{
  "id": 9092349,
  "title": "TOI-DPA Airfare Index: A flight price tracker that will help you plan trips better",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/toi-dpa-airfare-index-a-flight-price-tracker-that-will-help-you-plan",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T03:55:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/a-flight-price-tracker-thatll-help-you-plan-trips-better/articleshow/134401528.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The TOI-DPA Airfare Index is a tool designed to assist travelers in planning their trips effectively by analyzing how airline ticket prices fluctuate. This index, a collaboration between The Times of India and Decimal Point Analytics, focuses on domestic airfares across eight major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune. It tracks fare trends for 56 routes and considers pricing data from multiple booking windows, up to 90 days in advance.\n\nThe Overall Index provides a broad view of how airfares have changed since the end of April. Meanwhile, the Airline Price Inflation Index zooms in on daily price fluctuations across selected routes, giving insights into inflation trends, demand patterns, and pricing strategies. It also highlights how booking early can lead to significant savings, while last-minute flights tend to cost about 25% more on average. The Fare Timing Index, another component of the TOI-DPA, examines how airfares shift with the timing of bookings. It compares prices booked 1, 7, 30, 60, and 90 days ahead of departure to identify optimal booking windows and affordability trends.\n\nThe index also explores how departure times influence fares. Depending on the time of day a flight departs, the costs can vary substantially across different sectors. For instance, in some routes, the time of day has minimal impact on pricing, while in others, choosing the right time to fly can cut costs by nearly half. Additionally, the index analyzes the impact of the day of the week on airfare prices. While generally, Saturdays are the cheapest days to fly and Fridays the most expensive, these patterns can differ significantly depending on the departure and arrival cities.\n\nOverall, the TOI-DPA Airfare Index offers a data-driven perspective on airline pricing, seasonal demand fluctuations, and the potential benefits of different booking decisions. By leveraging this index, travelers can make more informed choices, potentially saving money or avoiding overpriced fares.",
  "summary": "The TOI-DPA Airline Price Index monitors daily fluctuations in domestic airfares across India, illuminating trends in inflation, demand, and pricing strategies for various routes. Additionally, the Fare Timing Index reveals how ticket prices adjust over time related to booking. Factors such as departure times and specific days of the week play a critical role in determining fare costs, leading to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}