Cheapest Diwali flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore — what to expect in 2026
By Saanvi Iyer (Saanvi Iyer writes offbeat destination guides for Indian travellers — places that work in monsoon, shoulder-season picks, and the cities Indian first-time international travellers underrate. Based in Bangalore, perpetually mid-itinerary.) · Published · 11 min read
The cheapest Diwali flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore go to travellers who book 8–12 weeks in advance and are willing to fly a day or two earlier or later than the peak festival dates. Domestic Diwali fares on IndiGo, Akasa and Air India can triple from normal levels in the core 5-day window — so timing your search well matters more than which airline you pick.
TL;DR
Book domestic Diwali flights 8–10 weeks ahead at the latest. Flying in 2 days before Diwali (rather than the day before) and leaving 2 days after Bhai Dooj saves noticeably. Akasa Air and IndiGo tend to hold lower base fares slightly longer than Air India. Flexible-date search on FlightGPT lets you see the cheapest day in a given week at a glance.
How much do Diwali flights actually cost on major domestic routes?
Let's be concrete. On a normal day outside festival windows, a Delhi–Mumbai economy ticket on IndiGo or Akasa might cost ₹3,500–6,500 return booked 3–4 weeks out. During the Diwali window — roughly Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj — that same route on the same lead time can cost ₹12,000–22,000 return or more. Bangalore–Delhi follows a similar pattern. The surge isn't uniform across the window: the absolute peak is Dhanteras evening and Diwali day inbound; Bhai Dooj and the day after are the peak outbound dates.
Here's roughly what you might see across the three major metros for Diwali 2026 — verify current prices on FlightGPT before booking:
| Route | Normal one-way | Peak Diwali one-way | Lead time for the lower end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai–Delhi | ₹3,000–5,500 | ₹9,000–18,000 | 8–10 weeks ahead |
| Bangalore–Delhi | ₹3,500–6,000 | ₹10,000–20,000 | 8–10 weeks ahead |
| Chennai–Mumbai | ₹2,500–5,000 | ₹8,000–16,000 | 6–8 weeks ahead |
| Hyderabad–Mumbai | ₹2,000–4,500 | ₹7,000–14,000 | 6–8 weeks ahead |
| Kolkata–Delhi | ₹3,000–5,500 | ₹9,500–17,000 | 8–10 weeks ahead |
Fares and fees change — check the live price before you book.
Which airline is cheapest for Diwali domestic flights?
There's no single answer that holds year-round, but some patterns:
- Akasa Air has been the most aggressive on domestic pricing since it launched. It typically doesn't have the network breadth of IndiGo, but on key metro routes (Mumbai–Delhi, Bangalore–Delhi, Bangalore–Mumbai) Akasa fares at the same lead time often come in lower. Worth checking first.
- IndiGo has the widest network and highest frequency — if you want specific departure times or a direct flight to a tier-2 city, IndiGo often wins by default. Its sale prices can be very sharp if you catch a flash sale, but its Diwali base fares aren't necessarily cheaper than Akasa.
- Air India tends to price at a premium on domestic routes. The service is better than it was a few years ago, but for pure price comparison during Diwali it usually isn't the winner. That said, its full-service fares include meals and decent baggage allowance, which can matter if you're carrying gifts home.
- SpiceJet has had operational reliability issues over the last couple of years — check its current status before relying on it for a time-sensitive Diwali trip.
The practical approach: search all carriers simultaneously. FlightGPT aggregates results so you can type your route and see options across airlines without checking each one separately.
What is the cheapest Diwali travel date strategy?
The festival window runs roughly from Dhanteras (2 days before Diwali) to Bhai Dooj (2 days after). The absolute cheapest approach is to fly in 3–4 days before Dhanteras and fly back 3–4 days after Bhai Dooj — you still get the full festival experience but you're outside the price spike on both ends. The savings can be substantial: on a popular route like Mumbai–Delhi, being a day earlier can save ₹3,000–6,000 one-way.
If your dates are fixed and you must travel in the core window, the cheapest days within it are typically:
- Inbound: 2 days before Dhanteras (the prices haven't fully peaked yet) or mid-morning flights on Dhanteras itself (people prefer evening arrivals, so early flights are sometimes cheaper).
- Outbound: 3–4 days after Bhai Dooj. Many families extend their stay slightly anyway, so the immediate post-Bhai Dooj flights are extremely packed. Waiting an extra day or two drops prices noticeably.
Early morning flights (departures before 7am) are also frequently cheaper than evening flights during the Diwali window — airports at 5am are not fun, but neither is paying ₹8,000 extra for a comfortable departure time.
Is it cheaper to take a train instead of flying for Diwali?
