Hyderabad to Pune Same-Day Flight: What Are Your Options?
By Arjun Kapoor (Arjun Kapoor tracks error fares, mileage runs and award-chart sweet spots for Indian travellers. He moderates two Telegram fare-alert channels and has booked Europe round-trips at sub-₹25,000 four times in the last 24 months.) · Published · 10 min read
HYD–PNQ is a mid-tier domestic route — enough flights to have options, not enough to have IndiGo's MAA–BLR-style dominance. IndiGo, Air India, Akasa, and regional carrier Star Air all fly it. Here's when booking 2–3 hours before departure actually makes sense, and when you should have booked yesterday.
TL;DR: Can you get a same-day flight from Hyderabad to Pune?
Yes — HYD to PNQ has enough daily departures that finding a same-day seat is usually possible, just not always cheap. IndiGo typically runs 3–5 daily flights, Air India has a couple, Akasa has at least one, and Star Air operates a regional turbo-prop service on this route. Total fares on the day of travel are often in the ₹4,000–₹9,000 range for the base ticket; add baggage fees if you need to check a bag. Booking even 2–3 hours before the flight can work if you web-check-in immediately.
Which airlines fly Hyderabad to Pune non-stop?
Let's go through each one honestly:
IndiGo — most reliable for frequency. On a route like HYD–PNQ, they usually have three to five departures spread across the day, which means there's almost always something leaving within a few hours. Punctuality is decent. Their app is one of the better ones for last-minute booking.
Air India — since the Vistara merger completed, Air India has picked up more metro and tier-2 routes. They typically have one to two daily departures on HYD–PNQ. Fares can be marginally higher than IndiGo at the last minute, but their checked baggage allowance (sometimes included in certain fare buckets) can make the all-in price competitive.
Akasa Air — usually one daily departure. Same deal as on other routes: when their timing works, they're a solid option. They've been quietly building a reputation for on-time performance that rivals IndiGo on short sectors.
Star Air — this one surprises people. Star Air operates turboprop services on several regional routes including some involving HYD and PNQ. The aircraft is smaller (ATR 72-600, typically 68–70 seats), so last-minute availability can dry up faster. The experience is no-frills but the flight time is similar to a jet on this sector. Worth checking if the bigger carriers are sold out or prohibitively priced.
Check live schedules on FlightGPT or directly on each airline's website — route frequencies change with the season.
When does booking 2–3 hours before departure actually make sense?
Here's my honest take, having done this a few times: last-minute booking on HYD–PNQ makes sense only if your trigger was genuinely sudden — a work escalation, a family emergency, a meeting that popped up at noon for a 6 PM flight. If you knew even 12–24 hours ago that you needed to go, booking earlier almost always saves you money.
The economics: airlines fill their planes from the cheapest fare buckets upward. A seat that costs ₹2,200 a week out gets re-priced to ₹5,500–₹8,000 as the plane fills and departure approaches. By the time you're 3 hours out, you're typically buying whatever the airline thinks it can extract from someone who has no alternative. That said, if there are five departures still with seats and the plane isn't full, prices sometimes drop in the last few hours — airlines don't love flying empty seats.
My rule: if a flight is more than 50% full on your chosen day, prices will stay high or go higher as departure nears. If it's a low-demand day (mid-week, off-season), a 3-hour booking can occasionally catch a fare that's barely above the advance price. It's a gamble, not a strategy.
What's the realistic all-in cost for a last-minute HYD–PNQ ticket?
Base fare on the day of travel: roughly ₹4,000–₹9,000 depending on how early in the day you book and how full the flight is. If you catch something in that 4–6 hour window before departure on a moderately-loaded day, you might find something closer to ₹3,500–₹5,000. If you're booking within 90 minutes of departure and the plane is near-full, don't be shocked by ₹9,000–₹12,000.
Checked baggage: IndiGo, Akasa, and Air India Express charge separately for checked bags. Budget ₹600–₹1,500 for a 15 kg bag added at booking, and more if you add at the airport (always more expensive at the counter).
The 7 kg cabin bag is still included everywhere for free. If you travel light — truly light, not 'I'll squeeze this 9 kg bag through' light — you cut a meaningful chunk off the last-minute cost.
One useful check: OTAs like MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip, and Ixigo sometimes show airline seat fares at slightly different prices due to timing and caching. Worth a quick scan across two or three before booking, but don't spend 20 minutes on it — that seat you're looking at can disappear.
