Ticket prices to rise following B.A schedule change on Accra-London-Accra route

Stakeholders in the aviation sector are warning of a hike in ticket prices for passengers using British Airways on the Accra-London-Accra route following the reduction in the number of days that the airline flies to and from Ghana.

The airline as a result of several factors including a shortage of staff has decided to cut down the number of flights on its Accra-London-Accra route from 7 days per week to 5 days per week.

The decision by British Airways has led to a jump in ticket prices by as much as 80 % for summer travellers. Checks by Citi Business News show that Economy class tickets that would normally go for about GH¢ 14,000 are going for about GH¢ 25,000.

Speaking to Citi Business News on the development, Aviation Analyst Sean Mendes said the high ticket prices have been compounded by high oil prices for the sector.

“Unfortunately this summer has seen somewhat of a perfect storm. We are seeing high oil prices and a shortage of staff which tends to lead to higher ticket prices. Ghana however is fortunate enough that over 20 airlines are serving the country via transit to the UK, like Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates among others. These options are available but they won’t be as convenient as a direct British Airways flight.”

“And also seats on the non-stop flights will be at a premium with some of them going for about £ 3,000 (round trip) at the peak of summer. This is however not unique to Ghana as it will be experienced worldwide for anyone trying to go to the UK during the summer,” he added.

He, meanwhile, gave some tips for persons looking to find a way around the problem.

“For persons looking to travel between Ghana and the U.K, they should look at indirect flights or layover flights. If they must fly non-stop, they should look to fly on weekdays instead of weekends, they should be flexible and look for some bargains.”