New Delhi: In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s announcement of major changes to the H-1B visa programme, Indian professionals visiting India rushed to book flights back to the United States ahead of the fee hike taking effect on Sunday. The sudden scramble sent airfares soaring, with some fares jumping more than 200%.
Confusion over the new order fueled the rush. Discrepancies between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s statements on Friday and the official executive order left many unsure if the $100,000 fee would apply to renewals of existing H-1B visas. The ambiguity triggered a spike in urgent bookings, especially for flights scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.
Travel portals and airlines reported an unprecedented surge in same- and next-day bookings on long-haul India-US routes. A spokesperson from MakeMyTrip noted, “There has been a significant increase in last-minute bookings to the US since Friday morning. Such rush is unusual for long-haul international flights.”
Abhineet Manaktala, managing partner at D2W Travel & Tourism, said economy fares skyrocketed from the usual ₹40,000–45,000 to as high as ₹1.15–1.75 lakh for Saturday departures. “Many passengers are ensuring their flights land hours before the initial deadline to avoid any issues at immigration,” he added.
Both direct and one-stop flights from Delhi and Mumbai to the US were heavily booked. On Air India flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport, average economy fares surged to around ₹1.2 lakh, with last-minute bookings increasing to 30–40% compared to the typical 10–15% on regular days.
Even alternative routes through Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok saw heavy traffic, with round-trip fares reaching ₹2.5 lakh, significantly higher than the usual ₹1.6–1.7 lakh. A former DGCA official noted that this rush came during a lean travel period, as most summer vacations had ended and schools and colleges had resumed.
The last-minute exodus highlights the impact of policy shifts on global mobility, with H-1B professionals seeking to secure their travel before the new rules take effect.