What about Star Air? Is the regional service worth considering?
Star Air runs ATR turboprop aircraft and serves some city pairs where jet services are thin. On HYD–PNQ, their schedule may slot into morning or afternoon windows when the big carriers are scarce or expensive. The cabin is smaller and louder than a narrow-body jet, but for a ~55-minute flight, it's genuinely fine.
The thing to watch: Star Air's last-minute pricing is sometimes more aggressive (cheaper) than IndiGo's on the same day because they have fewer seats to fill and less pricing-algorithm muscle. I've seen HYD–PNQ on Star Air come in ₹1,500–₹2,000 cheaper than IndiGo on the same afternoon. Not always, but enough to be worth checking their website (flystarair.com).
Also: Star Air sometimes gets missed entirely by flight aggregators or shows up with a delay. If you're using FlightGPT's search and don't see Star Air, it's worth a direct check on their site separately.
Should you consider a connecting flight via Mumbai or Bengaluru?
Honestly, on most days: no. A connection via BOM or BLR adds 3–5 hours of transit time to a route that's a 55-minute direct. The only scenario where a connection makes sense is if every direct is sold out (extremely rare) or if there's a significant fare gap — like ₹3,000+ cheaper via a connection. Even then, the missed connection risk on a last-minute ticket is real and painful.
That said: if you're checking and it's a Tuesday afternoon and the only direct left has one seat at ₹11,000, take a look at what a BOM connection looks like. Sometimes there's a BOM layover that gets you there for ₹5,000 total with a 90-minute layover at Chhatrapati Shivaji. It happens.
For broader Hyderabad travel options, our destinations page has more on HYD flight patterns.
Practical tips for last-minute HYD–PNQ booking
A few things that have saved me time and money on last-minute domestic bookings:
- Web check-in immediately after booking — for domestic, you can check in online up to 60 minutes before departure on most carriers. Don't wait.
- Skip the airport counter bag drop if you're tight on time — IndiGo's express baggage drop queues are typically faster; ask for them specifically.
- Use UPI for payment — credit card surcharges on last-minute bookings add ₹150–₹400. UPI typically waives booking fee surcharges on IndiGo, Akasa, and Air India.
- Screenshot your e-ticket and boarding pass — don't rely on the app loading at the gate when you're stressed.
- Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International (HYD) has one terminal; Pune's Lohegaon (PNQ) is small. Security at PNQ on return can be slow during peak hours — build that into your planning.
For broader last-minute booking strategy, also see our articles on last-minute India–Nepal flights and Chennai–Bengaluru last-minute options.
Frequently asked questions
How many flights are there from Hyderabad to Pune every day?
Typically 5–8 daily departures across all carriers — IndiGo usually accounts for 3–5 of these, with Air India, Akasa, and occasionally Star Air filling the rest. Frequency dips slightly in lean seasons; check a live aggregator on the day.
Is it possible to book a Hyderabad–Pune flight on the same day?
Yes, usually possible. HYD–PNQ has enough frequency that same-day seats are available on most days. The question is price: same-day base fares typically run ₹4,000–₹9,000 versus ₹1,500–₹3,000 when booked a week out.
Does Akasa Air fly from Hyderabad to Pune?
Yes, Akasa operates at least one daily non-stop on HYD–PNQ as of 2026. Their on-time record on short sectors is solid. Check akasaair.com for current timing, as schedules change seasonally.
Is Star Air a reliable option for last-minute HYD–PNQ travel?
Star Air operates ATR turboprop aircraft and is generally reliable. Their smaller cabins mean seats fill faster, but their last-minute pricing is sometimes more competitive than jet carriers. Worth checking flystarair.com directly if aggregators show expensive fares elsewhere.
What is the baggage allowance for a last-minute domestic ticket?
All carriers include 7 kg cabin baggage free. Checked baggage (15 kg) is typically an add-on costing ₹600–₹1,500 depending on carrier and how early you add it. Adding at the airport counter is always more expensive — buy online at booking time.
How early should I arrive at Hyderabad airport for a last-minute domestic flight?
HYD is a large airport. For domestic departures, arriving 60–75 minutes before departure is the minimum if you have checked baggage. If you're carry-on only and have a mobile boarding pass, 45 minutes is workable but tight. Check-in counters close 45 minutes before departure.