathrow airport in October ranged between RM2,852 and RM3,835, while flights in December ranged between RM3,718 to RM4,057.
Lastly, flights to New Delhi in October ranged between RM1,523 to RM1,948, which wasn’t much different from December, which ranged from RM1,530 to RM1,836.