I’d booked a flight on Cleartrip dot com, and they’ve been reminding me to book my “free” ticket. The reason for those inverted commas was that they said only the base fare was free, and the taxes (which usually amount to 3 or 4 times the base fare) was to be paid by me.

The distance between Bangalore and Kochi is, Aunty Google informs me, is 533 km or 331 miles.

But still, I was not prepared for the fares I got when I entered Cochin as the start airport and Bangalore as the destination airport. And the flights were all Bangalore to Cochin, not the other way, as I’d asked for!

Rs. 1,52,909 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → BKK → KIX → KCZ (2) 01:35 09:10 (21 Dec) 28h 5m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → BKK → BLR (2) 19:15 00:45 (20 Dec) 33h Rs. 2,25,770 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → SIN → HND → KCZ (2) 23:10 08:55 (22 Dec) 30h 15m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 16:15 (21 Dec) 20h 15m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 17:30 (21 Dec) 21h 30m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 15:00 16:15 (21 Dec) 21h 45m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 18:40 (21 Dec) 22h 40m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 15:00 17:30 (21 Dec) 23h Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 20:00 (21 Dec) 24h Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 15:00 18:40 (21 Dec) 24h 10m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 2,96,971 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 15:00 20:00 (21 Dec) 25h 30m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 3,04,944 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 16:15 (21 Dec) 20h 15m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 3,04,944 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 17:30 (21 Dec) 21h 30m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 3,04,944 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 15:00 16:15 (21 Dec) 21h 45m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 3,04,944 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 18:40 (21 Dec) 22h 40m Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 3,04,944 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 15:00 17:30 (21 Dec) 23h Multiple carriers KCZ → HND → SIN → BLR (2) 19:15 15:00 (19 Dec) 23h 15m Rs. 3,04,944 includes all charges fare breakup

• details BLR → DEL → HKG → KIX → KCZ (3) 16:30 20:00 (21 Dec) 24h

Wow, 1.5 lakhs+ to 3 lakhs+ …I can buy an aircraft at this rate!

I suspect “HKG” is Hong Kong. What a great way to travel from Kochi to Bangalore! I don’t know what KIX is, but I certainly got my KIX out of this booking….