10 LAKH TICKETS @ Rs.999/-

No-frills carrier SpiceJet today put ten lakh seats on the block with base fares starting as low as Rs 999, which are lower than a 3-AC train ticket, for a one-way journey under a limited period offer. The bookings for the three-day mega sale offer started today for travel between January 6 and October 24, 2015, according to SpiceJet website. "10,00,000 seats are up for grab at fares starting at Rs 999. SpiceJet mega sale is here," the airline said. The scheme, which offers fares lower than a 3-AC train ticket comes on the day when Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda presented NDA government's maiden rail budget in Parliament. However, all other statutory taxes would be applicable and the fares vary from sector to sector depending on the travel distance, according to the website. SpiceJet is offering low/heavily discounted fares since January this year when it slashed ticket prices by almost half. This is the third such sale by SpiceJet in less than a month. "It's bonanza time for Indian travellers as SpiceJet has again announced a promotional sale offering fares starting as low as Rs. 999 for 10 lakh seats to destinations across India," travel portal MakeMyTrip co-founder and chief executive Rajesh Magow commented. With the fares getting cheaper than railway fares, MakemyTrip expects travellers to upgrade the transport-leg of their holiday to flight instead of rail or road. "The new sale announced by SpiceJet today at Rs 999 plus taxes across sectors for travel between January and October 2015, is aimed at incentivising advance bookings and should have the positive effect of stimulating the air passenger market in the forthcoming year," Yatra.com president Sharat Dhall said. Dhall said he expects other airlines to follow the suit as there is already a huge surge in bookings, he added.