Dubai, Nov 17 (IANS) India’s national carrier Indian is offering fares matching budget carriers but with all the frills of a regular airline on all its flights to Kerala and Bangalore in Karnataka from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under a special scheme.The airline is offering tickets for 259 dirhams (around Rs.3,453) plus taxes one-way under the M-class on its flights from Dubai and Sharjah to Thiruvanthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode in Kerala and Bangalore between Nov 16 and March 31, 2009.

Return fares are being offered at 519 dirhams (around Rs.6,905) plus taxes under Indian’s Slim Fares scheme.

The airline’s move comes following requests from expatriate Indians in the UAE to reduce fares given the rising cost of living here.

“We have been getting requests from expatriate Indians here to reduce fares,” Riyadh Shah, Indian’s assistant travel manager in the UAE, told IANS here.

“We spoke with our authorities in India and following a directive have introduced the new fares,” he said.

There are around 1.5 million expatriate Indians in the UAE and a large number of them hail from Kerala and Karnataka.

Shah said the M-class ticket would be offered on first-come-first-serve basis.

“There are 35 M-class seats in a flight and these will be offered on first-come-first-serve basis on ticketing and not on booking,” Shah said.

“In terms of ticket cancellation though, only the tax will be refunded.”

Indian country manager in the UAE Anand Kumar Pandey told the Gulf News daily that the new fares would be available during the upcoming festive seasons of Eid-Al-Azha and Christmas.

“Fares are offered in the same range as the budget carriers. Meals, beverages, and baggage allowance, all will be available,” he said, adding that this was the lowest fare offered by the airline in this sector.