MALAPPURAM: The expats are unable to fly home due to exorbitant air fares ahead of the three-week winter holidays and the Christmas. Tickets for an expat family of four from Dubai will cost Rs 2.5 lakh.

As the schools in Kerala also closes for Christmas holidays, the winter vacation is also an occasion of family reunion for expats.

The airline companies have hiked rates on the basis of this. As schools in the Gulf open in the first week of January, fares from Kerala to the Gulf will increase in late December.

In October, tickets were received from Dubai to Kerala for an average of Rs 6000-7000. Rs 28,000 for an economy seat on Air India Express, a budget airline, from Dubai to Kochi today. It would be Rs 42,000 in the days closer to Christmas.

Today’s ticket rates

(Air India Express)

From Gulf

Abu Dhabi - Kozhikode: 36,250

Jeddah - Kozhikode: 35,000

Doha - Kochi: 30,000

Muscat - Thiruvananthapuram: 26,800

Sharjah - Kannur: 31,200

From Kerala to Gulf

(on 31 December)

Kozhikode - Abu Dhabi: 32,500

Kozhikode - Dubai: 29,300

Kochi - Doha: 28,500

Thiruvananthapuram - Muscat : 29,500

Thiruvananthapuram - Sharjah: 35,000