On shorter routes — Chennai–Bangalore, Mumbai–Pune, Delhi–Lucknow — a train can be faster door-to-door and far cheaper during Diwali. But Diwali is also when trains are insanely oversubscribed. Tatkal quotas open 1 day before departure and tend to go within minutes. Premium Tatkal is even more expensive and opens even later. If you want to travel by train during Diwali, you need to be booking in the regular quota 60–90 days ahead, or accept Tatkal pricing.
For routes like Bangalore–Delhi, Mumbai–Delhi or Kolkata–Delhi, trains take 24–36 hours one-way — the time cost is real. Unless you're travelling in comfort (1AC or 2AC) and the journey is part of the experience, flying is usually the better call if prices are comparable.
How to use FlightGPT to find cheap Diwali fares
If you haven't tried searching for flights in plain English, the Diwali window is a good moment to start. FlightGPT is a free AI flight search — no account needed — where you can type something like 'cheapest flights from Bangalore to Delhi around Diwali' and get results with flexible dates laid out so you can see where the fare drops. It scans across IndiGo, Akasa, Air India and other carriers simultaneously.
What's genuinely useful for Diwali planning: the flexible-date view. Rather than checking each date one by one, you can see a week or two of fares side by side and immediately spot that October 16th is ₹4,200 while October 19th (three days later) is ₹11,500. That kind of at-a-glance comparison is where most people save money — not by finding a secret airline, but by seeing the shape of the price curve and choosing the cheap bit of it.
Set a price alert once you've identified your target dates. If the fare dips before you're ready to commit, you'll get a notification rather than having to keep rechecking manually. For Diwali routes, fares mostly go up, not down, as the date approaches — so an alert is more about catching a brief stable price than waiting for a drop.
Which airports and terminals should you know for Diwali?
If you're flying into Delhi, note that Indira Gandhi International (DEL) has three terminals — T1, T2 and T3. IndiGo uses T2 for domestic arrivals and T1 for some departures; Air India uses T3. Check your terminal before you go because the terminals are kilometres apart and the inter-terminal shuttle adds 30–40 minutes. During Diwali, road traffic outside DEL is especially bad — leave extra time if you're being dropped off.
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM) has two terminals: T1 for domestic and T2 for international and select domestic carriers. IndiGo and Akasa operate out of T1 for most domestic routes; Air India from T2. The T1 drop-off approach on a busy Diwali day can have queues stretching back significantly — budget 90 minutes before departure at minimum.
Bangalore's Kempegowda International (BLR) is a single-terminal airport that's reasonably well organised, though it gets extremely busy during festival windows. Pre-checking in online (which IndiGo and Akasa both allow 48 hours ahead) and going straight to bag-drop saves meaningful time.
One habit that consistently helps during Diwali: check in online the moment the window opens, carry only cabin baggage if possible (saves time at both ends), and track your flight status the evening before. Diwali-window flights run late more often than usual because aircraft turnarounds slow when every flight is full and every passenger has extra luggage.
Bottom line
There is no magic shortcut to cheap Diwali flights. The actual way to pay less is to book earlier than most people do — 8–10 weeks out puts you ahead of the surge. Shifting your travel window by even 1–2 days helps more than switching airlines. If you're flexible on dates, use FlightGPT to view fares across a full week so you can see where the price drops.
Also read: NRI Diwali flights guide and why Diwali return flights cost more. Fares and fees change — check the live price before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book Diwali flights to Delhi or Mumbai?
At least 8–10 weeks before your travel date. For peak dates (Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhai Dooj), booking even earlier helps. Prices on domestic Diwali routes start climbing sharply as you get within 6 weeks of departure.
Which airline has the cheapest Diwali domestic flights?
Akasa Air often prices lowest on the metro routes it covers. IndiGo has the widest network. Run a comparison search on FlightGPT to see current fares across all carriers — the answer varies by route and date.
How much more expensive are Diwali flights compared to normal?
Typically 2–3x more expensive at the same lead time. A Mumbai–Delhi one-way that costs ₹4,000 in a normal week can cost ₹12,000–18,000 if you're booking close-in for Diwali peak dates.
Is flying on Diwali day itself cheaper?
Occasionally, yes — very early morning flights on Diwali day itself can be cheaper because demand concentrates on the days before. But availability is thin and it depends on the year. Don't count on it as a strategy.
Can I find last-minute cheap Diwali flights?
Rarely on domestic routes. Unlike some international routes, domestic Diwali inventory gets absorbed quickly and last-minute prices on IndiGo or Akasa are usually very high. Booking ahead is the only reliable way to save.
Which terminal do I use at Delhi airport for Diwali flights on IndiGo?
IndiGo operates domestic departures from T2 and T1 at Delhi's IGI airport — check your booking confirmation for the specific terminal, as it varies by flight. T3 is primarily Air India and international. The terminals are far apart, so confirm before you leave for the airport.