Air ticket prices in Brazil skyrocketed in 2022. This is what shows a survey conducted by Onfly, a startup specializing in travel and expense management for companies, based on data extracted from the platform itself and from the Anac website (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil). In 2021 alone, tariffs increased by 19,3% and, in 2022, until February, the high was almost 15%.
For stretches with greater enger traffic, the increase was even greater, between three and four times. In addition to companies reducing promotional rates, which took prices below conventional values, readjustments were also added.
For example: the stretches from São Paulo (Congonhas) to Rio (Santos Dumont) and São Paulo (Congonhas) to the city of Belo Horizonte (the two most important trade routes in the country) showed the greatest variations. The ticket price became four times more expensive, ing that these are trips that take, by plane, around 1 hour and 20 minutes.
See the table below, with information taken from the Onfly database:
Two were the primary factors for the large increase in the price of domestic flights. The first factor was the readjustment that airlines carried out in the period of flexibility and resumption of travel after the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether it's business travel or tourism, airlines have artificially held ticket values at promotional prices due to low demand and demand during the pandemic.
Another factor of enormous influence was the war between Russia and Ukraine, which messed up the world energy and fuel market. Uncertainties within the global macroeconomic scenario raised oil prices to record levels, significantly influencing the average price of aviation kerosene (QAV), in addition to the increase in the dollar exchange rate, which increasingly pressured the aviation sector, with direct effects on national and international airline tickets – foci of discussions inside and outside the market.
“In April 2021, our average ticket on Onfly was BRL 1052,00, with ADVP (time in advance of purchase) of 8 days. Currently, the average ticket is R$ 2155,00, with ADVP of 14 days, which shows a variation of 104% in one year, even with the customer planning to buy more in advance”, reports Marcelo Linhares, CEO of onfly.
Linhares gives some tips on how companies that depend on air travel can try to minimize the effects of skyrocketing prices. He advises that, whenever possible, travelers opt for advance notice. With the reduction of promotional prices, the sooner the purchase, the better the chance of getting a lower value.
It is also important to use travel management systems that deliver real-time data and help with several other issues related to employee travel. Thus, it is possible to enhance routes according to pre-established routes and, sometimes, even escape the air route and make other possibilities viable, such as car or bus rental.
“The better the management of travel within an organization, the greater the savings and the smaller the effects of increased airfares. For example, a ticket from Belo Horizonte to São Paulo 16 days in advance can be found for R$ 300,00, this same route, buying one day in advance, can cost up to five times more expensive”, concludes Marcelo Linhares.
